About
Who We Are
Dashir-Kikwe Health Centre is the vision of Darryl (the “Da” of Dashir) and Shirley (the “shir”) who came to Tanzania in 2010 to build and operate Dashir Lodge & Safaris. Together with their good Tanzanian brother Elisante, they founded Dashir Community Projects International Tanzania (DCPI TZ), a registered NGO.
At the start of COVID, Darryl & Shirley partnered with former lodge guests to form Dashir Community Projects International Canada (DCPI CA or Dashir Cares), a registered Manitoba nonprofit founded in 2020 with charity status effective Feb 2021. DCPI CA works with DCPI TZ, providing funding and oversight for the health centre.
Darryl & Shirley Peters with Elisante Kipuyo
Board Members
Dennis Dyck (MB)
Monique Gauthier (MB)
Esther Friesen (BC)
Michelle Soenen (MB)
Pam Sigurdson (MB)
Dave Lewis (MB)
Darryl Peters (TZ)
Kikwe Community
The village of Kikwe is a rural community about 20 km outside the city centre of Arusha in northern Tanzania. The nearest hospital is 15 km away. Well over 100 villagers came out to clear the land and begin the Outpatient Clinic build in March 2021.
HOW DASHIR CARES (DCPI) CAME TO BE
In 2010, Darryl and Shirley Peters sold everything but their three kids and moved to Tanzania. It was in the prenups but that’s another story! With the support of the Kikwe community, they built a beautiful lodge on 30 acres of virgin land. A safaris business was added in due time. And most importantly, Darryl & Shirley created a team of workers to be part of their family.
In May 2020, Darryl and Shirley reached out to three alumni couples for much-needed advice and help to navigate their lodge and safaris business through the immense challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The newly formed Advisory Team prioritized the needs of the Dashir staff first. They held a virtual Zoom staff fundraiser for Dashir friends and alumni in June 2020. The event was a great success and raised enough money for all 30 Dashir workers to continue to receive an income until the end of the year.
Dennis & Brenda Dyck
Dashir 2014 and 2019
Wes & Esther Friesen
Dashir 2018
Dave & Olwyn Lewis
Dashir 2020
At the same time in June 2020, with hints that the pandemic tourism challenge could last well into 2022, the Advisory Team saw a unique opportunity: Darryl & Shirley’s vision of building and operating a much-needed healthcare facility in their community. In conversations with other Dashir alumni, one couple made a surprise donation to help purchase 7.5 acres of land right beside the lodge. This got the wheels turning with a plan to start a nonprofit in Canada and a nonprofit in Tanzania, then to raise funds and build the first phase of Dashir-Kikwe Health Centre in 2021. And the rest, as they say, is history!