In the Spring of 2004, TCON’s Co-Founder, Dave McPherson, traveled to Africa in the hope of offering resources and care to the countries’ countless women and youth impacted by the decades-long civil war, the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the notorious cattle hustlers known locally as the Karamajong. After living in Uganda for nearly a year, Dave was introduced to Beatrice Omese, a woman whose personal story and vision for the women of Uganda opened Dave’s eyes and mind to the possibility of developing an organization committed to social change rather than remaining content to simply treat the symptoms of poverty and oppression. At the time of their introduction, Beatrice had single-handedly assembled an faith-based organization focused upon community empowerment consisting 400 widows. Lacking any substantial financial support, these widows were struggling to find hope for their circumstances.
When Dave began to explore the possibility of developing an organization committed to assisting these women and their children, he presented the idea to his brother, Mark McPherson, an exceptionally successful businessman interested in utilizing his business sense as well as his financial resources in social entrepreneurship. In a mere six years since the birth of The Children of the Nile the organization has supported nearly 100,000 women and an estimated half a million children by providing the necessary resources to launch agricultural business initiatives, better access to health and palliative care, educational support for the youth and orphans of the region and through hosting conferences and training opportunities to strengthen community networking and development.
After the initial years of trial and error and surviving the common growing pains endured by many social sector organizations, TCON has laid a solid foundation and has an attainable vision for the future. The needs in this region of the world seem inexhaustible at times, but we have discovered that given the opportunity and equipped with the necessary resources, these women have the potential to become change agents for their entire families as well as their respective communities. As an organization we are hopeful that others will be equally compelled to join the FIGHT on behalf of this vulnerable population of the world so that we can continue to reach even more women and children.
Dave received is Bachelors degree in History and later acquired an MDiv in Theology at Denver Seminary. Dave worked as a pastor at a church located in Littleton, Colorado for fifteen years. During the last five years of his ministry experience he became increasingly involved in humanitarian aid projects that required traveling to both Africa and Central America. Upon founding TCON, he lived in Uganda for a number of years but currently resides in Colorado with his wife and travels frequently to oversee all of TCON’s projects. He has two grown children who reside in Colorado with their spouses as well.
Joseph has worked for TCON since it’s birth in 2005. He received a degree in Agriculture from Makerere Univeristy in Kampala and has extensive experience in assisting and empowering others through agricultural projects. He is a chief agricultural specialist for the Ugandan government. Located in Soroti, Uganda, Joseph enjoys life with his wife, Anne, and their four children.
Bio Coming Soon.
After receiving a B.S. in Behavioral Science in 2005 and working in the non-profit sector domestically for nearly a decade, Shauna accepted a six-month contracted position with TCON that required her to temporarily live in Uganda with her husband and their three daughters. It was during this time that she became deeply impacted by the plight of women all over the world. Upon completing her contract, Shauna pursued an M.A. in Counseling Psychology at The Seattle School of Psychology and Theology. After her graduation in 2010, Shauna joined the team once again and hopes to continue to fight on behalf of the women in Uganda. She currently lives in Colorado with her family.
Craig Nason has spent nearly his whole life in Denver, Colorado despite remaining attached to his New Jersey roots. He has maintained a global perspective since he was a child and his father’s airline job gave his family the opportunity for extensive international travel. As an adult, Craig received his degree in Music Education from the Metropolitan State College of Denver. He spent the last ten years working at West Bowles Community Church in the areas of Music, Young Adult Community, and International Outreach. Craig’s international work was focused in Peru and Mexico where he developed projects and led teams on short term trips to support communities in impoverished settings. Craig’s wife, Cassandra, teaches in Denver Public Schools, and they have three children together- Elijah (8), Annika (5), and Brooklyn (3).
Mark McPherson is TCON’s Co-Founder and the President of the Board of Directors. He started his first job at age 10 and moved away from home at 17. Although he graduated with an inferior secondary education and did not attend college, he instinctively excelled at getting the best from the things and people he encountered. He has gained expertise and exceptional success in Real Estate, corporate ventures and the oil industry. Today Mark owns Mirada, Onyx, Great Barrier, Gold Coast and Orrion Energy. In 2005, Mark formed McPherson Foundation to fund many of TCON’s projects. He is the father to two grown daughters and currently resides in Colorado with his wife of 33 years.
Randy Kenworthy is co-founder and managing partner of Denver, Colorado-based private equity firm, Caddis Capital, LLC. Mr. Kenworthy is a serial entrepreneur with a proven track record of founding, leading and growing sustainable, profitable companies. He has personally founded three companies and has participated as a senior executive in early stage management teams of six venture-backed organizations in numerous industry segments. Mr. Kenworthy maintains a strong personal commitment to assisting early-stage companies and stewardship. Presently he serves as a board member for three closely held companies. He also participates as an advisory board member for the Alliance for Choice in Education (A.C.E) and The Bard Center for Entrepreneurism at Colorado University. As an avid sportsman, Mr. Kenworthy is happy to call Colorado home. He resides in the Denver metro area with his wife of 22 years, their daughter, and four dogs.
Bio Coming Soon.
Charles Muhumuza, Legal Consultant
