about

Dragonfly Mission International (DMI) is an Indiana-based non-profit organization serving a small community of widows and their families in Jinja, Uganda, Africa. Started in 2008 by Kathy Cernero, DMI has partnered with a local pastor, Musoke Godfrey, to offer a holistic family approach by providing supplemental food, school fees, garden plots, and medical care to meet the needs of these families affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Uganda.
Our mission evolved organically. Some of our earliest trips to Jinja revealed that many of those affected by HIV were denied essential medicines due in part to poor nutrition. This revelation became the motivation for DMI's mission which began by providing supplemental food to 18 families in Godfrey's church.
As the program grew, our teams also recognized that many of our widows regularly spent the little income their families earned on school fees, ensuring their children would receive an education. In the spirit of serving these families holistically, DMI has offered school sponsorships to children whose families are a part of our program. Some 60 children are currently sponsored by individuals and families in our network.

what we do

nutrition

Food is where we start. Our nutrition program provides each family with a monthly supplement of food — typically 25 kilograms of posho and 15 kilograms of beans distributed twice a month. With favorable food pricing, families may also receive vegetables or rice. Food is distributed on the first and third Sunday of each month. During COVID lockdowns our team made direct drops to each family.

education

Due to circumstances resulting from COVID-19, our educational program is currently paused. Schools in Uganda have begun re-opening; however, we are actively evaluating how to ensure the future success of the program and its students. DMI is seeking partnerships with Jinja area schools that will allow for better accountability and transparency. We hope to resume sponsorships shortly — in the meantime, please consider supporting the nutrition program.

community

Each of the families attend a local church community where they are connected with Pastor Godfrey and his wife Pauline. Pastor Godfrey has served the Amber Court neighborhood long before DMI existed. Godfrey and his team assist DMI by providing food drops throughout each month and organizing school fees — a partnership built on trust and shared purpose.