THE STORY OF CORNELIUS OBBO
“God’s power is so great that He cares so much for His little ones”
Cornelius Obbo was born like any other normal child. He is the youngest in the family but became an orphan at such a tender age. He liked playing football. One day, he went to play football as usual and it so happened that he got a fracture.
When Cornelius became ill, he was taken to Tororo hospital found in eastern Uganda, bordering Kenya, but they failed to treat him there. The family was helpless and the boy came close to dying.
His story was published in one of the local media, a newspaper in Kampala (Uganda), The daily Monitor, in September 2007. Joan Stella MacDonald was in Kampala at that time and was one of the people who read the story of Cornelius.
Joan’s heart was touched by Cornelius’s story and said in her heart “I couldn’t let him die.”
At first she thought she would only get some medical treatment for Cornelius in Kampala and then send him back to the village in Tororo district. She also thought that her commitment would be for weeks, perhaps months. But the disease known as Osteomyelitis [bone infection] is stubborn and requires constant vigilance of which his family members couldn’t manage and afford his medical care. They also couldn’t give him his education and a decent future.
After some time, it became clear that Cornelius would live and Joan realized that it was now her responsibility to make sure that Cornelius got a good education and a decent future. Also Joan had to keep Cornelius close to Kampala because he receives his medical care through Katalemwa Cashire Home in Mpererwe. That was when Joan realized and understood that she just acquired a son.
In January 2008, Joan enrolled Cornelius as a boarder at Najeera Progressive School. They tested him and found that, although he had been in primary seven when he became sick, he could not manage at that level.
The boy barely spoke English and his report form from the village school was not impressive. He enrolled in primary six. He begun not so well but quickly caught up with the rest of the class.
The boy is a serious student and despite the circumstances surrounding him, his good behavior and academic excellence, he managed to get a strong first grade in PLE [Primary leaving examination] set by Uganda national examination board [UNEB].
He scored 9 aggregates, a strong first grade. English [3], Science [2], Social studies [2], Mathematics [2]. Cornelius has now joined senior one in St.Peter’s senior secondary school in Nsambya.
Joan said; Cornelius cannot be left alone and should be where someone will look after him, protect, love and give him good diet so he can be strong enough and fight the disease which want to destroy his bones. She believes that place to be JESUS AND ME CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES .
Joan also said that; “Even though he is an orphan, he somehow has a mother and that mother is me. I feel that I am more than a sponsor; I love him as if he is my own son.”
This time, children from nursery to primaryone went through their graduation in their blue and white gowns. Children who finished their primary living examinations [PLE] also had their red and black gowns during the remarkable graduation. Certificates were later handed over to both of the two groups of children.