Obur Simon

Name:  Obur Simon (goes by Simon)
Gender:  Boy
Reported birthdate:  Not available (currently about 9 years old)
Favorite food:  Rice
Favorite color:  Yellow
Favorite subject:  English
Favorite activity:  Sweeping his family’s compound (home)
Child is happy when...  He puts on new clothes
Child wants to be a...  Pilot
Home information:  Simon is growing up in the village of Bugoi in rural northeastern Uganda. His family resides in Omulai, a small community within Bugoi. Simon lives with his grandmother, Rose. His parents are alive, but his mother was poisoned and is now unable to care for Simon, and his father is often in trouble and not a fit caregiver. Thus, Rose takes care of Simon, as well as two other needy children from the community. (Simon also has four sisters and five brothers, but they are grown and live elsewhere.) Rose supports her family by “digging”—she grows beans, maize, and millet to eat, and she sells small food items such as oranges and tomatoes. However, she struggles to meet all of their needs. Simon helps at home by digging, sweeping, and collecting firewood.
School information:  Simon joined the Bugoi Haven of Hope Nursery and Primary School in 2020, just before Uganda closed its schools due to Covid. He studied from home until schools fully reopened in January 2022. Simon is now in primary grade one (P1). In Uganda, nursery school lasts for three years and is followed by seven years of primary school and six years of secondary school. At school, Simon will continue to learn and play, be taught about God, and receive meals, medical care, and clothing.
Village information:  In Bugoi, most people live in small groupings of mud huts with thatched roofs and depend on small-scale farming or gardening to feed themselves. This is often made difficult by drought, which can lead to poor harvests and famine. The Haven of Hope school is located beside a lake, where some villagers also engage in fishing. Families tend to be large, and many adults care for orphans in addition to their biological children. Disease, including HIV and AIDS, is common and has left many children without one or both of their parents. Poverty also keeps many children from attending school, as families struggle to meet their basic needs and afford school fees.
Prayer requests:  Simon’s family requests prayer for good health, and that Rose will live long to care for her children.