About TMAH
Tanzania Maasai Animal Health — connecting veterinary science with community trust.
How It Started
It began with a vacation.
Dr. Rusty Muse and his family traveled to Tanzania and, like many visitors to the Manyara Region, found themselves moved by the Maasai communities they encountered. Their local guide, Mike Mibuko, gave them a window into a life built entirely around livestock — and a problem that was quietly devastating it.
Dogs living alongside Maasai families were carrying a tapeworm parasite. When livestock grazed on land contaminated by infected dog feces, they developed a fatal neurological disease called coenurosis. Families were losing animals they could not replace. The treatment for infected livestock — invasive surgery — was unaffordable. But prevention was not.
Back home, Dr. Muse shared what he'd seen with friends and colleagues. It was during these conversations that a path forward took shape. Mike connected them with Dr. Jerry Chao, a veterinarian based in Arusha who knew the communities and understood the problem firsthand. Together, the three of them designed a first intervention: assess the disease prevalence, count the dogs in the target community, and begin an educational program with the support of village elders.
With Dr. Muse providing the funding, Mike and Dr. Chao assembled a volunteer team and got to work. In that first year, they dewormed nearly 2,000 dogs.
How we’ve grown
After that first year, the team went back to measure what had happened. Surveys showed a dramatic drop in coenurosis cases across the intervened villages. Equally encouraging, community understanding of how the disease spreads had increased markedly — a sign that the education program was taking root alongside the veterinary work.
Armed with those results, the program began to grow. More villages were brought into the deworming schedule. A rabies vaccination clinic was added to address another endemic threat in the region. Dr. David Gosche joined the team, bringing additional veterinary expertise and strategic guidance.
Today, the program is led on the ground by Mike and Dr. Chao, supported by an expanding group of volunteers, para-veterinarians, and community liaisons. The work that began in a single community is now reaching thousands of dogs across the Manyara Region — and conversations are underway about extending the model into other parts of Tanzania.
The One Health Approach
We work from a simple but powerful idea: the health of people, animals, and the environment is not separate — it is one system.
By treating dogs, we protect livestock.
By protecting livestock, we protect the livelihoods of Maasai families.
By working with community leaders and local knowledge, we ensure our interventions last beyond our visits.
This is the One Health framework — and it is the foundation of everything we do.
The People Behind the Work
Dr. Rusty Muse
Founder, Board Member & Primary Benefactor
Dr. Muse founded TMAH following his visit to the Manyara Region. His ongoing funding and commitment have made every campaign to date possible.
Mike Mibuko
Co-Founder, Board Member & Field Director, Tanzania
Mike's deep roots in the Maasai communities of the Manyara Region made him the essential bridge between the founding vision and the people it was built to serve — and his leadership continues to drive every campaign on the ground.
Dr. Jerry Chao
Board Member, Technical Advisor & Lead Veterinarian, Tanzania
Based in Arusha, Dr. Chao brought the veterinary expertise and local professional network that turned an idea into a functioning program, and has led the clinical side of every deworming and vaccination campaign since the beginning.
Dr. David George Gosche
Co-Founder, Board Member & Technical Advisor
Dr. Gosche provides veterinary and scientific guidance that shapes the program's strategy and ensures the rigor of each intervention.
Anande Mirisho Pallangyo
Board Member, Tanzania
Based in Arusha, Anande brings 18 years of nonprofit leadership in Tanzania, with deep expertise in community development, youth empowerment, and organizational compliance — ensuring TMAH operates with strong accountability and in alignment with Tanzanian law.
Sylvester Samwel Kahunduka
Board Member
A Managing Partner at Pangea Attorneys in Tanzania and advocate of the High Court, Sylvester provides the organization with expert legal guidance across corporate, compliance, and regulatory matters.
Annastella Elirehema Nyiti
Board Member
With over 15 years of experience across the private sector and NGO space in Tanzania, Annastella brings a grounded understanding of community needs and organizational development to the TMAH board.
Our Field team
The work in Tanzania is done by people who know these communities deeply.
Our field operations are led by Tanzanian veterinarians and para-veterinarians, supported by local community volunteers who serve as cultural bridges between modern veterinary practice and traditional Maasai knowledge. They speak the local languages, have earned the trust of community leaders and elders, and ensure that every campaign reaches even the most remote homesteads.
Their dedication is the reason this program works.
Structure & Accountability
TMAH is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the United States. Donations from US-based donors are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
The organization also holds a registered NGO status in Tanzania with a local bank account, ensuring funds are managed transparently at the point of delivery.