Michael Mugamba

When Mugamba Michael’s parents took him to a hospital in Grade 6, he was delirious with sickness. The hospital staff hastily prescribed medication, never stopping to test Michael’s blood. He grew sicker by the day, until finally, a simple blood test revealed he had cerebral malaria. The diagnosis was life-saving. After a month of proper malaria treatment, Michael fully recovered and was able to return to school.

Even as a teenager, when Michael grasped the hospital’s near-fatal mistake with his diagnosis, he knew he needed to help people. The experience marked a new life chapter in his life, prompting an important question to his teacher when he returned to school: “What can I do to be a doctor?”

Michael focused his studies on mathematics and science, graduating from medical school in 2016 as a medical clinic officer. Now 27 years old, Michael works full-time at Kibaale Community Clinic, serving patients from the surrounding community.

At the start of primary school, Michael was sponsored by a Canadian family to attend Kibaale School. He credits his “bright future” to his sponsors, who supported him financially throughout his studies, including medical school. “I thought my future would be in the village rearing cows or digging like others, but now, I am an important person in the community because of Kibaale,” Michael shares. 

Following his graduation from medical school, returning to Kibaale wasn’t a hard decision for Michael. “This community gave me the desire to be a doctor.” Michael recalls, “I came back [to Kibaale] to give them what I learned from here.” 

Michael credits Kibaale for helping him grow spiritually, be humble, and “to love people in the community.” His daily work is driven by the great need he sees in the village and the need he feels for people to “know about Christ, know how to live and how to love people.” 

Story and photos by Jamie Watson

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
– Nelson Mandela