Susan Wood (1918-2006), British philanthropist and writer who helped create the African Medical Research Foundation (Amref) in Kenya and founded an enterprise to employ poor single mothers.
During training as a World War II nurse, she met the physician Michael Wood and they married in 1943, eventually having four children together.
Michael Wood set up a medical practice in Nairobi but demands for his surgical skills came from far beyond the city causing him to charter private flights to reach patients in remote locations.
[1] Michael Wood remained Director General of Amref for 29 years and Susan's work there continued even after her husband's death in 1987.
In the 1960s, Susan and Michael Wood started a coffee plantation on the estate of the late Karen Blixen (made famous in the award-winning movie Out of Africa) about 30 minutes from the center of Nairobi.
[3]In 2006, when Susan Wood died, the enterprise employed 200 women, mostly single mothers crafting handmade, hand-painted ceramic jewelry.