• +1 (310) 237-2203
  • florenceforyouthinaction@gmail.com
  • 7657 Winnetka Ave. Ste 225, Winnetka CA, 91306, USA

Penny

Leon

Founder

Florence For Youth In Action (FFYIA)

Penny Leon is a compassionate leader, philanthropist, and dedicated advocate for underserved communities in East Africa. Her life’s work, which spans education, healthcare, and social services, is inspired by her mother, Florence Kekibuga Ntungwa, who raised twenty children—six of her own and fourteen from local neighborhoods—in Uganda. At a young age, Penny made a promise to care for vulnerable children instead of having her own, and she has kept that promise by adopting and raising five orphaned girls, all of whom have completed university in Uganda. After completing her education in Uganda, thanks to her mother’s sacrifices, Penny moved to Los Angeles, where she resides with her American husband. In the U.S., she founded Shepherd Homes, a facility providing care for individuals with developmental disabilities. Her heart, however, remained connected to Uganda, where she felt called to “be the voice for the voiceless” and to serve those in need through the love of Jesus.

Penny is the founder and president of Florence for Youth in Action (FFYIA), an organization that honors her mother’s legacy by supporting orphans, widows, and underserved communities across Uganda. Under her leadership, FFYIA has developed the Florence for Youth Education Centre in rural Bujiri, Uganda. Located in Namasere along the Tororo-Busia highway, the center provides comprehensive education from kindergarten to diploma level. This pioneering facility offers a world-class learning experience with modern amenities, including a solar power system, and is the first institution of its kind in the area. Additionally, FFYIA has built Nakatembe Primary School and Kiryokya College of Health Science in Mityana, further expanding educational opportunities for disadvantaged children and youth.

In the realm of healthcare, Penny has made significant strides, partnering with medical professionals to deliver critical services across East Africa. Through FFYIA’s Medical Missions, Penny has transported medical teams to Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, treating over 3,000 patients in underserved communities. These missions have provided essential surgeries, vaccinations, pain relief, disease treatment, and healthy living education. Penny believes that increasing national and international investment in child healthcare and health systems is essential for sustainable development. Her biggest success story is that of Hellen Najumba, a young girl from Uganda’s Ssese Islands. Born with bladder exstrophy and abandoned as a toddler, Hellen’s condition required complex surgeries. With Penny’s help, FFYIA organized her treatment journey, including operations by U.S. pediatric surgeons in India in 2016 and follow-up procedures in Uganda in 2019. Today, Hellen continues to recover, supported by a network of caregivers.

 

Penny’s commitment to health education extends to FFYIA’s Menstruation Education Program in Bugiri, where young women learn about reproductive health and receive reusable pads. Through partnerships with organizations like Days for Girls, this program aims to empower young women to manage menstruation confidently and attend school consistently.

 

Her East Africa – U.S. Outreach initiative further illustrates her dedication, where in 2013, she escorted a team of U.S. doctors led by Dr. Hanson Wang to Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya, treating over 3,000 patients in remote communities. In collaboration with the Rotary Club Kampala North, Riley Children’s Hospital, and the Uganda Heart Institute at Mulago Hospital, Penny supported the Uganda Hearts project in 2013, during which traveling doctors performed life-saving heart surgeries on 18 children and provided care to hundreds of patients.

 

Penny’s mission is rooted in faith and inspired by her mother’s legacy, serving as the “voice and hands of Jesus on earth” for those in need. Through FFYIA, she continues to drive transformative change, empowering individuals and communities across Uganda and beyond. Her story exemplifies a life dedicated to compassion, resilience, and hope, fostering lasting impact for generations to come.

USA Office

  • 7657 Winnetka Avenue; Suite 225
  • Winnetka, CA 92306, USA
  • Phone: +1.310.237.2203
  • Fax: +1. 310.237.5952
  • florenceforyouthinaction@gmail.com

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Uganda Office

  • P.O. Box 313
  • Bugiri, Uganda, East Africa
  • Phone: +256.785.44.4876
  • Fax: +256.709.74.3907
  • fyiaproject2019@gmail.com

Copyright 2025 © All rights Reserved. Florence for Youth in Action, a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Based in Los Angeles County, California, USA

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Jonathan Kakembo

Jonathan Kakembo

My Life: From Agony to Bliss
 

My eyes fill with tears when I recall my childhood; moreover, the story even gets worse in my teenage. I will try to remember as far back as I can. I was born on May 11, 1994, in Kiyanda village, Luweero district, near Uganda’s capital – Kampala. I started school at three years, just like any other child. However, the good days ended soon after my father married his second wife. Had she not been a witch, perhaps her rivalry with my mother wouldn’t have resulted in the unbearable suffering that ensued.

