Tribute to 239 passengers of Malaysian Airline that went missing a year ago

Tribute to 239 passengers of Malaysian Airline that went missing a year ago

The Writer and a colleague Damalie Nabbosa after arriving

 

BY GODFREY OJORE     

 

On Sunday 08.03.2015 marked exactly one painful year among the relatives of the 239 people who perished in a Malaysian MH370 plane that went missing after takeoff from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

The Boeing 777-200ER did not make it to Beijing in China as planned and to date neither the plane nor the passengers have been found. The relatives who had perhaps been waiting with flowers to receive their beloved ones were left in total confusion and disbelieve of what befell their relatives.

This will remain a permanent dark day to the world, especially to the hundreds of families who could not get a chance to pay their last respects to their dear ones, let alone organize a decent send off.  

On the fateful day, 29 African journalists were also traveling to the same continent that the Malaysian MH370 was heading to.

The journalists were heading for a three weeks training at the University of Kidwai in India's capital New Delhi.

Among the 29 were two Ugandan journalists, both from New Vision; Damalie Nabbosa attached to Urban TV and the author of this story, Godfrey Ojore attached to the print section.

Our arrival to India was greeted with shocking news that had circulated to all media houses across the globe.

"Breaking news, the Malaysian Airline MH370 has gone missing," were words that welcomed me to BBC TV when I turned on the TV set inside my room.

Other international TV channels were relaying the same story. Together with my Zimbabwean roommate, Fellex Share, we knelt down to pray before converging with other colleagues to offer a thanksgiving prayer for safe arrivals.

We were grateful to God who was on our side (Psalm 124-1-6). Africa would today be mourning the death of their messengers.

"What would have been the reaction of my wife, my mother, my son, my one year old daughter and my employer if it was our plane that had gone missing?" was the first question that came to my mind.

Again, I asked: "What would have been the headline in New Vision in the next day's issue? What about Etop where I was attached to in Teso?"

The Writer serving lunch at Crown Plza Okhla

 

Scores of questions, whose answers were not provided, flooded my mind. Tears roll down my cheeks when I imagined what the families of those who perished in Malaysian Airline were going through.

The journalism fraternity would have lost perhaps the biggest number of their colleagues in history. Certainly, today's issue of Sunday Vision would have remembered us painfully, because they would not have believed we were gone as the bodies were not found.  

In my room, I gathered energy to turn on my laptop to send an email to my supervisors telling them about our safe arrival and India's weather which was like of Soroti.

Then I made quick phone calls, not to my wife or brother nor my editors, but to the retired bishop of the Anglican Church in Soroti, Dr. Charles Obaikol who had prayed for me before I left for India.

"Bishop, thank you for your prayers; I have reached safely."

 

The Writer and Damalie pose for a picture

"Thanks be to God who protected you in that long journey," replied the prelate who was not aware of the missing Malaysian plane. After I told him of it, he showered on me blessings. It is then when I picked the courage to call my wife and other relatives, telling them how I arrived to a new city safely. My brother, John Ekoju told me about his worry because he had got the news of missing plane on BBC radio. 

It was hard to get away with that tragedy bearing it in mine that I was to fly back in the following weeks.

"Shall we really reach safely?" I asked myself one night. I considered the option of traveling back by bus, but I had not enough money to try such a long journey that would have taken a half a year to reach Uganda. 

 

The writer enjoying the ride in India

I made sure to email my stories to my editors before returning so that they would be published as my last work on earth in case our return plane went missing.

I remember asking my editors; David Mukholi, Barbara Kaija, and James Ekweu to pray for journey mercies for us. That worked for us and now I am able to share this with you.

Glory be to God in the highest and may he comfort the relatives of those who lost their beloved ones to this mishap.