Having been brought up in a very politically active family,  I learned that if you don’t like what is happening, create a better way, and make that happen, so…

Aerial view of green farmland with some patches of trees, a hillside, and a distant cityscape under a hazy sky. 
Mezimbite Forest Centre 2021

When the wall came down, when Mandela was released, and when Mozambicans signed the Accord of Rome, ending the Civil War, indicating that both sides lost, and after a successful international career and graduating from Wits University and MIT, Allan Schwarz moved to Mozambique to pursue his ideals of Sustainable Design based on his woodworking experience.

Green plants growing in black plastic pots under a rustic wooden roof structure, possibly in a nursery or garden center.
Two women standing in a young tree plantation with watering cans on the ground, wearing headscarves and casual clothing, in a sunny outdoor setting.
A collection of four wooden and rubber rings arranged on a wooden table with a blurred background.
Close-up of a page from a book with text discussing architecture, sustainability, and cultural expression. 
Editorial in Architecture SA, by Professor Paul Kotze, 2016

In the time since Mezimbite Forest Centre, Mozambique, was established (May 1994), it has set the bar in almost every activity it has engaged in, starting with the sustainable design and crafting of fine, noble hardwood furniture, to growing back trees, to personal care products from wild harvest and organically grown ingredients, and many more things in-between. During this time, it has included the rigorous training of the talented people who live in the forest to move up the value chain, thus incentivising their participation in conservation and regeneration of their threatened environment.

Dense green forest with trees and underbrush, sunlight filtering through the leaves.
A group of people working outdoors in a wooded area, sorting and collecting fresh peaches into black and yellow crates, with some individuals carefully inspecting the fruit.
A group of people sitting at wooden desk tables outdoors on a grassy area, some wearing face masks, with a small potted plant in the foreground and a vehicle in the background.
Multiple small, weathered clay pots with green cilantro plants growing in dirt, placed on a ground with a wooden fence in the background.
Group of villagers holding fresh vegetables in front of a partially constructed building under a clear sky.
Four small dark wooden cups placed on a light wooden tray, with a blurred colorful background.

A lot of what Mezimbite has been doing, has been included as a normal cost of business (like skills training, professional and craft education and reforestation). Under normal circumstances, these are externalities, either tax-deductible expenses or considered charitable work.

The purpose of the Foundation is to enhance and expand the work we have been doing in Mozambique for the past 30 years, ensuring its sustainability for the future. This initiative is not just a continuation of my previous efforts; rather, it reflects the evolution of my work based on valuable lessons learned over the years. From the perspective of tax regulations in developed countries, this clearly qualifies as a "charitable purpose."

After 30+ years of operation, it has developed these principles:

  1. Work in the place of origin, and from first principles, don’t rely on tick boxes

  2. Work with the grassroots people

  3. Be direct, but respectful and always keep your word

  4. Get your hands dirty

  5. Be present in all the work, understand the consequences

  6. Live modestly but with quality

  7. Offer first and then worry about the returns, and always give back

  8. Always do the very best you can

Because we have stuck to these principles, we have attracted over the years a powerful team of collaborators and brought some up through our ranks. Conservation Restoration and Development is a team sport, and we now have the “Dream Team”. Most NGO project developers wrestle with how to engage and recruit communities to work with them. In contrast, as a result of a long track record of delivery, we have the opposite problem: how to select from the queue of communities that want to work with us. 

Why Switzerland???

  1. The Swiss take money and governance very seriously.

  2. Recently, the Swiss encountered significant repercussions due to a major scandal in Mozambique, which has prompted heightened scrutiny from regulatory authorities. This increased oversight serves as a safeguard against corrupt individuals and practices.