Never Too Late to Make a Difference
How one couple embraced their third act, started a school in Tanzania, and left a family legacy
Editor’s Note: This article is part of our Generous Living series, where we highlight people who live lives of radical generosity.
Dave Tolmie is, by all accounts, a successful guy. After earning a master’s degree from Harvard Business School, he thrived in the business world, first at General Mills and also at Bally’s health club enterprise. In 2001, he and two business partners,founded Edgewater Funds, where he currently is a senior partner at the Chicago-area private equity firm.
Dave (left), his wife and their three children, with Don and Joann Tolmie (right) / Video screenshot
But Dave is the first to say that legacy isn’t something you can purchase or put a price tag on. Rather, it is something built from compassion and purpose, to be passed down to the next generation. For the Tolmie family, investing in the lives of disabled children in Tanzania, Africa, is the realization of that legacy.
But it didn’t start with Dave.
“I am who I am today because of my mom and dad,” Dave shared with the Generous Giving community from his home outside Chicago, Illinois. “After my dad retired at 70 years old, he and my mom started traveling. They are not particularly adventurous people, but they went to Tanzania, Africa.”
Don and Joann Tolmie, Dave’s parents, saw the challenges faced by the physically disabled community, especially for 600,000 Tanzanian children who live with disabilities.
They learned that Tanzania has a large disabled population due to birth defects, prenatal malnutrition, and injuries. And what those children needed most was a primary school where they could receive an education, physical therapy, and medical attention. Still, they needed someone to help make that happen, especially since only 15% of disabled children in the country receive an education. Many had never even seen a doctor, and resources were slim.
“It was a God moment for my parents,” Dave said. “Six months after their first trip, I went with them. We traveled extensively, examining the healthcare system and educational opportunities. We looked at the plans for the school for children with disabilities, and they said, ‘Let’s focus on this.’”
The older couple invited Dave and his wife and their three children to join them.“What do you think?” his parent’s said. “Let’s do this together.”
Built at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, the Fajara Primary School opened its doors in 2001. In partnership with the Northern Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania, Joann and Don Tolmie began a work that has continued to grow.
“Our kids immediately gravitated toward it and got involved. As they got engaged, the enthusiasm around the school was something that became part of our lives,” said Dave. “It gave my parents purpose and substance to share with their grandchildren.”
Granddaughter Maddie Tolmie Czerkawski was still a teenager when her grandparents took their first trip, which would become the first of over 35 trips they would take overseas. “I thought, Wow! What are my grandparents doing in Tanzania? Where is Tanzania?” she laughed as she recalled her earlier recollections.
“I did not know this would snowball into a cause, a mission, a purpose for them and then for our family and future generations,” she said.
Maddie discusses the legacy lessons passed down to her as core value-building. “My family always impressed on us the Biblical principle that to those who have been given much, much is required. My dad is still instilling in us the lesson of living beyond yourself.”
Other lessons her grandparents taught her: It is never too late to make a difference, and listening is a virtue.
David talked about the school his parents started as being life-giving to them as well as those who attended. “I am sure my dad would have started shriveling up when he retired as a corporate lawyer if it had not been for the Faraja School. They fully engaged in their third act, and their life was fuller than it had ever been.”
Don and Jean found joy in serving alongside their son and his family. The purpose they instilled would continue long after they became unable to make the trip themselves. Don passed away in 2020 at the age of 91 and Joann in 2022 at the age of 92. They were lovingly referred to as “Bibi” and “Babu,” which translates to “Grandma” and “Grandpa” in Swahili, the language spoken in Tanzania. Their involvement earned them President Bush’s “Point of Light” award.
“That sense of giving and spirituality is part of me and is in my children,” said Dave. “There is a deep sense that this is something our family is doing and will continue doing to make an impact. It has been hugely rewarding. Much more rewarding and meaningful than anything I have done in my career. It’s why I am here.
“What I hope my grandkids will tell their grandkids,” Dave said, “is that their grandfather was a great man. Not because of what he accumulated, but because of the things he did to help others.”
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