Helping others get on their feet so they can support the community
Who We Are
The Mpendo Packer Foundation (Uganda) was founded in 2013 with the purpose of helping to transform and improve the health of the local community of Jinja Uganda. This is being achieved by helping school aged children with jiggers stay in school. The mobile clinics done from village to village were very successful and led to the opportunity to acquire land with the dream of building a medical center. With the help of generous supporters, Sussies dream of opening a medical center was realized in 2016 with the construction of a clinic that was completed in 2020. Through continuing growth and development the Medical center is providing vital medical care to the local community with a focus on women and children. In 2023 over 3000 individuals received care:
28 babies delivered, with ongoing mother care
ongoing prenatal care for expectant mothers
over 400 ultrasounds and X-rays performed.
over 700 children received malaria treatment
100’s of people received care for jiggers and also received new shoes and socks
100’s of patients treated for illnesses including, typhoid, measles, female UTI’s, diabetes, infection etc.
Over 30 patients received Thyroid related surgeries with the support of St. Francis Hospital and Doctor Gordon Wood
Mpendo Packer Foundation U.S.A. was established in 2023 as a 501-C3 foundation to support the mission of MPF (Uganda).
Medical Center
The medical center building in Jinja, Uganda opened in 2020. The center has provided health and wellness education to thousands in the community. The medical center provides 24 hour healthcare and medical support to the surrounding area. This center has fulfilled Sussie’s dream and has been able to serve over 3,000 in the year of 2023 alone.
Educating the Community
We are committed to empowering members of the community through education. This involve supporting initiatives that enable individuals to become community educators and health advocates. By investing in education, we aim to create a sustainable cycle of knowledge-sharing, empowering community members to provide crucial medical support and disseminate health information to their peers.
Support for Community
In tandem with building our medical clinic, we are committed to empowering members of the community through education. Your donations not only contribute to the physical construction of the clinic but also support educational initiatives that empower individuals to become community educators and health advocates. By investing in education, we aim to create a sustainable cycle of knowledge-sharing, enabling community members to provide crucial medical support and disseminate health information to their peers. This holistic approach fosters a sense of self-sufficiency, building the community from within and ensuring that the positive impact of your support extends far beyond the clinic's walls. Together, we're not just building a medical center; we're nurturing a community that thrives on knowledge, support, and shared well-being. Thank you for championing this comprehensive vision with us.
Sister Packer and Sussie’s storie
In 1996 Apondi Suzan Mwanga (Sussie) a shy young girl living in Jinja Uganda met Brother Doyle and Sister Fawn Packer. The Packers who were serving a mission for the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The Packers took Sussie under their wings helping her to get an education, gain confidence and to find a community of Faith, love and support. In Sussies own words: “The Packers loved everyone with whom they served. I remember the life experiences they shared with me and my friends and the acts of service which we learned from them. Gospel principles like repentance, having faith in the Lord’s timing, encouraging the discouraged, charity and love and listening and crying with those in need. Their example filled me with a desire to serve a mission which I eventually did serving in the South Africa mission. Upon coming back and completing my university education I really wanted to serve my people in my community just like the Packers served me. I prayerfully decided to name the organization after them in memory of their service.”
In 2013 Sussie established the Mpendo Packer Foundation in Jinja Uganda. Mpendo is a Swahili word that means Beloved.
Through Sussie’s vision of starting a clinic, over 3,000 people have received treatment in 2023 alone
Check out our current project
The first weekend we arrived in Uganda, we participated in this Jiggers project, to remove the maggot-like worm from the feet and hands of children in a nearby village. It was a culture shock unlike any other.
Contact
Feel free to contact us with any questions. Inquire about future trips and service opportunity in Africa.
Address
1558 East 1455 North
Logan, UT 84341