Father Remigio C. Obol

The spiritual leader of STEP-UP and SUU, Father Remigio C. Obol was the creator of STEP-UP in partnership with Dr. Joshua Miller. He is the parish priest of Assumption Parish in Awach in northern Uganda. He considers STEP-UP to be an important part of the parish program given its contribution to the improvement of health in the community. Because of the support of Archbishop Dr. John Baptist Odama, he visited the USA in 2006 where he met Professor Joshua and others, at which time the war was at its peak. After hearing Father describe the negative impact of the war on the health and education of the children, Joshua came with others to Gulu to evaluate ways in which they could be of help. That was the beginning of a program that has carried forth until now. It started with psychosocial support training and subsequently evolved to include medical capacity building. From 2006 through now there have been many instructional activities related to health, psychosocial support, and education, and “the impact of the activities is very great.” Service delivery of the health personnel and the concern demonstrated for their patients have improved. STEP-UP has also brought equipment to facilitate the work of the medical personnel in Aswa county. Father appeals to well-wishers who care about the health and education of the children of his region to help this program continue to succeed. He asks that people contribute to STEP-UP or personally join hands with STEP-UP and SUU. He feels that there are multiple ways to support health: stationery, books, money, equipment, medicines, “even tools for harvest.” He expresses faith in people, saying, “We are talking to the world, but not a faceless world.”