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Our US Board of Directors

Peggy came to know the ministry well through her then college-aged children who traveled to Uganda on a JAM mission trip with now fellow board member, Pastor Steve Waggoner. As a child sponsor for 35+ years and 7 years with JAM, she is passionate about child sponsorship, seeing the difference sponsorship makes in the lives of the children through her many trips to Uganda. Peggy has decades of experience as a volunteer administrator and is a Bible study teacher at Willow Creek Community Church for 20 years.

Keith is the Executive pastor at Village Bible Church, a four-campus church in the Chicago area. Keith’s church began supporting Juna Amagara in 2006 and sent their first team in 2010, at which time they sponsored one child. Today, families from Village Bible Church sponsor over 100 Juna Amagara children and they make trips to visit their children one to two times a year as teams who connect the sponsors back home with their “adopted” child in Uganda. Village has become a strong advocate for Juna Amagara, encouraging churches to care for orphans in concentrated areas rather than scattered around the world. Keith believes the focused approach yields great opportunities to make a difference by developing deep relationships with both the children and the ministry that is serving them.​

Chet Lozowski is a retired actuary. He and his wife Renee are members of Willow Creek Community Church in Huntley, Illinois. He enjoys Board work and has served on and chaired insurance industry boards since 1990. Chet wants to advance God’s kingdom. The idea of equipping children to become leaders in their community resonates with him. Chet and Renee raised their own children to be ready to live in the real world. They have had foster children. Chet loves to mentor and the idea of empowering the children in Uganda. He has certain God given abilities – to understand and solve problems and to identify a path to the goal.

Dave is a founding Board Member of Juna Amagara Ministries. As an active member and ordained elder at the First Presbyterian Church of Glen Ellyn. In 2003, he went to Uganda as part of a missions and evangelism team and was inspired to help found the ministry.

With over 25 years experience as a CPA, Dave is a retired partner with the accounting and financial services firm BKD, LLP. where he specializes in providing services for not-for-profit organizations and closely held businesses. Dave holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin – Madison (1978). He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Illinois CPA Society, and Association Forum, and has served on the Illinois CPA Society’s Not-For-Profit, Auditing Procedures, and Accounting and Review Services Committees.

Tana has been on the board since 2014. She is a professional non-profit manager with more than two decades of experience. She is currently employed as an advisor to non-profits world wide in the area of board organization and compliance. She is a resident of Wheaton, IL.​

Amy became acquainted with Juna Amagara in 2008 when she and her husband were in Uganda adopting their oldest child. They decided to become sponsors, and encouraged family members to do the same. Amy and her family are deeply committed to Mary Cox Primary School, named in honor of her late mother. She is excited to participate in the important work that Juna Amagara is doing. While busy raising four children, she also serves on the Board of Spiritual Life at her church, Naperville Evangelical Covenant. 

Steve Waggoner is lead pastor of Crosswalk Fellowship, a church planting church in Delavan, IL. Steve’s life mission is to raise up and release pioneers and partnerships for the Kingdom. Having served in Kenya as a missionary kid and Tanzania as college student, Steve has been given a passion for the people of East Africa. In 2013, he led his first trip to Uganda. Three trips later, Crosswalk now sponsors nearly fifty children through Juna Amagara and has developed a strategic partnership with the ABIDE ministry.​

Sandy has been a booster of the ministry from the beginning. With husband John, Sandy hosted the annual Celebration Banquet and Fundraiser at her home in Winfield, IL for three years. Sandy has led teams to Uganda, is a child sponsor and is active in maintaining relationships with donors. Sandy and John have two grown sons and attend church at Community Fellowship Church of West Chicago, IL.

Sue Oban is an Occupational Therapist living in the Chicago area with husband Jim of 35 years.  She also teaches kinesiology at a local college.  Sue fell in love with Uganda in 2018 when she traveled there to help open the Joy Care Center.  Now an active child sponsor, she loves to put her faith to work in the U.S. in the Big Brother / Big Sister program and by volunteering with Juna Amagara as a witness to what God is doing in Africa. 

As a founding board member of Juna Amagara, Lee spent 15 years growing and nurturing the ministry using his skills as a journalist and photographer to tell the stories of vulnerable children being given a chance at life.  He remains shwenkulu (grandfather) to the children in Uganda and is an advisor to the Board.  He lives at Amelia Island, Florida.

In December 2020, JAM-USA began a partnership with Hope Partners Africa in Uganda (www.hopepartnersafrica.org) to care for sponsored children and administer ministry programs.

Staff in Uganda

Dr. Herbert Ainamani, Chief Executive Officer.

Aggrey Ahimbisibwe, Chief Financial Officer

Samuel Atwongyeeire, Cashier

Sarah Arinaitwe, Child Sponsorship Director

Agbus Nuwamanya, Head Teacher, Mary Cox Bunyoro

Stanley Bagambe, Head Teacher, Kishanje Highlands

Mwine Mbareeba, Head Teacher, New Times Kishanje

Caleb Amwesiga, Head Teacher, New Times Mbarara

Davis Ariho, Child Ministry Officer, Kishanje

Jairensi Asiimwe, Child Ministry Officer, Rubanda

Annah Atuhaire, Child Ministry Officer, Mbarara

Mary Babirye, Child Ministry Officer, Kampala

Moureen Kyokusiima, Child Ministry Officer, Bunyoro

Isaac Kamuntu, Discipleship & Evangelism Director and Child Ministry Officer, Kampala

Dr. Godfrey Bampabwire, Coordinator of Medical Services

Brenda Ninsiima, HEAL Clinic Nursing Director

Kenneth Nakasikiro, ABIDE Coordinator