Grace Point! January 2015 | Page 16

Michael Nakhokho Odili I was born in 1972 in Eastern Uganda at the border of Uganda and Kenya among the poor communities of the slopes of Mountain Elgon, where many people have been killed due to landslides. I grew up with the ambition of becoming a doctor. Doctors in our communities were considered men of consequence. I missed going to a good school of my choice after qualifying because of lack of finances and the ignorant communities discouraged my Dad from paying high fees in such a school. The orphanage school is called BRIGHT ALLIANACE ACADEMY (NURSERY AND PRIMARY SCHOOL) This school began in 2002. There was need for this school because of the many orphaned kids as a result of the AIDS/HIV, civil wars in Northern Uganda by rebel Joseph Kony, poverty, and accident victims. We began with 15 kids and now we have 150 children at the orphanage school. At High School level, I joined a small school with limited facilities. I never qualified for the University. I was really discouraged, lost hope and hated life. I ran away from school for casual (odd jobs) job in Nairobi (Kenya