Our Founders
Harry & Echo VanderWal
Harry, a medical doctor, and Echo, a physician assistant, are founders and executive directors of The Luke Commission. While visiting Eswatini in 2004, the VanderWals saw the devastation of HIV/AIDS throughout rural Eswatini. In 2005, the couple founded The Luke Commission, named after the doctor who authored the Gospel of Luke in the Bible.
Both Harry and Echo graduated with highest honors from Cedarville University in 1996, each with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology. In 2011, Harry and Echo were honored by Cedarville as Alumni of the Year. The VanderWals have seven children and one grandchild. The couple resides full-time in Eswatini with their family.
Echo Nomsa VanderWal, Executive Director
Echo is a visionary leader in global health who has spearheaded innovative health and development solutions to serve isolated and underserved patients. Under her leadership, TLC has delivered comprehensive healthcare services through more than 1.5 million patient visits in Eswatini since 2005. TLC’s Miracle Campus, located in the center of Eswatini, includes a national referral hospital providing primary to tertiary care, Africa’s largest PSA oxygen plant, a world-class snakebite treatment unit, and the globally recognized Training and Leadership Center of Excellence for deepening and extending a culture of compassionate care.
Echo's passionate advocacy for equitable healthcare access has led to TLC's international recognition for addressing systemic challenges through the challenges of the HIV epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. Her commitment to aligning technology with community continues to shape public health, with plans to scale TLC's impact globally through strategic collaborations and scalable innovations.
Dr. Harry VanderWal, Co-Founder
Harry serves as CEO of Luvelo Solutions and is the co-founder of The Luke Commission. During a 2004 visit to Eswatini, Harry observed the extensive impact of HIV/AIDS on the small African kingdom where the infection rate is the highest globally. Inspired to contribute to the solution and answer the calling he received as a teenager to serve overseas in healthcare, he and his wife Echo moved their family to Eswatini and established TLC in 2005 to provide hope, help and healing to underserved populations.
In 2024, Dr. VanderWal became CEO of Luvelo Solutions, a social enterprise company equipping companies, institutions, and governments with world-class digital solutions to empower accountability, transparency and efficiency. In 2024, the Luvelo Enterprise Suite, a business operations software platform of 25 interoperable apps across personnel, supply chain, productivity, and health delivery, won the grand prize (Judges Award) at the African Supply Chain Excellence Awards. Piloted in Eswatini at The Luke Commission, the Luvelo platform is now available for licensing worldwide.
The VanderWal Family
