The Journey

In 1996, whilst leading a photographic safari in southern Africa, Paul Templer was attacked by an enraged hippopotamus. As a result, his left arm ended up being amputated and his life was ripped apart. In 1997, Paul Templer met with Dave Williams, a successful businessman and philanthropist in Michigan, USA; Dave had the vision, drive, wherewithal and competence to establish Make-A-Difference as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Dave and Paul started Make-A-Difference, primarily to service the needs of amputees (mostly children who were land mine victims) in southern Africa.

Dave and Paul’s collaboration led to an international fundraising event called the ZZAM expedition. This publicity campaign was chronicled globally and became the launching pad for all future Make-A-Difference endeavors.

In 2005, in an effort to save and normalize her life, Paul’s four-month-old daughter Erin had brain surgery at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. The surgery didn’t accomplish everything that was hoped for. Being exposed to this population (terminally and chronically ill children and their families), particularly those living below the poverty line, inspired our current focus supporting children with developmental disabilities and their families

By 2008, Make-A-Difference (since renamed Templer Foundation) had established itself and regularly provides financial, material, and pragmatic provision to various programs around the world, most notably (though not exclusively) our Erin’s Light Early Intervention Program which supports developmentally disabled and terminally ill children and their families.