Zambia

Initiatives’ staff supporting the Support to the HIV/AIDS Response in Zambia Project:

Michael Chanda, M.B.Ch.B., M.B.A., Senior Technical Advisor: Organizational Development and HIV/AIDS Mainstreaming

Dr. Chanda is a physician and public health manager with almost a decade of experience developing and implementing HIV/AIDS policy and services in Zambia. He joined Initiatives in 2004 as the District Strengthening Advisor for SHARe, and is responsible for building the capacity of District and Provincial AIDS Taskforces in leadership, strategic planning, organizational management and management systems development, and resource mobilization.

Dr. Chanda has wide-ranging prior experience as a managing physician including service as the Doctor-in-Charge for ART patients with the Ronald Ross General Hospital in Zambia, where he was the chairman of the District AIDS Taskforce subcommittee responsible for strategic HIV/AIDS planning. Dr. Chanda has managed VCT services and organized the training of community-based HIV/AIDS educators and home-based care providers.

Anna Banda Chirwa, B.Sc., RM, RN, NGO Advisor

As NGO Advisor for the SHARe project, Ms. Chirwa is responsible for the selection of the NGOs/CBOs that will receive grants from the SHARe Rapid Response Fund.  She also provides capacity-building support to the grantees in their planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of activities, providing support to the grantees in their efforts to gain financial, technical and material support from others.

Ms. Chirwa has more than two decades of experience working at all levels of the Zambian health care system.  Prior to joining Initiatives in 2007, Ms. Chirwa spearheaded the development of the National In-Service Training Coordination System for healthcare workers, focused on HIV/AIDS and was key to the development of the National Accreditation system for health services with emphasis on HIV/AIDS care and ART services.  She is a Master Trainer in Reproductive Health both for health workers and community agents.

Cecilia Kaonga Nalishuwa, Community HIV/AIDS Advisor

As the Community HIV/AIDS Advisor for the SHARe project, Ms. Kaonga provides capacity-building support to District AIDS Task Forces (DATFs), as well as to community-based organizations that have received grant funds from the SHARe Rapid Response Fund for planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting. She is also working with the Network of Zambian People Living with HIV on its District Chapter Certification process, and with traditional leaders of selected Chiefdoms to link their work to the formal local HIV/AIDS multisectoral response.

Ms. Kaonga is trained as a Pharmacy Technician and holds a diploma in Human Resource and Personnel Management. She has over 10 years of experience working in the health sector focused on HIV/AIDS programs. She is a certified psycho-social counselor and is a trainer of trainers in HIV/AIDS advocacy work, as well as voluntary counseling and testing. For five years, Ms. Kaonga worked as a District AIDS Coordination Advisor and United Nations Volunteer Specialist for the District HIV/AIDS Multisectoral Response Initiative in Zambia, providing technical assistance and coordination at the district and community levels for HIV/AIDS activities and developmental planning.

Charles Hakoma, Technical Advisor: HIV/AIDS Organizational Development &
Mainstreaming

Mr. Hakoma is a trained clinical officer and expert in district taskforce capacity building. He has over 10 years of experience in HIV/AIDS, STI, TB and leprosy control and program management and more than three years of experience as an advisor for District AIDS Task Forces. As District AIDS Task Force (DATF) Specialist, Mr. Hakoma provides technical support and training in strategic effective organizational development, multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS strategic planning, coordination and networking, and program and financial management for DATFs, Provincial AIDS Taskforces, national networks for PLWHAs, interfaith organizations, Youth Associations and the Royal Traditional Foundations.

Steven Mwanza, Deputy Chief of Party, Coordinating Structures

Mr. Mwanza has over 20 years experience working in the Zambian public sector, including 13 years in the health sector. He was involved in the development of the Health Management Information System (HMIS) and the Financial Administrative Management Systems (FAMS) currently used in the Zambian Ministry of Health. Mr. Mwanza joined Initiatives in 2004 to provide capacity building support to the various public and private organizations supported by the SHARe project.

In 2007, Mr. Mwanza was promoted to Deputy Chief of Party, and is responsible for providing direction to the Coordinating Structures team and ensuring the effective implementation of their activities. Specifically, he is the SHARe liaison with the National AIDS Committee; develops the Ministries’ institutional strengthening plans and guides the annual Organizational Capacity Assessments; and manages the capacity building assistance to organizations in which SHARe is supporting financial management.

Hope Nkoloma, M.Sc., R.M./R.N., NGO Coordination Advisor

As NGO Coordination Advisor for the SHARe project, Ms. Nkoloma provides capacity building technical assistance to national NGOs and other implementing agencies (Provincial and District AIDS Task Forces, CBOs and FBOs), collaborates with the Deputy Director to develop NGO-specific strategies, and liaises with program technical areas to ensure that technical assistance and training are provided.

Ms. Nkoloma is a Public Health Practitioner with three decades of experience in the health and water sectors, including positions with the Zambian government that required coordination and collaboration between the national, provincial, district and sub-district levels. She has experience in management and participatory approaches, and is an accomplished trainer.  Ms. Nkoloma has contributed to various manuals and guidelines related to governance, education, behavior change, and community management.