Stephen

Trustee (Uganda)

Stephen worked in various schools for four years before joining the Ugandan health administration in 1978. He worked with Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau (UPMB) for 26 years. During his last nine years at the bureau, he served as executive director.

UPMB was a national health coordinating umbrella NGO for all Protestant churches engaged in healthcare provision, including Mengo Hospital, where Stephen met Siân Davies’ father, the late Dr John Davies.

Stephen also served as a hospital administrator at a private hospital, then under the auspices of Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) UK. He then worked in Malawi as a health management advisor at the Ministry of Health, Rumphi District, for two years. Stephen finally returned to Uganda and worked as executive direction for Mission for All (MIFA) before retiring in March 2017.

Stephen is married to Meryce, who works as principal tutor at Mengo Hospital’s School of Nursing and Midwifery. The couple have four grown-up sons, three of whom were married in church. They feel privileged to know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, having been saved separately in 1974 before they were married.

His hobbies include Christian evangelism programmes, preaching the gospel, and listening to gospel music and good preachers.

Stephen found out about Biojemmss through his long-term friend David, who asked him to get involved; an invitation he willingly accepted. David was aware of Stephen’s involvement with vulnerable children in Uganda as the director of MIFA and thought he would be a great fit for the board of trustees.

“In my view, my role involves being a good team player on the board and sharing my long-experience in management issues, especially in policy formulation and implementation for the new organisation. Being Ugandan myself, I can give advice on national statutory laws governing NGO operations in the country, such as registration and bank accounts.

“Being invited to join in the work of Biojemmss is a great opportunity for me to give my expertise to the hurting groups of young boys and girls who become vulnerable to all sorts of risks and diseases, including HIV/AIDS. Most of these vulnerable people are at risk because their parents died or separated, or because they have run away from abuse or domestic violence. So I call my engagement with Biojemmss an opportunity for service.”