Deformity spurred boy to excel

By Joe Ombuor

Jeremiah Obila stands less than a metre tall, but academically, the 19-year-old former student of the top performing Maranda High school in Siaya County is tall indeed.

The boy, whose arms and legs are stunted, moves with the support of crude walking sticks. But these are not a big deal for the young man who emerged among last year’s 97 KCSE candidates who scored straight As from the school.

Maranda was ranked the best in the country in that exam that saw all the 261 candidates qualify for university — 97 scored A plain, 104 A-minus, 42 B+, 15 B and one C+.

Obila was the object of admiration recently during the school’s annual prize-giving day at which each of the 97 ‘heroes’ received Sh5,000 and certificates of recognition from the school’s Parents/Teachers Association (PTA).

Obila could not hold back tears of joy as he received his reward from High Court judge Mr Justice Nicholas Ombija, an old boy of the school who is nationally known by his brave judgements.

Aspires to be a lawyer

The boy, who aspires to be a lawyer, said to deafening ululations from the parents and students: “I always wanted to be a lawyer. I thank God that my dream has come close now that the university and Kenya School of Law are within sight.”

He said his deformity had transformed from a handicap and become his source of inspiration, energising him along to compete with the able-bodied.

“I am grateful to God, my creator for what I am because He knew what was best for me. God is never wrong,” he said to cheers.

The fourth born in a family of nine children, Obila never imagined that he would receive secondary school education, let alone excel and be celebrated.

His peasant parents were too poor to raise his fees, a phenomenon that had seen all his siblings (who are able-bodied) drop out of primary school.

He was on the verge of missing his place at Maranda after scoring 392 points (out of a possible 500 in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exams) when, in his words, a good Samaritan “appeared from thin air” and came to his rescue.

“I still remember the day villagers, who used to laugh at me, and relatives, who never assisted my parents, hoisted me shoulder high because I had ‘done them proud’. Such results had never been seen before in our Akuom village near the shores of Lake Victoria,” reminisces Obila.

“The question ‘where will school fees come from?’ kept nagging me even as I smiled atop those shoulders. Deep down, I knew none of those carrying me was ready to part with anything for my education.

“My parents did not join in the celebrations, agonising instead as to how they would raise the fees. My success served only to deepen their anguish.”

He says he owes it all to Evangelist Stephen Ardusen who offered to pay part of his school fees when he heard about his helplessness and his former school principal, Mr Owino, who never expelled him for fees throughout the four years.

Mr Ardusen was a missionary at the local Anglican Church but left the country shortly before the award ceremony.

Guardian angel

A teacher at the school, Gideon Midega, liked Obila so much that he assumed the role of his guardian throughout his stay at Maranda. He always stood in for his parents who could not afford fare to school.

During his stay at the school, Obila relied much on sympathetic fellow students to bathe, wash his clothes, make his bed and even climb on it to sleep.

Mr Owino said of Obila: “His was a special case that required understanding and support from his teachers and fellow students. That is what Maranda gave Jeremiah to enable him excel out of a difficult condition.

“Personally, I knew he was a sharp student and I could not afford to lose him.”

Except for chemistry in which he scored an A-, Obila had straight As in the other subjects.

Obila’s four brothers are all fishermen living from hand to mouth while his four sisters got married early.

He promises to work hard and uplift his family by improving the status of his siblings.