Francis was born in south Sudan, in the town of Juba, but has lived most of his life in Khartoum. He became a believer in 1989, and now attends an Arabic-speaking church in Khartoum, where he teaches Sunday School, youth group, and leads a drama group.

After leaving university in 1990 with diplomas in Teaching, Theatre and Computers, Francis taught Arabic, Drama and Geography in several local schools. In 1997 he came to the Boys Hope Center to serve as the school's Head Teacher, and later assumed the role of the Director of the Center in October 2002. Francis is married to Sandy, and they live close to the Boys Hope Center campus. Francis took on the role of Kids Alive's Field Coordinator in Sudan in January 2006, and his knowledge and understanding of the needs of children in Sudan has been invaluable as Kids Alive has set up its new programs in the country.