Philanthropy
The Gertler Family Foundation (2004-2017)
Until its closure in 2017, as a result of US sanctions and the resulting restrictions on Dan Gertler’s transactions, the Gertler Family Foundation (GFF) worked to help address the needs of vulnerable segments of the Congolese population.
Since its creation in 2004 the Gertler Family Foundation has invested millions of dollars in health, education, infrastructure, emergency assistance, cultural and other projects in Kinshasa, Katanga, Kasaï-Oriental, Orientale and Sud Kivu provinces and elsewhere throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Through the hospitals, health clinics, schools, homes and more the GFF has built and the medicine, food, clothing, clean water, school supplies and other assistance the GFF has provided, the foundation has helped change the lives of countless Congolese living in major cities and remote villages with limited access to basic health care services, children and adults born with facial deformities, inter-city children born HIV positive, youth and adults living with HIV-AIDS, orphans, the disabled, families stricken by natural disasters, and so many others.
Gertler Family Foundation Health Achievements in the DRC
The Gertler Family Foundation health programmes addressed the lack of access to basic health services, malnutrition, facial deformities, HIV-Aids, malaria and other endemic diseases prevalent in the DRC. The Gertler Family Foundation has built hospitals and medical centres, provided medicines and other medical supplies, hired expatriate specialists and trained local staff for the sustainability of its programmes.
Click here to read about some of the projects the Foundation has supported.Gertler Family Foundation's Commitment to Education
A core belief of the Gertler Family Foundation is that investing in education is an investment in the future of the DRC. The Foundation's education programs focus on the overall development of vulnerable children and young people throughout the country. The Foundation's community-based education programs included building schools, sponsoring housing and education for orphans, funding literacy projects for young women and girls who are victims of sexual violence, and a number of other educational programs.
Click here to read about some of the projects the Foundation has supported.The Gertler Family Foundation Cultural and Social Programs
The Gertler Family Foundation's support of sports, music and other cultural programs has contributed to the well-being of Congolese citizens and social development of communities. The Foundation also supported numerous social projects in Kinshasa and other areas of the DRC.
Click here to read about some of the projects the Foundation has supported.The Gertler Family Foundation Today
Regrettably, since December 2017, the Gertler Family Foundation has had to stop its activities due to the impact of US sanctions. This has had a devastating impact on the Foundation's ability to maintain its support of the Congolese people. Despite the restrictions placed on him, Dan's deep-seated loyalty to the Congolese people and his commitment to community have not wavered.
Dan supported an initiative aimed at helping the Congolese population fight against COVID-19, as well as other humanitarian causes in the DRC. For example, inspired by how Israel had implemented an efficient and rapid drive-through testing process in Tel Aviv, Dan worked alongside Israel's Magen David Adom (MDA) to replicate this process in Kinshasa between May and July 2020 at the start of the crisis in order to contain the spread of the pandemic as much as possible.
Most recently, in October 2020, Dan financed the funeral for the late Mwimba Makiese Texas with whom he has worked in the past through the GFF, recognising vulnerable populations in the DRC, including the Albino community.