Friends of Mengo Hospital

Click here to read a message from the committee chair

Christ Church’s relationship with Mengo Hospital was born out of prayer in 1982, when a group of parishioners, who had come together to pray for Africa, encountered Gwen Whitaker in an Alexandria restaurant.  Gwen, a British missionary nurse who served at Mengo for 30 years, suggested that the group pray for Mengo Hospital, which had just emerged from the chaos and violence of Idi Amin’s rule. Friends of Mengo U.S. grew out of that providential meeting.

Over the last quarter-century, our committee initiated many projects in support of the hospital.  We have sent medicines, purchased a truck to transport food supplies, defrayed school fees to children of Mengo staff members and built a chapel as a gift for the 100^th anniversary of the hospital. In 2005, Friends of Mengo U.S., along with Mengo committees in Canada and the U.K., completed a ten-year effort to build a modern and fully equipped dental clinic.

Most recently the focus has been with the HIV/AIDS clinic, including providing support to the staff, who serve their patients with great care under trying circumstances, and the children’s program. Mengo’s children’s program serves more than 60 children, who typically were infected at birth. One program that Christ Church is currently funding prevents the transmission of the deadly virus from pregnant women to their new born children. This life-saving program is fairly simple, requiring only a blood test for the expectant mother.  For those who test positive, a single dose of anti-retrovirus medicine administered to the mother when she goes into labor and baby right after birth prevents transmission of the disease. Newborn babies are monitored for several months after birth. Work through Mengo Hospital’s HIV/AIDS clinic has been successful in reducing the number of babies that develop this terrible disease.

Over the years, many Christ Church parishioners have journeyed to Uganda and returned home spiritually enriched by our relationships with our friends at Mengo – in giving we have received. We invite you to join us in the important work we are doing at Mengo. To become involved in this Mission please contact Betsy Thompson. Click here to email Betsy.