Leadership

​George Mkanza

Chairman

George is a consultant with over 30 years of experience working in leadership roles across Africa and internationally. George has worked in education, rural development, nonprofit leadership, and corporate sustainability. His experience includes work with World Vision Tanzania, Aga Khan Foundation, Lutheran World Federation, FarmAfrica and Barrick Africa. George received his MBA from California Lutheran University after completing studies at the University of Dortmund and the University of Dar es Salaam.

Narola Mollel

Secretary

Narola is an Advocate of the High Court of Tanzania, Notary Public, and Commissioner for Oaths with over a decade of legal experience across Tanzania and the United Kingdom. Educated in the UK, she has held senior roles in leading Tanzanian law firms and now serves as Principal and Lead Counsel at Narola & Associates in Arusha. Alongside her legal practice, she is deeply engaged in nonprofit and community development work, including as Founder of Bethel House, with a focus on fundraising, education, and social impact initiatives.

Erik Rowberg

Treasurer

​Erik has spent over 45 years in Tanzania, working across education, health, farming, tech, and internet services. He built one of the country’s largest ISPs from scratch and led the Tanzanian ISP Association. He serves on five boards and enjoys mountain biking, trail running, and carpentry. Erik is a proud husband, father, and grandfather of five.

Paul A. Kisanga

Board Member
MD, MMed, FCSECSA ,FMAS, DMAS

Paul is a seasoned surgeon and hospital leader with over 25 years’ experience managing hospitals across northern Tanzania. He retired in 2019 as Director of Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre and has worked across Africa, America, and India. He co-founded Safari City Healthcare and chairs its board. He’s held top roles in medical associations, including Secretary General of TSA, President of TCMA, and Council Member of COSECSA. He’s also a Fellow of several surgical bodies, including WALS. Beyond medicine, he enjoys sports, travel, and community service through the Rotary Club of Njiro Arusha, where he’s served as Projects Chair and President Elect.

Remla Shirima

Board Member
BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy, MBA (Int. Health)

Remla has 20+ years of healthcare experience in the UK and Tanzania. She worked as a physiotherapist in the NHS, private clinics, and voluntary sectors, and later founded a healthcare company and civil society organization in Tanzania. She collaborates with government and global partners on advocacy, resource mobilization, and workforce development. Remla serves on health-related boards and is part of the Ministry of Health’s Technical Working Group.

Devotha Mlay

Board Member

Devotha is an impact-driven leader with over a decade of experience spearheading positive change within the non-profit sector, particularly with national and international education-focused NGOs. She brings gifts and expertise in strategic planning, program development, fundraising, and stakeholder engagement. Devotha is particularly driven to serve organizations that advance access to quality education for children, leading to holistic child development and well-being. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and is currently finalizing her MBA​.

​​Peter Ndalo Makanza

Board Member
MD(BUCHS), MMed (Mak, Kampala)FCS (ECSA)

Peter has lived in Arusha, Tanzania for the past 14 years. He is an Orthopedic Surgeon with seven years of experience in general orthopedics, trauma and pediatric limb deformity correction. He also has experience in hospital administration, particularly in the area of quality services in health systems and training. One of the founding members of Safari City Healthcare Limited, Peter had also served on two boards, both medical related. He is married and has two children. Peter enjoys traveling, watching football and movies.

Stephen J. Swanson

Executive Director
MD, DTM&H, FAAP Associate Professor, Division of Global Pediatrics University of Minnesota Medical School

Founder and Chair, Tiny Feet Big Steps Neonatology Conferences. Founder, Institute for Child Healthcare Africa (ICHA). Director, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre, Tanzania. 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.

Jerry Hoganson

Board Chair

Jerry Hoganson is a longtime healthcare administrator and former president of Wesley Manor Retirement Communities, retiring in 2022. A Minnesota native, he earned a degree in Hospital Administration from Concordia College and pursued graduate studies at St. Mary’s College of Minnesota. He has worked across clinics, hospitals, emergency medicine, and long-term care in multiple states and served three years in Madagascar. Hoganson has held leadership roles in several professional organizations, including serving as president of the Kentucky chapter of the American College of Health Care Administrators and as a board member of LeadingAge Kentucky. He has also been active in local business and healthcare initiatives and was recognized as one of Louisville’s “Twenty People to Know in Aging Services” in 2019.

