When Haji Nyonje Pandu completed his secondary school education in 1986, his excellent performance in Biology stood out. His uncle, who was a nurse, recognised the value of his success and suggested to him that he would likely make a good candidate for nursing. Haji had no objections and his uncle took him under his wing, introducing him to the profession. His acceptance of his uncle’s insight proved a wise decision as Haji has enjoyed more than thirty years of service as a nurse.

“I joined the AKU diploma programme in 2006, graduated in 2008, worked for a year, enrolled for the degree programme and graduated with my nursing degree in 2012.” Armed with his new credentials Haji joined an Orthopaedics unit, but after a year was restless for more. “If AKU had a masters programme, that’s where I would have gone, because the teaching there was superior. But since there was none, I searched elsewhere and registered for a Masters in Human Resource Management.”

It was a prudent choice as in 2016, after a rigorous interview process, Haji was selected to his position as Director of Nursing Services at Mnazi Mmoja, Zanzibar’s largest referral hospital. “I have to credit the leadership courses I did while at AKU for building my capacity in staff and nursing management. That course is what led me to be selected as Patron and then my masters opened up the world of public sector management. With that combination, I have a unique package to offer.”

What excites Haji about his current role is the opportunity to push nursing into an admired and noteworthy profession once again. “Things have changed a lot from when I started. Some doctors would verbally abuse nurses thinking that we were not a professional cadre. But armed with our new skills, we are getting better recognition.” The challenge Haji now faces is encouraging the right people into the profession. “These days a lot of young people study nursing for the wrong reasons. They really have no willingness to serve, so when they come to work, they do not perform well.”

At Mnazi Mmoja Referral Hospital, Haji is already changing the status quo. He’s brought in strict performance management processes resulting in a significant reduction of patient complaints, as well as introducing a bottom-up approach to budgeting: allowing different ward teams to become part of the decision-making process. As a nurse who has risen through the ranks, he knows the challenges his colleagues face – whether it’s insufficient resources and equipment or congested wards. He’s keen on using his decades of experience to reverse the tide.

Haji’s efforts have already been recognised. “Recently the President mentioned the improved quality of service at this hospital and I was recognised by name in that speech. A similar mention happened in the House of Representatives. I’m reassured that the reputation and role of nurses is now being recognised at the highest levels.”

When asked about the future, Haji is clear – his role in the next few years is to keep building a strong foundation for young nurses, the kind that will ensure that they become great nursing professionals.

Nurses and Midwives - Leaders in Healthcare in East Africa story series reflect the depth and diversity of the nursing and midwifery profession in East Africa. Download a copy of the coffee book for free here

Finding, capturing and documenting these stories was a collective effort of many individuals and institutions. At the very beginning were the investments made by the Johnson & Johnson Corporate Citizenship Trust, the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KFW), the Lund Family and Rotary International that brought the nursing and midwifery training programme to life.

These partners provided scholarships, support for programme development and faculty investments that were pivotal in enabling the Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery (AKU-SONAM) to recruit a diverse set of students and build innovative, pragmatic academic programmes

We hope that these stories will continue to inspire, challenge and show the power of nurses and midwives for years to come.