My father turned violent toward my mother, brother and me. We were repeatedly battered and denied basic needs, especially food and decent clothing. Consequently, the school had to end for my brother and I. Worse still, my stepmother sought to sacrifice me to the gods in her quest for riches. I now think that my father was so drunk with her witchcraft that he hardly

 

recognised us as his children. He merely looked on as my stepmother hurled insults and threats at us. At best, he could beat us if we reiterated or threatened to report to the clan elders.

When I started to have violent seizures in 2003, possibly due to witchcraft (ancestral spirits), my father disowned me; he did not want to be associated with a boy who suffered from a spell largely believed to be for the damned. My mother left our village and brought me along to Kampala, where she worked as a bar attendant. She took me to a nearby primary school where I was expelled on the first day when I had violent seizures and caused a scene in the school.  I was later taken to a witch doctor who recommended a very bizarre prescription. I had to drink two cups of lizard blood per week, which I did for at least a month. When my condition showed no indication of improving, the witch doctor instructed me to sleep with a tortoiseshell, which I desperately obeyed for two years, up to 2005.

By the end of 2009, my mother and I had visited more than a dozen witch doctors. I had literally given up on life at that point. Fortunately, a cousin of mine advised me to seek deliverance in a local church where I spent several nights constrained with ropes. I eventually vomited a snake when the pastor laid hands on me. This is always hard for me to comprehend, but I am grateful when I watch the video clips of my deliverance. I had hoped to reconcile with my father and stepmother but they passed on soon after my recovery.

I returned to my home village to resume primary school in 2010; my mother remained in Kampala but lost her job shortly after. I worked in my teachers’ gardens so that they could buy me scholastic materials and pay registration fees for the national examinations in 2011. I passed the examinations and joined a rural secondary school. Regular absenteeism was a habit for me since I had difficulty paying the school fees, despite having received a half bursary for my good conduct and hard work.

 
 

I had no hope of any academic advancement after excelling in the national secondary examination in 2015. Out of desperation, I hatched plans to join the national army forces as soon as it was advertised. In the meantime, I continued to sing in the church choir and sometimes went solo.  It was after presenting a song in a local church that I narrated my experiences and a number of congregants were overwhelmed by my sad story. One of them contacted Penny Leon – the President, of Florence for Youth in Action.

Oh, my goodness! I hardly believed when I got a communication from Penny Leon, and that she would come to my rescue. It was a new dawn for me. She facilitated me to enrol for a two years program, Certificate in Audio Production in Esom School of Music in 2017. Penny has since then been paying my tuition and other scholastic materials. I am currently in my last semester of study and will graduate next year. How grateful I am to Florence for Youth in Action!

Within the period of my study at the Music school, I have acquired a lot of skills, and my songwriting and singing career is now most promising. I have been able to travel and perform in Kenya, Tanzania and in many parts of Uganda. I am confident that I will own a state-of-the-art music studio in future. My dream is to be one of the best contemporary music producers in Uganda.

Words alone cannot fully express how indebted I am to Penny Leon and all stakeholders of Florence for Youth in Action. You have lifted me from a pool of suffering to a sea of possibilities. Thank you, Penny Leon!

Kakembo Jonathan,

Florence for Youth in Action beneficiary

siwa-final

Siwa Denis

My Success Story: Hope Restored

I was born and raised in a remote village on the slopes of Mt. Elgon, which lies in the far east of Uganda, Africa. My parents survive by farming on their small piece of land, which has ‘shrunk’ over the years as my elder brothers take over some plots. I am the youngest of twelve siblings and it seems I am the unluckiest, having grown up when my parents are old. Only two of my eldest siblings were able to complete their diploma programs; they went to the school when my parents were still stronger.

I completed my primary and ordinary secondary education in rural public schools; I took advantage of the government’s free primary and secondary education. Even then, I had difficulty acquiring the basic scholastic materials. I often had to support myself from my small vegetable garden. After completing secondary education in 2012, I seem to have hit a dead end. My then old and sickly parents wouldn’t even raise the basic requirements for me to enrol in college.

I had lost all hopes of achieving my academic dreams when I met Penny Leon (President, Florence for Youth in Action), who received me with open arms. She offered to support me in my academic path; Florence for Youth in Action paid my tuition, accommodation and other scholastic requirements. I completed a Certificate in Computer Engineering at Management Training and Advisory Centre in 2016, and I am now enrolled for a Diploma in Computer Engineering in the same institution, thanks to Florence for Youth in Action. Even when I recently lost all my academic documents, Penny Leon facilitated me to replace them.

Besides the incredible academic achievements, I have also made many friends on campus and in the hostels.

This only shines more light on my future. It is now my dream to help other underprivileged youths to achieve their dreams.

Thank you, Florence for Youth in Action, for supporting me; my future is now as bright as it could get. I am forever grateful!!!

Siwa Denis,

Florence for Youth in Action beneficiary

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