Feature

Christel VISION

Investing market capital to build human capital

“…we needed to do more than house and feed the children. We needed to show them a path toward self-sufficiency and human dignity.” --Christel DeHaan

A Christel House student greets the South African school’s founder, Christel DeHaan, during a visit this past February.

When Resort Condominiums International (RCI) co-founder and entrepreneur Christel DeHaan sold her business in 1996, she thought she’d slow down and do a little charity work. Today, DeHaan is making a remarkable difference in the lives of impoverished children from India, Venezuela, South Africa, Mexico, and the United States. Her Christel House International helps children around the world break the cycle of poverty and become self-sufficient, contributing members of their societies. Kiwanis International CEO Rob Parker recently met with DeHaan to talk about leadership, philanthropy, voluntarism, and Kiwanis.

Rob Parker (RP): Who are your leadership role models?

Christel DeHaan (CD): From the political arena, my all-time favorite is Nelson Mandela, who set the tone for change through his own personal sacrifice. For someone who successfully married his business savvy with his social conscience, I would point to Nobel Peace Prize-winner Muhammad Yunus, who was able to help lift millions from poverty with his micro-lending initiatives.
Obviously, Mother Teresa was an inspiration to millions of people, irrespective of faith. And I can’t forget Warren Buffett, who is a wonderful leader and was wise enough to invest the majority of his wealth with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation so it could be highly leveraged for the world.

RP: You have been very busy since selling your business and have invested millions of dollars in charitable endeavors through your own foundation. Tell us about that.

CD: I had learned a lot during my business career, and I also created significant market capital. My goal was to combine my business skills with my market capital and contribute to the creation of something much more meaningful and lasting: human capital.

RP: Was it difficult moving from the marketplace to philanthropy?

CD: I did think it was going to be a much easier endeavor than it turned out to be. I took three of my best employees with me from RCI, and we thought we would work shorter days and do some good by giving some money to those who need help. It didn’t take us long to realize that investing money wisely in charitable endeavors is very challenging work.

We gave away a lot of money in the early days, but we always knew we wanted to be involved in something transformational. For that reason, we formed Christel House International.

RP: Tell us a little more about your journey and your discovery of your passion for children.

CD: None of us has any control over where we are born, and it didn’t seem right to me that a child’s potential as a human being would be limited by economic conditions, educational opportunities, and things like that. For this reason, we decided to invest in things that create systemic change. I was asked to support a shelter and orphanage in Mexico. While standing in this desperately poor region of Mexico, I knew that by giving money to these shelters I would be doing something good but that it wouldn’t last. Without a strategy to help these children break the cycle of poverty, they would have food and clothes today but no hope for the future. It was on our travels back from Mexico that we began formulating the strategies that eventually became Christel House. I knew we needed to do more than house and feed the children. We needed to show them a path toward self-sufficiency and human dignity. Education is the great equalizer, and health and wellness is a big part of this as well. If our children are safe and healthy, they have a chance to embrace education. But there’s also a character and values component that rounds out their development. We have some very clear evidence that what we’re doing is working, as evidenced by the percentage of Christel House children who become responsible, productive citizens and who are able to support themselves.

RP: What reading recommendations do you have for our Kiwanis leaders?

CD: I have read a number of excellent books on leadership and they all seem to list common attributes of great leaders:

• Can I trust this person? Are they competent or talented in some way?
• Do they have a value system I can embrace?
• Are they worthy of emulation?

Currently, I am enjoying reading about the challenges Teddy Roosevelt faced as told in The Rough Riders. I believe one of the keys to being a lifelong learner is to make sure you are always reading something worthwhile.

RP: How do you feel your German heritage and your personal upbringing contributed to your success?

A group of students welcome Christel DeHaan to their Christel House school in Bangalore, India.

CD: I was very young during World War II, but I can remember the effects of the postwar years. Times were very tough, and we learned to appreciate what we had. My father was killed on April 1, 1945, very close to the end of the war, which meant Mom became a very influential person in my life. She had high expectations of me. She taught me that if you work really hard, then you can play.

But work always came first. I saw her give to others through the Red Cross and in other ways, so I guess you could say giving has been a part of my DNA. As a European, I grew up in an environment surrounded by other countries that all spoke different languages and had unique cultures. This had a profound influence and gave me an appreciation for other cultures. That has caused me to always think globally.

RP: What do you know about Kiwanis and our impact around the world?

CD: I have always admired what Kiwanis has done and especially its commitment to children. I respect individuals who have a mission that is greater than themselves. Kiwanis members, by their very nature, bring value to the community and to others, and they’re making a difference. Since my personal definition of success is centered around the positive impact our lives have on others, I believe Kiwanians should be very proud of their individual and corporate successes. I think the value proposition of Kiwanis is that whenever there is a need in the community, you can always turn to Kiwanis to help solve it. If Kiwanians can’t solve it themselves, they will not rest until they find the people and resources that can solve it.