Kim Rathjen

Vice Chair

Kim is a retired Lay Church Professional who has most recently served as the Minister of Service and Justice Ministries at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie, MN. It was through this work that she met Dr Steve and Jodi Swanson. Kim and her husband have visited Arusha 4 times to date to learn about and witness the work of ICHA.
She has worked with nonprofit organizations her entire career and has served on the Board of Directors of Camp Onomia (President) and PROP Food Shelf. In 2017 Kim was a founding member of Onward, a non-profit providing transitional supportive housing for young adults experiencing homelessness in the SW suburbs of Minneapolis.

​Kelly Yenawine

Treasurer

Kelly is a retired healthcare administrator based in Jackson, Tennessee, with more than 31 years of leadership experience in the healthcare sector. Throughout his career, he served in a variety of senior roles, including Hospital Administrator, Executive Director of Imaging Services, and Executive Director of Finance and Capital. Kelly brings deep expertise in healthcare operations, financial stewardship, and organizational leadership to his role as Board Treasurer. His career reflects a strong commitment to strengthening healthcare systems and ensuring responsible management of resources.

Scott Guthrie

Board Member

Scott is a neonatologist who has been working with ICHA and teaching at the Tiny Feet, Big Steps conference since its inception in 2021. Serving as an instructor has become one of his most impactful professional commitments, contributing to growing momentum, empowering local advocates to improve neonatal outcomes, and advancing care for babies where even small improvements can yield life-saving results.

​Ben Duininck

Board Member

Ben has more than 25 years of experience in the investment management industry. Prior to joining Nuveen as a Senior Analyst on the Fixed Income team, Ben ​was a Senior Credit Research Analyst at Ameriprise and U.S. Bancorp Asset Management, and a hedge fund manager at Providence Capital LLC, where he was responsible for credit analysis, trading and portfolio management.
Ben is an active volunteer with the CFA society of MN. He was previously a board member and chaired the Program Committee for CFAMN. Additionally, he was a board member for 6 years for DAI Intl. He earned his BA degree in Business/Econ – Finance from Wheaton College. He received the CFA ® Charter in 2013.

Stephen Swanson

Executive Director

MD, DTM&H, FAAP Associate Professor, Division of Global Pediatrics University of Minnesota Medical School. Founder and Chair, Tiny Feet Big Steps Neonatology Conferences. Founder, Institute for Child Healthcare Africa (ICHA). Director, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre, Tanzania. 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.

Paul Johnson

Board Member

Paul is a senior executive at a global consulting firm, and has devoted his career to consulting with healthcare provider organizations of all types. His client work focuses on areas like strategy, operational and performance improvement, financial initiatives, and technology implementations. Outside of work, he served on his congressperson’s healthcare advisory committee, guest-lectured at several universities across the country, and has been a founding board member for a local conservancy. He resides in the Minneapolis area with his wife and children.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Evelyine J. Mushi

Pediatrician

Evelyine is working across ICHA/APMC and ALMC-JKCI, where she manages inpatient and outpatient pediatrics and NICU .She trained in pediatrics in Cape Town, South Africa, and holds both an FC and MMed pediatrics. Her passion for caring for children and supporting families in the care of children began early, during her internship at ALMC under Dr Swanson in 2017. She brings years of experience caring for children from newborn through adolescence. Evelyine values care that is evidence-based and practical for families. She also enjoys teaching both parents and colleagues to improve clinical practice across the team.

Stephen J. Swanson

Executive Director

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.

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.

​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.

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.

​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.

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.

Samantha Button

Education & Resource Development

Stephanie Davi

ICHA Development

​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.

Zawadi V. John

Laboratory Technican

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.