About Us
Our mission is to equip families and communities to help vulnerable children feel safe, seen, and supported.
Our Story
The story starts in 1980 when our founder, Reno Schalm, moved his family from the plains of Canada to the mountains of Lesotho. For 11 years, Reno and his wife, Nancy, worked in rural development and education, building relationships and creating the foundation for what Trust for Africa has become today.
In the 1990s, HIV and AIDS began to devastate much of sub-Saharan Africa’s social and economic structure. The crisis was especially prevalent in Lesotho. The stories were daunting. To Reno and Nancy, they were personal. Many of their friends and co-workers were impacted.
In just a few years, thousands of children were orphaned. In 2007, Trust for Africa was registered to care for vulnerable children in Lesotho. Since then we have expanded our work in various capacities to provide a continuum of services to protect vulnerable children, restore separated families, and advocate for care reform on a national level.
In everything we do, we know at the heart of it, every child deserves to be safe, seen, and supported. Take a look at What We Do to learn more!
“
There have been too many children who have come through the doors of our emergency shelter, where we’ve thought, ‘This trauma didn’t need to happen. If that family had only had some support, this painful circumstance could have been avoided.’
— Naomi Schalm, Executive Director
Meet Our Team
It takes a village of passionate people to love on children and care for families.
Mbele Horoto
Chief Operating Officer
Mafusi Semethe
Senior Social Worker and Director of Emergency Shelter
Naleli McPherson
Social Worker
Charles Makiba
Head of TFA Tutoring Center
Palesa Mokabo
Teacher
Bokang Pharela
Teacher
Lits’eoane Mokaloba
Teacher
Makeketso Ralekhetla
House Mother
Rosa Mokoma
House Mother
Mamasupha Bereng
House Mother
Paballo Lefoka
Family Strengthening Trainer
Serabele Mokhele
Driver and Maintenance
Naomi Schalm
Executive Director
“
The life we live, and the world we live in is full of possibilities. It is within each one of us to find our light and let it liberate others.
— Bokang Pharela, Teacher
Board of Directors
Trust for Africa U.S.A.
(Formerly Faith Foundation)
Emmanuel Tormes
Chairman
Government Relations Manager
Orlando, FL
Elan Ange
Director
CEO
O&T Farms
Regina, SK Canada
Gabriel de Guia
Director
Executive Director World Outreach
Orlando, FL
Heidi Skogman
Director
Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist
Leadville, CO
Naomi Schalm
Executive Director
Mohale’s Hoek, Lesotho
Board of Trustees
Trust for Africa Lesotho
Danny Bothma
Chairman
LSP Construction
Maseru, Lesotho
Sue Jandrell
Secretary
PB Jandrell & Son
Mohale’s Hoek, Lesotho
Brenda McPherson
Casa Blanca Realty Ltd.
Maseru, Lesotho
Naomi Schalm
Executive Director
Mohale’s Hoek, Lesotho
“
The ripple effect of our gifts go deeper than feeding hungry tummies, they encompass a society of benevolence and compassion that foster a re‑growth, re‑unification of families, second chances, reformation, and affirmation that a little goes so much further than we would ever anticipate.
— Brenda McPherson, Board Member
Your generous support directly funds our work with children and families in Lesotho.
© Trust For Africa.
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