Schwarz Africa Fund is named in honor of John and Babby Schwarz.
Following a 30-years career in investment banking, John and his wife, Babby, went to Kenya as missionaries.
John started an MBA program at Daystar University, the largest Christian College in Africa; and he and Babby taught Bible in a Pentecostal church in the slum of Mathare Valley in Nairobi, Kenya.
John and Babby also founded the Kenya Children’s Fund and the Kinyago-Dandora School, which has educated more than one thousand children.
Upon the death of John Schwarz in 2021, David Waithaka and his friend Mark Mortenson, founded the Schwarz Africa Fund to carry on the legacy of John Schwarz by providing education to poor children.
When David visited Zumba Mtendeni village, he noticed that there were no schools close by and discovered that those who could, walked 2 hours to the nearest school.
Due to the long distance and cost of transport, many children stayed home.
Children of the Mangati or Datoga nomadic pastoralists were not attending school because they moved from place to place in search of pasture.
David resolved to start a school to provide education, food, and health care to the children of Zumba, Mtendeni Tanzania.
In 2022 the Schwarz School in Tanzania opened, and it is currently educating 130 children in the village of Zumba Mtendeni in Kibaha district of the Pwani province of Tanzania.
Schwarz School Tanzania will provide K-12 education to 500 children, provide vocational training to 150 youth and women and support farmers to get fair prices for their crops and milk.
Schwarz Africa Fund is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the United States internal revenue code.
Through your generous donations and gifts, the Schwarz Africa Fund will educate 1,000 children in Kenya and Tanzania, provide vocational skills to 150 youth and women and support farmer cooperatives to higher yields and fair prices for their produce to enable them to earn sustainable livelihood.
The Schwarz Africa Fund will provide health care services to 2,000 residents of Zumba and surrounding villages while protecting the environment to preserve natural habitat.
Schwarz Africa Fund is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the United States internal revenue code.
David Waithaka was born in the slum of Mathare Valley in Nairobi, Kenya.
He successfully completed his Certificate of Primary Education at Dr. Aggrey Primary School in Nairobi.
David’s single mother could not afford his education, so she successfully appealed to the Catholic church’s Undugu Society of Kenya to educate him through 4 years at Langata High School.
David was the top student in the Kenya Certificate of Education.
Due to lack of funds, David could not advance his studies.
Upon meeting John and Babby, they educated him through his Kenya Advance Certificate of Education, where David was the student leader (Head Boy).
In 1986, John and Babby brought David to live with them in Edina, Minnesota where he attended the University of Minnesota.
David earned a bachelor’s degree (Magna Cum Laude) in International Relations and African Studies and master’s degrees in Human Resources and Public Affairs at the Carlson of Management and Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
David graduated Magna Cum Laude and went on to a career as a Commodity Merchant for Cargill.
In 1996, David earned master’s degrees in human resources and public Affairs.
David returned to Kenya in 1996 and founded the Inspirations Center, an after-school mentoring and homework program to help children in Mathare Valley.
Jetta Wiedemeier Bower traveled to Zumba Village in February 2023 and fell in love with the community and the children.
On her first trip to Zumba, she was bestowed the Swahili name, “Furaha” which means Happy & Joy.
Jetta has a master’s degree from the Humphrey School of Public Policy at the University of Minnesota, and during her time in graduate school, she met David Waithaka and their friendship began.
She has worked in state and city government, as well as the legislative branch in Minnesota, but fell in love with the nonprofit world and the ability to serve others.
Previously, Ms. Wiedemeier ran a National Resource Center that worked to get children out of foster care and into permanent, loving homes.
She has been the Executive Director of the March of Dimes Minnesota, a lobbyist, and a grant writer for local nonprofit organizations.
Currently, she manages a Volunteer and Community Outreach team at a local nonprofit in the Twin Cities serving older adults and the caregivers who love them.
In her personal life, she loves futbol, photography, experiencing new cultures, and actively trains to compete in Triathlons.
Jetta’s personal motto is “Built to Serve.”
Mark Mortenson received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Northwestern University. He then graduated cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law and received his law degree in 1995.
After spending two years in a private practice, Mark rejoined the M.A. Mortenson Company and served as its corporate secretary.
In 2007, he became president of Lansing Group, LLC, which manages the investment programs for the M. A. Mortenson Company and its subsidiaries. Lansing Group also manages investment programs for the Mortenson Family Foundation and private entities.
In the last twelve years Lansing Group has helped the Foundation build an impact investment program that has enabled the Foundation to increase its impact.
Mark is a past chairman of the board of Alight (formerly the American Refugee Committee). Mark also serves on the board of Minnesota United FC and several other mission-driven businesses.
In the past, Mark served as the vice chair of the board for the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota, as a director on the Minnesota Zoo Foundation board, as a trustee on the board of the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, and as a director on the board of Daystar U.S.
Mark has traveled extensively in Africa and has taken particular interest in issues surrounding smallholder farming and regenerative agriculture.
He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and three sons.
Erin Groden is the granddaughter of John Schwarz and a proud board member of the Schwarz Africa Fund.
With a childhood full of stories from “Grandpa” about his incredible work and the even more incredible people and beauty of Africa, Erin grew up with dreams of bringing her privilege and skills to bear to help empower lives in this remarkable place.
Originally from Walpole, Massachusetts, she even wrote her college essay about dreams of becoming a doctor and practicing in Kenya after having the chance to visit with John at seventeen.
That visit only deepened her love of and interest in this special and crucial continent.
While studying Premed at Boston College, Erin discovered a passion for primary research and worked for years in laboratories in Boston and Chicago researching the best approach to develop a vaccine for HIV, a disease that continues to disproportionately impact the people of Africa.
She then spent multiple years writing science curriculum and teaching science in Chicago.
Working now managing accounts and analyzing data for the engineering arm of a global IT services company, she is more motivated than ever to really make her mark through the Schwarz Africa Fund for years to come.
She is even more excited to learn from the communities she plans to serve and those serving alongside her.
She can only hope to make her grandpa proud!
Erin lives in Chicago with her partner Rich and their cats, Ralphie and Linus.
Hear about the latest projects at the Schwarz School in Tanzania.
Learn about our teachers, volunteers, and students.
Stay informed about our latest accomplishments as we continue to build.
We will not share your personal information with any individual or organization,
Your donation will enable us to provide education, food, safe space, and healthcare to 500 kids and clean water to their community.
5441 10th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA | Email: contact@SchwarzAfricaFund.org | Privacy Policy
© 2023 Created with Royal Elementor Addons
