This archive report was first published on 20 September 2019.
Published on September 20, 2019, a remarkable story of hope and courage emerged from Teso South constituency, Busia County, where a 16-year-old boy named Gilbert Otieng' defies his physical challenges to attend school.
Gilbert's determination is a testament to his unbreakable spirit, as he crawls for two miles to and from St Dominic Aderema Primary School every day, despite the hilly terrain and lack of a wheelchair.
His mother, Rose Apali, shared that Gilbert became paralyzed at the age of five, and since then, things have never been the same for her son.
"Otieng' got disabled when he was five years old. Since then, things have never been the same for my son," said Ms Apali.
Despite the challenges, Gilbert has been attending his classes without fail, regardless of the weather, and has even expressed his dream to become a doctor.
"It has been a painful experience for me. Waking up very early to crawl to school. I have to return home for lunch, go back for afternoon lessons then in the evening I go home. Sometimes, the road is too muddy because of rain but I have to go to school," Gilbert said in an interview with KTN.
