The very first Executive Director for Stephanos Foundation, Mr. Dick van Schaik (called General Manager then) passed away in the Netherlands.

Dick van Schaik was the pioneer Executive Director for Stephanos Foundation from 1994 till 2002. They returned to the Netherlands in November 2002 with their 4 adopted Malawian children. Mr. Dick was the one who established the orphanage known as “Ku nyumba kwa ana” where many orphans found a warm home. The Orphan care, Day-care, Outreach, and Vocational Training Centre were all established under his care. Weekly devotions and catechism classes for staff and children were then conducted by Rev. Schaafsma, Rev. Banda and Mr. Dick himself.

After his return to the Netherlands, Mr. Dick worked as an English teacher but, due to frequent sickness, had to stop. The recent illness brought him to the hospital, and on 8th March 2025, he was diagnosed with cancer for which no treatment was anymore possible.

He was taken away from this earth, just 11 days after that, in the early hours of 19th March 2025, and burial is on 24 March 2025.