Inaugural trip: January 27 – February 6, 2027
About Us
Meet the people working together to support the elderly and infirm Little Sisters of St. Francis.
Sister Rita Christine Nakitende, also known as Mother Rita, is the Superior General of the Little Sisters of St. Francis. She leads the congregation from its mother house in Uganda, and serves on the board of Saint Francis Hospital Nsambya. Under her guidance the sisters continue their century-old work of education, healthcare, and care for the vulnerable—including the elderly Sisters, whom the Volunteer Support Program supports.
Sister Jane Frances Nakafeero is the regional superior of the Little Sisters of St. Francis in central Uganda, based at the mother house in Nkokonjeru. She has spent more than twenty-five years in healthcare and helped establish a palliative care program at Naggalama Hospital. After seeing how the order’s retired sisters were dying without sufficient palliative care and basic comforts, she brought the African Palliative Care Association into partnership to support the elderly nuns as featured by NPR in a June 2026 article.
That NPR story became the spark that lit this Volunteer Support Program—turning awareness into action for the sisters who gave their lives in service.
Sister Mary Consolata Nakawoojwa is a social worker with the Little Sisters of St. Francis in Nkokonjeru, where she leads the day-to-day care of the elderly sisters. She studied geriatric care at the Avila Institute of Gerontology in Germantown, New York, and now works with a small team responsible for the elderly and infirm nuns, offering meals, companionship, and gentle care as featured in the June 2026 NPR story.
The June 2026 NPR story about the elderly and infirm sisters in Nkokonjeru moved Jen to create this program in collaboration with the Little Sisters of St. Francis in Uganda. Beyond the tremendous need, she established it to honor her mother, whom she lost to cancer in 2015 and misses every day. She founded the Little Sisters of St. Francis Volunteer Support Program, supporting the elderly sisters in Nkokonjeru, Uganda. A career finance professional turned advocate, she spent eighteen years in the muni-bond market, twelve focused on tribal financings before moving into federal direct loan programs for tribes, public bodies and not-for-profit organizations. She left that work in 2025 to advocate for changes to federal lending policy.
Alex Lerch is a Flight Engineer with the U.S. Air Force and website developer for the LSOSF Volunteer Support Program, having helped develop and launch the program from inception. He’s excited to use his technical skills to connect volunteers with the program and most importantly, to support the elderly and infirm LSOSF in Uganda.
Debra Wagner is a retired senior executive with over forty years of experience in finance working with public bodies and nonprofits. She spent her career at major Wall Street firms where she built a strong reputation for client relationships and revenue growth. Debra now serves as a mentor and substitute teacher, and is using her expertise to support the development of the LSOSF Volunteer Support Program in Uganda.
Bonnie Brieschke is a longtime co-owner of Brieschke’s Bakery, the family-run small town shop she and her late husband Don built almost four decades ago. A devoted Catholic active at Saint Joseph’s Parish for decades and driven by community service, she’s now lending that same commitment and care to the Little Sisters of St. Francis Volunteer Support Program supporting the elderly sisters in Uganda.