Pilot Program Tests Palliative Care for Retired Nuns at Uganda Convent

A pilot palliative-care program for retired nuns began in September 2025 at the Little Sisters of St. Francis convent in Nkokonjeru, Uganda. The effort, organized jointly by Sister Jane Frances Nakafeero and Jean Callahan with the African Palliative Care Association, aims to supply medical care, material goods, psychological support, mental-stimulation activities, and caregiver training.

Researchers led by African Palliative Care Association director Eve Namisango are currently assessing the needs of approximately 50 retired Little Sisters of St. Francis nuns from Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. The Vatican states there are 82,000 nuns in Africa, and the African Palliative Care Association estimates that between 8,000 and 10,000 may need end-of-life care.

Fourteen retired nuns live at the Nkokonjeru convent. On the day of the reporter’s visit, ten of the fourteen had mobility limitations. The convent has seven wheelchairs, all described as having sticky wheels and faulty hand brakes.

The nuns also lack sufficient adult diapers, hearing aids, and warm blankets. Sister Mary Hedwig Agoya, age 89, entered the convent in 1951 at age 14 and worked as a teacher for 40 years. Sister Rosemary Luyiga, age 95, entered in 1944 at age 12, ran a school teaching young girls domestic skills, and served in ten different locations.

Both women now spend most of their time in their rooms. Sister Mary Consolata Nakawoojwa, a social worker who studied geriatric care in the United States, supervises care for about a dozen retired nuns at Nkokonjeru with two other sisters plus cooks and caregivers. She said the sisters in her charge often suffer from depression and anxiety because they are no longer defined by what they do.