SCARBOROUGH, Maine — John Thompson was born in England and is now living out his retirement years at the Piper Shores retirement community in Scarborough.
A little more than a year ago, Thompson was told by the United Kingdom ambassador in Washington D.C. that one of the royal family members was going to award him with this high honor. Initially, they asked him if he would take the honor, and it didn't take the Thompsons long to agree and accept the award.
“It’s part of the honor code of Britain,” Thompson said. “It’s an honor to people who do service in their community and a very large commonwealth, to be honored and awarded by the King.”
Thompson was awarded the MBE award (Member of the Order of the British Empire Award), which honors the organization they started 25 years ago in the small South African town of Masiphumelele. The couple wanted to help kids and teens with some of their basic needs and education, and the effort turned into a charity called Masicorps.
“We received this mysterious phone call from the United Kingdom a little over a year ago asking, ‘Would you be pleased to receive this honor on December 31, 2022? If you would like to think about it and take the time…’ It only took three seconds after that to say we are honored and accepted,” John's wife, Carol Thompson said.
Thanks to many donations they have received throughout the years, the couple was able to build five daycares, a youth center, a library, many houses, and a recreation center, and they're in the process of building more.
"They have no jobs, they have no skills, they have no languages, nothing, and the children running around have no future," the Thompsons explained. "And guess what? A lot of them go into crime. What else can they do? Our job was and still is getting as many people as we can in education, kids, we start off with the little kids, so its a feel good and anyone can do it."
The Thompsons said their life has been very fulfilling by seeing others in need attaining an education and having their basic needs met through their efforts.
“When we received notice of the award, the first people we notified were our friends and family because they are the ones who truly share in this achievement,” Carol said. “From the very beginning of our fundraising efforts, John and I reached out to everyone we knew. This award isn’t just for us; it’s a recognition of the collective effort of our entire community.”
The couple said this honor shows that anyone can do anything to help people who really need it.
"You get your reward for philanthropy, just seeing the results. Of course, it's taken 22 years to get to this position. It's not a slow growth but immensely rewarding," John said. "I had never built anything. None of us are teachers, so we are almost tempted to say anyone can do this if you really want to."
Carol was born and raised outside of Cape Town, South Africa, so the couple visited the country often. It was in one of those visits they decided to make a change.
The nonprofit has evolved from a small startup in a 50,000-person township into a dynamic organization with 70 staff members. Over the years, Masicorp has significantly impacted the community of Masiphumelele in South Africa.
“This acknowledgement extends to everyone who has contributed to fundraising, donated money, visited South Africa, devoted their time, and helped overcome challenges," Carol explained. "It’s a celebration of a vast, interconnected family of friends and donors who have played a vital role in our journey."
Carol said more than a dozen individuals took the initiative to write to the King, nominating both her and John and for their impactful work. This thorough process typically spans a year or more, with the British Embassy meticulously sifting through hundreds and thousands of applications. The extensive procedure includes in-depth background work, involving conversations with family members and friends to gather comprehensive insights.
“We asked the British Ambassador when we could tell our children, and they already knew about it,” Carol said. “They had to be part of this effort, to give them more background information. They were just as excited for us to find out the news, and finally they didn’t have to keep this a secret anymore.”
“In this journey, we have created a good life for many people, and that’s what we encourage other retirees to do. If you can help someone, and make a difference, do it. The beauty is that anyone can do this,” John added.