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GFP International

UPON COMPLTION OF OUR ELEVEN COUNTRY AFRICAN TOUR A History in Pictures

Raising African Skills to World Class Standards
Trade School Technology Transfer
Welding School Centers of Excellence
Centers for Manufacturing Skills and Technologies

African Skills and Development Group Ltd. was established in 2024 as a sister organization to GFP International to serve as a project management implementation team for welding school modernization projects across Africa and provide a conduit for graduates of industrial welding schools who have been taught the skills for an industrial work force. Current practices in welding schools outside of South Africa only teach ornamental welding skills, which do not prepare students to meet the needs of the coming industrialization boom in Africa. GFP International is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support the upgrading of trade skill education in Africa as described on its website found at this link: https://www.gfp-intl.org/This page provides a brief history of GFP International and African Skills and Development Group Ltd. GFP International has a history that dates to 2005 when its founder visited Matamba Tanzania, a small village located in the southern highlands of Tanzania in the Njombe District.

2005

In 2005, it was the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic when our founder first visited Africa. Feeling grateful after recovering from a life-threatening illness, Mike Vallez reached out to various faiths in Minnesota where he lived and found a group of like-minded people to join hands and work together. Meeting every month, this coalition became known as Global Faith Partners. One thing led to another, and GFP became involved in working with Father Augustine Mbiche, a Catholic Priest in the town of 2 Matamba, Tanzania. During a visit to Tanzania in 2005, Father Mbiche showed Mike Vallez a piece of land where he hoped to build an elementary school. Saint Monica’s Elementary School is now thriving, teaching subjects in English, with students scoring in the top 3% of nationally administered tests.

2019

St. Monica’s is now a thriving k-7 elementary school, but the students do not have an equivalent high quality secondary school to attend in the Matamba area. Global Faith Partners was asked to help raise funds for a secondary boarding school, when the decision was made to create a formal non-profit NGO, now called GFP International.

2019

Five years later, Saint Monica’s Secondary school is nearing completion, and grades 8 and 9 (Form 1 and 2) have started classes.

2022 - 2023

Beginning with a small idea to install some welding machines in St. Monica’s Secondary school, GFP International has expanded its mission to support existing vocational schools across Africa to raise skill standards to world class levels, starting with the welding trade

After a 2022 meeting with the Honorable January Makamba, Tanzania’s Minister of Energy, GFP came to understand the depth of the skill gap problem in Africa and decided to embrace the challenge. The rest is history.

GFP leaders and advisors with welding students at the VETA School in Linde, Tanzania

January 2023

GFP International Chairman and Welding Advisory Team with Dr. Noel Mbonde, Tanzanian Director of Technical Education. From left to right: Nick Price, Director of Welding Training at Davis County Technical School, Ogden, Utah; Ryan Eubank, welding consultant and trainer, Cleveland, Ohio; Dr. Noel Mbonde, Director of Technical Training, Dodoma Tanzania; Michael Vallez, Chairman/CEO of GFP International, Salt Lake City, Utah; Subu Mpapane, South African metallurgical engineer, industrial contractor, welding expert.

January 2023

Special Partnering Meeting with Dr. Noel Mbonde, Director of Technical Education and Hon Adolf Mkenda, Member of Parliament, and Minister of Education, Republic of Tanzania.

January 2023

With Mr. Fihili Challenge, DAB Coordinator, and Ms. Anna Nyoni, Curriculum Developer, Vocational Training and Education Authority (VETA)

January 2023

With Mr. Anthony Kasore, Director General of VETA (Oversees 43 existing training centers with 23 under construction)

October 2022

Michael Vallez and Dunford Mpelumbe meeting with Father Boniface Mchami, Principal of Don Bosco Technical School and his instructors in Dodoma, Tanzania.

August 2023

Michael Vallez, GFP Chairman/CEO with Tanzanian Ambassador to the U.S., H.E. Elise Kanza

June 2022

Michael Vallez, Chairman/CEO of GFP International meeting with Father Waldemar Jonatowski, Principal of Don Bosco Vocational School, Dar es Salaam

June 2022

Michael Vallez, Chairman/CEO of GFP International meeting with Mr. Joseph Mwanda, Principal of VETA Vocational School, Dar es Salaam.

January 2023

With Mr. Khalid Songoro, President, Songoro Marine and Shipbuilding, the largest employer of welders in Tanzania

June 2022

Michael Vallez, Chairman/CEO of GFP International, meeting with Mr. Khalid Songoro, President of Songoro Marine shipbuilders in Dar es Salaam.

January 2023

Ryan Eubank, GFP Advisor, doing some coaching with one of the welding students.

