About Us

Daniel brings to the team a wide range of skills and experience. He has worked with several aid organizations and currently holds 6 directorships at US and Canadian charities. He holds a BSc. in Animal Biology from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and is the recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award from Langara College. Daniel has spent about 20% of his time living in Tanzania and implementing projects for GPN. He has plenty of international experience through traveling throughout the world and speaks Japanese, English and intermediate Swahili.

Dr. Joseph Lupande comes from a lineage of traditional healers and is also trained in Western medicine. He is the founder of the Bujora Museum in Mwanza which hosts an array of artifacts from the Sukuma tribe. Dr. Lupande has experience in running his own clinic, but most recently had been working for the Tanzanian government as an assistant medical officer before joining GPN to construct a health centre in his village.

Mama Asia Kapande is the founder and president of the Tanzanian Home Economics Association (TAHEA), our Tanzanian partner NGO. She has implemented numerous projects in Tanzania through TAHEA and also holds positions in the government. She is well known as an honest and hard working leader and has received the Canadian International Development Agency Award of Excellence in recognition of her devotion and quality of work.

Zarah Martz has a Masters degree in plant sciences. As an ethnobotanist, she has worked extensively in native communities in Canada to revitalize traditional plant knowledge and has developed educational programs for youth. She is the latest addition to the team and has increased GPN's fundraising capacity. She is assisting in developing a strategic plan for climate change adaptation for rural communities using drought resistant crops.

Wally has works within the field of international education and is a big supporter of education; his own educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Science from the University of British Columbia as well as a Master’s degree in International Relations from Maquarie University in Sydney, Australia. He feels lucky to have been able to take advantage of these opportunities and believes that GPN’s goal of providing opportunities for education is one of the best ways to empower people, increase their chances to become positive contributors to society and ultimately create stronger and safer communities.

Maki has a background in commerce and marketing. She is a marketing coordinator and student recruiter for the University of British Columbia. Maki works with international students and she brings her love of cultures and diversity to GPN. She is also a professional Middle Eastern dancer and teaches regularly in North Vancouver. Please contact Maki for any information or inquiries regarding media, advertisements, or marketing.

Joseph is from Mwanza city and is one of the original founders of GPN. In 2011 he received his permanent resident status in Canada and will be splitting his time between Tanzania and Canada. His hope is to build a classroom and clinic for his village, and give out scholarships to disadvantaged children. Joseph is also concerned about environmental issues. He has seen the rivers dry up and the forests destroyed in his village. There is a special section under our donation tab to specifically donate to Joseph's village.

Dawn Schaller has been working in Tanzania since 2003 with orphans. Her first orphanage, the Hisani centre is now financially sustainable and serves over 50 children. She is currently focusing on making her second orphanage, the Lukobe orphanage, self sustaining. Her expertise in charitable projects has been essential in the success of our various projects.

Sakura and Christophe take care of GPN's website and have been working with Daniel ever since GPN was in it's early infancy. They visited Mwanza and Kanyama village with Daniel and Zarah in the summer of 2009, and witnessed firsthand the difference GPN is making in many of the kids lives. Sakura and Christophe both work at digital marketing agencies in Calgary, Alberta.