About the Umckaloabo Foundation

Olaf Schwabe

represents the fifth generation of Dr. Willmar Schwabe’s family. He can look back on a long family tradition that has always been defined by both intercultural thinking as well as taking social responsibility. Dr. Willmar Schwabe himself — the company founder and great-great grandfather of Olaf Schwabe — helped support sanitoriums for the elderly and infirm from the late 19th century onward.

“As a family-owned business, we accept corporate social responsibility. In places where family structures are lacking, we want to help children and young people develop meaningful prospects for themselves. The Umckaloabo Foundation serves as a dependable and effective platform in this regard.”

Uwe Bothur

is an experienced project manager who has overseen many social projects.  He has been an active volunteer in the German Scouts organization of St. George (DPSG) since 1982. His main priority has been working with disadvantaged children and young people to help them develop perspectives for a brighter future. 

He is particularly involved in the charitable organization Nangu Thina, where he has been active since 1995. Nangu Thina focuses on projects to support children and adolescents in southern Africa. In 2006 Uwe Bothur was awarded the German Federal Cross of Merit for his work.

“I am grateful the Umckaloabo Foundation exists: it supports works which allows young people in southern Africa to have a self-sufficient life and a healthy future.”

Dr. Traugott Ullrich

is a physician, economist and the general manager of Dr. Willmar Schwabe GmbH & Co. KG, which distributes Umckaloabo® in Germany. Dr. Ullrich has often traveled to southern Africa and grown familiar with the botanical diversity of this region as well as the specific needs of many who live there.

“Our raw materials for Umckaloabo^® come from southern Africa. That alone is a reason why we feel a strong tie to the people from this part of the world. The Umckaloabo Foundation is intended as our contribution to helping children and young people in one of the world’s poorest regions achieve a healthy and self-sufficient future. This is an issue of great concern to me, both personally and as a physician.”

Nangu Thina

Nangu Thina is a charitable organization which has existed for many years; its volunteers help children and young people in southern Africa so they can help themselves. The focus is on learning from one another and conveying knowledge — including on an intercultural level.

Nangu Thina promotes and coordinates projects which help young people further develop the abilities they need to live independently, ease their poverty, and strengthen the partnerships between countries in southern Africa and Europe.

Nangu Thina has been active in the southern African region for many years. Thanks to its solid knowledge of local structures and South African culture, the organization understands the lives and needs of the regional population and knows how our help can be put to greatest use.

The Nangu Thina website

Samara Foundation 

The Samara Foundation is a charitable organization active in the Eastern Cape, one of the poorest parts of South Africa. In this very impoverished region, parents often have to leave their families to find work in cities.

As a result, the Foundation is currently focusing its attention on early childhood development (ECD) centers, i.e. nursery schools and day cares. Children find a second home here and receive loving guidance and support. Samara also organizes and finances training and continuing education programs for the child minders.

In doing so, Samara opens up doors for both the ECDs and the child minders themselves.  They can pursue professional qualifications and generate a steady income for themselves. 

The website of the Samara Foundation

Scouting Mpumalanga

Scouting Mpumalanga is the province’s scouting organization and is part of the national scouting association of South Africa. It works in close collaboration with Nangu Thina.

As our partner organization on site, it plays a major part in assisting young adults. In this region, there are many parents who cannot take care of their children properly due to factors such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis or malaria. In other families, parents often leave the region for larger cities, and the grandmothers who are left to raise the children can be overwhelmed.

This makes the Scouts feel like a second home and a safe space for children and adolescents who grow up in such circumstances. Here they learn the Scouts’ guiding principles such as accepting responsibility for one another, taking care of each other, and taking independent action. Teenagers also learn practical skills as well as knowledge about issues such as health topics.

The website of Scouting Mpumalanga