OUR TEAM

Ken and Nancy Morrison

Ken, Nancy and Dr Dan Bhwana at Kasita with the motorcycle provided by Provision. Dan travels to outpatient clinics in very rural areas over roads that are more like trails so the motorcycle was desperately needed.

Ken and Nancy founded Provision Charitable Foundation in 2012 after returning from an epic adventure to Tanzania with Dr. Louise Jilek-Aall whose dedication and long-term commitment inspired them to get involved in helping the epileptic people there.

Heidi Kubin

Heidi visiting the people with epilepsy at Kasita, Fatia on the left, Heidi left centre, with Fatia’s daughter and mother, right centre and far-right respectively.

Heidi lives in Kelowna BC and is passionate about education and about care for epileptic people. After losing her husband to epilepsy complications in 2018 she is committed to ensuring all people including those living with epilepsy have options and freedom.

Dr. Ken Stones

Ken practiced dentistry in White Rock, BC for many years, during which he became committed to volunteer dentistry. This followed a life-changing experience in 1994 when he travelled to the Amazon region of Brazil to treat patients and train two locals to extract teeth. Since then, he has organized and fundraised for 29 humanitarian dentistry trips. In 2009 he founded a charity, Semiahmoo Dental Outreach, made up of a team of dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and non-dental helpers. The charity focuses on treating children who lack access to basic oral care and has travelled to many locations including the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and Peru. Until covid, he led two foreign clinics per year. Ken has also been active as a volunteer locally, having established a volunteer clinic at Peace Arch Hospital in White Rock in 2009. He fund-raises for the clinic and, with a small group of dentists, delivers pro bono care.

Since meeting Ken Morrison at the PDC in 2016, Ken’s team has partnered with Provision on trips to Ifakara, Tanzania (2016, 2019), Siquijor, Philippines (2016, 2017, 2018), Ladakh, India (2018), and Vietnam (2019). Since 2016 he has also worked with Provision to help develop and implement the Community Dental Health Care Workers Prevention Program in Ifakara, which became a reality in 2021.

Dr. Dan Bhwana

Dr. Dan Bhwana, right, with the HAMSA TROUPE, Mdindo village. The troupe uses traditional music and dancing to raise community awareness and reduce the fears about epilepsy.

Dr. Dan is a medical doctor with an incredible heart for epileptic people. He is pursuing post-graduate studies and continues to play a key role in the care of epileptic people. He is a key member of our team.

Julianna Shinnick

Juliana visiting with nurse Kibiriti at the district hospital near Kasita. Nurse Kibiriti works with patients with epilepsy.

Julianna is a person living with epilepsy and she is determined to improve the lives of people with epilepsy in the developing world. She brings her background in neurology and related resources to assist the people in the area.

Dr. Lida Blizard

Dr. Lida Blizard travelled to several villages throughout Mahenge and Luhombero to meet health care providers and develop a greater understanding of the current provision of maternal and newborn care throughout the region. In this photo, Dr. Blizard attends to a newborn baby and infant under care at an orphanage for children who have lost their mothers in childbirth.

Kelly and Dave Antosh

Kelly and Dave have different but complementary roles with Provision. Kelly has more than 20 years of experience in dental hygiene as a clinician and educator and has a Masters degree in Community Studies. She has worked in the area of oral health in various parts of Africa for the last 20 years and works closely with the Community Dental Worker program that began in 2017. Dave is an experienced plumber and gardener and has put his skills to good use advising on irrigation and mechanical projects in Ifakara and Mahenge. Their first trip to Tanzania together as a couple was in 2019 and they both feel at home and among friends in Ifakara.

Garth Drummond

Garth Drummond, right, with Fr.Ndege, the director of finance at SFUCHAS. Garth has travelled several times to Tanzania and has a special interest in education, especially for epileptic people. He is also in charge of the development of the girls' school at Tunduru. Garth also is key to the development of micro-enterprise projects.

Ian and Sabrina Sylvester

Ian and Sabrina Sylvester and their daughters Katherine and Emily have had the privilege of coming alongside Ken and Nancy in supporting their work with Provision Charitable in various capacities. In 2017 they even had the privilege of travelling to Africa and meeting so many of the great people that Provision works with. They loved their time in Tanzania and are excited to continue to work with Provision to help wherever and whenever they can.

Dr. Diana Wegner

Diana Wegner is a retired academic and writing specialist who assists PCF with documentation and research. She has taught at UBC and SFU and is faculty emerita at Douglas College. Her scholarly publications focus on theories of language and power in contexts of social struggle (environmentalism, homelessness, and Indigenous women's rights). She provides writing and reporting support for the dental outreach team led by her husband, Ken Stones, and has attended a number of the team's outreach clinics.

Maureen Knorr

Maureen visiting the epileptic clinic founded by Louise Jilek-Aall in 1960.

Maureen first became involved with Provision in 2015. She travelled to Mahenge in the summer of 2015 and returned with her husband Justin in 2018. Maureen has epilepsy and is an inspiration to people with epilepsy in Tanzania who see through her example that a full productive life is very possible.

Greg and Jonelle

Greg and Jonelle went to Tanzania in 2018 where they met many gracious, hard-working people trying to make a better life for their families and communities. Through Greg’s connections in the pharmaceutical industry, they are able to ship important anti-seizure medication to the village of Mahenge, TZ. While in Tanzania they saw the need for education in rural Tanzania and are working with a friend, Father Placid, to build a school in Luhombero, TZ.