What would you do when one morning you woke up with a slight pain on one leg and after a week, the pain spreads to the other leg? You ignore it at first, but within a few weeks, you are unable to walk forcing you to use a wheelchair. This is what happened to George Asimba, now a first year student at United States International University (USIU) pursuing criminal justice.
Asimba George, who sat his KCPE exams in 2006, was like so many students looking forward to join a national high school. This was however not the case for George. The ever joyful George makes everyone who interacts with him realize the importance of life.
His dreams were crushed when a slight pain from one limb extended to the other limb and in a matter of days, he could not use his crutches. The tried standing up but he collapsed, his feet unable to support his fragile body.
After going through a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan, it was found that there was space between the spine. The doctors advised him to go to India for medication but due to finances he could . That’s when the doctors told him to get a wheelchair.
“The fact that I can’t walk is not the problem, the main issue is the negligence I faced from friends with whom I was with in primary school because of my condition,” said George. He explains to me how all through his difficult moment, none of his friends visited him.
“Only my parents and siblings were there for me,” narrates George.
With the help of drugs and physiotherapy he was able to stand but he could only walk with the aid of crutches. In 2008, he managed to join Joy Land Special School. After a while, he went back to using wheelchair.
“I got to realize my dreams while at Joy Land though I have not seen my future, I believe it’s great. There, I saw people in worse condition than I was in, some with no limbs yet they could draw and move on their backs, “said George.
“Why do I have to be here? Why do I have to be this way? These are questions most people with my condition ask themselves, “explained George.
After asking himself such questions, he got the answer from the Bible in John 9:1. He says his condition is because of God’s love for him.
“I came to realize my potential that even if I can’t run, I can learn, I can read and I am a leader,” George says.
Having finished at the top of his class and as Head Boy, he says he looks forward to be the next Student Affairs (SAC) chairperson. George adds that he has written various poems that he looks forward to publishing one day.
George had been admitted by the Joint Admission Board to pursue Special Education, but he was still determined to pursue a law related degree.
“I want to implement justice to the less fortunate…by ‘less fortunate’ I don’t mean the disabled only but any person who is not fortunate enough in other areas of life,” George explains.
He says that’s how he ended up pursuing Criminal justice. All was not smooth for him to join USIU as his parents had to sell several cattle and get some finances from friends and family in order to get him to school.
“I believe I will finish school. I do not know how but the God I serve will help me finish,” George says.
He hopes that he would get any assistance with his fees. The thing that motivates him every day is God “as he is the one who gave me the answer.”
“My first mentor was the Bible and the school I went to,” he recalls. “A very important thing is to identify who you are. So many people die without identifying who they are. Being in a condition like the one I am in is not the end of the world, you need to know what God wants for you…do not fight the war on your own, “George says, full of conviction.
He says it’s very important for one to accept who they are though he believes he will one day walk but at the right time according to Gods plan.
George concludes by saying that any life – rich or poor – without God is nothing.
“If we can hold to our religious beliefs, we can have a successful life. The successful life am talking about is on making an impact on peoples lives. That’s the one I want,” he explains.
He ends with a quote from mother Teresa “a life that is not lived for others is no life.”
As a result of this story, George got help from different well-wishers: Overwhelming support flows in for heroic USIU student
Doro Kachero
April 17, 2013 at 2:00 pm
Waaaahu George, you have a big heart, follow your dreams and continue dreaming BIG.
Doro Kachero
April 17, 2013 at 2:05 pm
happy for you George’
Everlyne Otiato
May 3, 2013 at 11:01 am
Your determination really strikes me, i see you around and i feel so encouraged and want to know the purpose for my existence. I wish you all the best in life, May the good Lord fulfill all the desires of your heart!