January 2023

GFP International leadership and advisory team with VETA Principal Harry Mmari and his team at VETA school in Lindi Tanzania.

January 2023

Ryan Eubank enjoying the camaraderie with future welders in Lindi, Tanzania.

January 2023

With Mr. Ally Msaki, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Employment and Skills Development, Republic of Tanzania

January 2023

With Father Waldemar Jonatowski, Principal of Don Bosco Trade School, Dar es Salaam

January 2023

Enjoying an evening over dinner with a Tanzanian Welders Association (Sadly, none of these men or their welder friends could get hired on the EACOP Pipeline Project)

October 2022

Michael Vallez accepting the walking stick gift from Matambile Mgemaa, Massai leader near Ruaha National Park.

October 2022

Michael Vallez, Chairman/CEO of GFP International meeting with Mr. Stanslaus Mtibara, Principal of VETA Dodoma.

January 2023

With Father Waldemar Jonatowski, Principal of Don Bosco Trade School, Dar es Salaam

The next opportunity, Electrical.

September 2023

With Dr. Violet Kajubiri Froelich and Uganda’s Education Service Commission she Chairs.

September 2023

With the Leadership of the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET_ Authority in Kenya

September 2023

Nakawa Technical Training Center, Kampala Uganda

September 2023

At the Don Bosco St. Joseph Vocational Training Center, Kamuli, Uganda

September 2023

At the Morendat Institute of Oil and Gas, Kenya Pipeline Company, Nairobi, Kenya

September 2023

Lugogo Vocational Training Institute, Kampala, Uganda

October 2023

Mike Vallez, Hilu Bura and Nancy Halden, at the African Investment Conference London, England

September 2023

Mkokotoni Vocational Training Center Zanzibar Vocational Training Authority

September 2023

At the Karume Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) Republic of Zanzibar

November 2023

With Engineer Zena Said, First Secretary, United Republic of Zanzibar

November 2023

With Hon Lela Mussa, Zanzibar Minister of Education and Vocational Training

November 2023

With the Rwanda TVET Board, Kigali, Rwanda

November 2023

At Don Bosco Boys Town Vocational Training Center, Nairobi, Kenya

September 2023

At Don Bosco Gatenga Vocational School, Kigali, Rwanda

November 2023

At the South African Institute of Welding (SAIW) in Johannesberg, S. Africa
Left to Right, (unknown), Richard Arn, V.P., Welding and Technology; Michael Vallez, Founder, GFP International; Cassandra Scheffer, Director of Accreditation; Efram Abrams, Senior Sales Executive; Nathan Carter,

January 2024 With Leaders at the American Welding Society Back Row. Left to Right

Front Row, Left to Right

Brenda Boddiger, Program Manager, Qualification & Certification; Stephen Snyder, Regional Director, Welding Technology Services-Asia, Africa, Oceania

May 2024 East African Lecture Tour

Currently, there are no trade schools in East Africa that are sufficiently equipped or staffed to teach modern industrial welding.

In May 2024, an East African lecture tour was conducted by GFP International Founder Michael Vallez and project manager Brian Masicha. AWS executives, Steve Snyder and Ramesh Shankaran joined for the Nairobi Kenya portion of the tour, as well as Dr. Kipikirui, Director General/CEO of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority; Dr. Paul Wanyeki, Deputy Director of the Kenya TVET, and Mr. Ruto Lyoba, Director of the East African Institute of Welding. The group visited and spoke with technical and vocational schools. Speaking to nearly 1,000 students, these young men and women learned about the key role of welding in an industrial economy. It is hoped that they will become advocates for positive change in the quality of trade skill training, and industrial welding.

Kenya Portion

Kenya School of TVET
Kabete National Polytechnic
Kiambui Institute of Science and Technology
Technical University of Mombasa
The Kenya Coast National Polytechnic
Bandari Marine Technology

Rwanda Tour

St. Charles de Jesus Trade School
ADEF TVET School
Gacuriro Technical School

Zanzibar Tour

Karume Institute of Science and Technology

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Tour

Don Bosco Oyster Bay Vocational School
University of Dar es Salaam, School of Engineering and Technology

Mike Vallez lecture about industrial welding skills to vocational trainers at the Kenya School of TVET

Steve Snyder, American Welding Society, lecturing at the Kenya School of TVET

Lecture at the Bandari Maritime Academy, Mombasa, Kenya

Integrated Polytechnic Regional College, Kigali, Rwanda

With trade school students at the Karume Institute of Science and Technology. Zanzibar

Welding and Industrial Students at Don Bosco School, Oyster Bay, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania