“I volunteer for a few refugee charities and whilst working in the Calais jungle I noticed that most refugees had very poor oral healthcare and nutritional deficiencies. As a biochemist, I am interested in using science technology and innovation to solve humanitarian issues. I decided to set up VitaGUM as a novel way to provide both nutrition and oral healthcare using my science background and practical skills from working in the camps first hand.

After speaking with several refugees and volunteers on the ground who all thought it was a really good and viable idea. These people know the environment really well and what works and what doesn’t. I knew the science was solid but getting confirmation that VitaGUM was popular with people in the community really pushed me to make it a reality.”