ICHA Staff
Doctors
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Dr. Joshua Kaaya
Pediatric Registrar Joshua works across ALMC and APMC. He completed his medical degree at KCMC, followed by an internship in Dodoma and clinical work at Mount Meru Regional Hospital. He later returned to KCMC for public health research before joining ICHA in 2025. He values the strong teamwork within the NICU and the collaborative approach to patient care. |
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Dr. Joyce Kamala
Pediatric Registrar Joyce completed her medical degree at Kairuki University and her internship at Selian Hospital before joining ALMC in 2024. She appreciates ICHA’s supportive environment and the opportunities it provides young doctors to grow, learn, and explore future career paths. |
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Dr. Harieth Makiriye
Pediatric Registrar Harieth graduated from KCMC in 2021 and has worked at KCMC and Faraja Health Center before joining ALMC and ICHA. She contributes clinically and supports the setup of the new clinic. She values ICHA’s mentorship, compassion, and commitment to teaching both clinical and administrative skills. |
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Dr. Experansa Mao
Pediatric Registrar Experansa works in the pediatric department at ALMC’s NICU and with other ICHA partners. Raised in a medical family, she joined ICHA full‑time in 2025. She is motivated by watching fragile newborns gain strength and is also a proud mother to her young son, Einstein. |
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Dr. Eunice Msuya
Senior Pediatric Registrar Eunice discovered her passion for pediatrics during her internship at ALMC. After a year in internal medicine, she transitioned fully into pediatrics and has worked with Dr. Swanson since 2023. She divides her time between ALMC and APMC and loves seeing children recover and families regain hope. She is passionate about neonatal resuscitation, advancing neonatal care in developing countries, and performing pediatric procedures in high acuity clinical environments. |
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Dr. Andrew Mwanjonde
Pediatrician Andrew is a pediatric clinician with experience in both inpatient and outpatient care. He trained in southern Tanzania and completed his pediatric residency in Nairobi. His work is grounded in evidence‑based medicine, and he is passionate about research and education as tools for sustainable child health. Andrew divides his time between the ALMC NICU, inpatient wards, and the ALMC clinic. He values ICHA’s commitment to research, education, and high‑quality care—support that helped him grow from registrar to pediatrician. |
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Dr. Stephen J. Swanson
MD, DTM&H, FAAP Associate Professor, Division of Global Pediatrics University of Minnesota Medical School. Founder, Institute for Child Healthcare Africa (ICHA). Director, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre, Tanzania. Founder and Chair, Tiny Feet Big Steps Neonatology Conferences. Dr. Stephen Swanson is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics who trained in pediatric infectious diseases, tropical medicine, and public health/epidemiology. Since 2013, Dr. Swanson has lived in Tanzania, working at Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre (ALMC) and Selian Lutheran Hospital. He was the founder of the ALMC NICU. |
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Nurses
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Ndini Itoine
Registered Nurse Ndini has worked in the NICU since 2015 and completed her nursing and midwifery training in 2019. She currently serves at the Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre NICU and will also be working at our Arusha Pediatric & Maternal Care Centre. She finds purpose in caring for the tiniest, most vulnerable babies and helping them grow strong enough to go home. |
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Angel Mathew
Registered Nurse Angel serves as nurse‑in‑charge in the NICU and also supports the outpatient clinic with newborn care, vaccinations, and growth monitoring. She is an instructor at the Tiny Feet Big Steps conference, where she teaches neonatal skills to nurses from across East Africa and enjoys watching participants grow in confidence. |
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Jodi Swanson
Registered Nurse Jodi Swanson is a pediatric nurse with a passion for preventive care, particularly improving community nutrition. Since moving to Tanzania in 2013, she has strengthened feeding programs for malnourished children at Selian Lutheran Hospital in Arusha, introducing protocols to prevent refeeding syndrome and improve outcomes. She also established an outpatient nutrition program to support and educate children and families. Jodi is now involved in developing the Arusha Pediatric & Maternal Care Centre (APMC) and supports the Tiny Feet Big Steps Neonatology Conferences. |
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Support Staff
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Robin Mwanga
ICHA-TZ Operations Robin leads strategic operations, partnerships, and program implementation to support high-quality pediatric and maternal healthcare. She brings over 10 years of experience in management within an international NGO, with a strong foundation in managerial psychology that informs her people-centered approach to leadership and organizational development. Robin has a deep interest in healthcare systems and is passionate about building efficient, sustainable structures that translate vision into meaningful impact. Her work focuses on strengthening teams, enhancing service delivery, and ensuring that healthcare professionals remain supported, effective, and connected to the human side of care. |
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Samantha Button
Education & Resource Development |
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Tamara Hashim
Administrator Tamara holds a Master’s in Public Health from Moi University and previously coordinated maternal and child health projects at KCMC. At ICHA, she manages operations, procurement, financial support, and conference logistics. Her first Tiny Feet Big Steps conference deeply affirmed her purpose, inspiring her work in helping establish the new clinic. |
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Zawadi V. John
Medical Laboratory Scientist, APMC Zawadi V. John is a Medical Laboratory Scientist and the laboratory registrant at APMC. She holds a Diploma (2018) and Bachelor’s Degree (2024) in Medical Laboratory Science from Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College. With more than six years of experience in clinical chemistry, microbiology, serology, and transfusion medicine at ALMC, she is committed to accurate, reliable testing and strong quality assurance practices. She appreciates the warm, supportive environment at APMC, where the team’s cheerful, compassionate care for young patients inspires her work each day. |
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ICHA Team Structure
