Rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army abducted Geoffrey Obwona from his home in Awere Pader district in 2006 when he was just 10 years old. He was in the bush with the rebels until 2008 when he managed to escape. Obwona recalls that tough life in the bush which nearly ended his education dream. “When I had just come back from the bush, you know people love better things, they used to abuse me, call me Onumunumu, but up to now am better now that now am comfortable with members of the community.” Shortly after Obwona’s escape from the bush, he went back to school joining St. Kizito Primary School in Awere. He did fairly well in the Primary Leaving Examinations obtaining aggregate 12 a first grade this earned him a scholarship with BRAC Uganda. Four years later he sat the Uganda Certificate of Education or the Senior Four Exams at Archbishop Flynn Secondary School in Pader and he again obtained a first grade with 28 aggregates in the recently released UCE results. “I sat my primary level from a school called St. Kizito Primary School Awere from which I obtained aggregate 12 then I decided to come here because of the name of the school.”

Besides having to deal with the trauma he suffered in the bush for over 2 years, Obwona comes from a poor family, he is an orphan and his mother the sole breadwinner at home is a peasant and lives with HIV & AIDS. The PTA Chairperson of Archbishop Flynn Secondary School explained that it was not easy rehabilitating Obwona after he left the bush. “They were feared even by the board members, the PTA, by the teachers because of indiscipline; because they would drink, they would fight, they steal and what the school did was to talk to these students, invite even the district leaders to come and talk to them.” Said, Cecilia Apoko – PTA Chairperson, Archbishop Flynn Secondary School.

“He is an example of a child who should be able to tell his story to the others and encourage that we may be or we may walk through dark paths in the journey of life but so long as we are focused, hardworking, God-fearing we can always see light at the end of the tunnel.” Said, Brenda Atim – Head Teacher, Bishop Flynn Secondary School. Through education, the stigma against those who were with the LRA rebels can be tackled. “Some of us parents think that a child who has been away from school for years cannot now benefit from education and we traumatize them at home. What can keep them out of the trauma is by bringing them into this school and they cope up and learn and even do better and they will be successful.” Said, Otto Abim – Educationist.