We all have dreams, we are almost too certain will never came to reality.
Flying in a plane was 74-year -old Wilson Dhabangi’s dream.
Finally, on Sunday 12th September 2021, at 7:00am, a Uganda Airlines Flight No. UR202, left Entebbe airport enroute Nairobi, on board was this special old man.
Below is an excerpt of the impact of Dhabangi’s kindness in Henry Mutebe’s life and how he chose to appreciate the old man’s generosity with the help of Uganda Airlines.
In 1996, Henry Mutebe lost his father, leaving only his mother to sustain the family. As the need arose, she had to work double shifts, sometimes spending weeks away from home just to make sure that her children got a proper education at Namalemba Boarding Primary School.
A then very powerful school along Tirinyi-Mbale road in Eastern Uganda. Unfortunately, many a time, she was unable to visit him at school; this is where Wilson Dhabangi’s kind heart jumped into the life of Henry. In 1997, then 50 years old, Wilson though looking frail and weather beaten, clung to bicycle riding to earn a living. He could neither read nor write hence ran errands for people and ferried passengers around the village at a little fee and sometimes for free. Visibly weak but spiritually strong, he was simply a good man.
Upon learning that Henry’s mother had been away too long, and he was at school unattended to, Wilson took on the responsibility of visiting Henry every Sunday at school. The first Sunday he visited, clad in worn out slippers, and an old torn shirt, would be the beginning of many more visits stretching over three years. All the children at school knew him as henry’s father, some even bullying him for it, the pickup line being he was a kid from a poor family visited by an old man in tired slippers, an old torn shirt and an old bicycle.
In spite of everything, Wilson braved the 3-hour long bicycle ride on the road with broken culverts, sometimes flooded or washed away bridges, just to see Henry and bring him roast groundnuts or a tin of tea leaves whenever he could afford it. Although Wilson was not formally educated, he was a wise man and often shared this wisdom with Henry telling him to ‘read hard’ and not ‘eat the seed’ so that he wouldn’t end up like him. Instead, he would be able to fly in planes and travel to different places, and perhaps give illiterates like himself an opportunity to fly too.
Sadly, in 1999, as Henry completed primary school, Wilson lost his sight. Fortunately, a medical procedure was conducted by a group of good Samaritan opticians that restored his sight.
For years, Henry has felt indebted to Wilson and had always wished to surprise him with a flight. Last week, he managed to get an air ticket for him and Rebecca, another special lady who natured him while their mother was away and to date remains his mother’s most loyal and best friend.
Henry knew that being in a plane would be something Wilson would love because on top of having never been to the airport, the only plane he had ever seen was that of former president Iddi Amin. It came to a village near Wilson’s home in 1974 and since then, planes have always fascinated him. Henry has therefore secretly been planning a trip for these two generous people in appreciation of their kindness towards him.
On Saturday, he managed to get them from the village without their knowing where they were going. He had succeeded in keeping his surprise a secret until they had to do the PCR test, when he finally broke the news and a very joyful and excited Wilson broke in to tears. Henry’s heart sunk. At his age, Wilson had retired, lived a quiet life and did not have much hope in anything so this came as a surprise.
On Sunday at 8am, in what felt like a movie for henry, they lifted off to Nairobi aboard Uganda Airlines. Henry had written to the airline three days earlier about his and Wilson’s story and was humbly replied to by Doreen Nambatya saying that she appreciated that they chose to travel with Uganda Airlines and that she would ensure it was a ‘memorable’ trip fir them.
So after all the passengers were seated and ready for take-off, a special announcement was made. Uganda Airlines, in appreciation of Wilson and Rebecca’s kindness, surprised the trio with an upgrade to business class, which humbled Henry. The pilot came over and thanked them saying he had been inspired by their story.
After they hit the skies, the pilot narrated Henry’s story with Wilson and Rebecca and dedicated the flight to them. Along the way, Wilson asked a thousand questions; amazed at the technology and feeling of being in a plane. Tears of joy rolled down his cheeks amidst laughter from time to time.
The reaction of the passengers was also very humbling for Henry; when they landed at Jomo Kenyatta airport, many of them came over and thanked the old man and Rebecca and commended Henry for not forgetting this kind old man, all of which greatly humbled Henry, who had been on planes many times, but had never felt as over joyed as he as that day.
He was filled with nostalgia from his childhood memories with Wilson, especially being laughed at by children because he was being taken back home by an old man riding a bicycle.
As Henry looked over the horizon, memories raced of this old man visiting him every Sunday for three years! He remembered his old man’s shirt, torn slippers and a tear trickled now his cheek. Most importantly, he saw the value of doing good, because you can never tell what will come back to you.
He had looked forward to the day he would put Wilson and Rebecca, whom he calls Aunt Becca in the sky, and fulfil the promise he made to them as a child. He told them that one day they would fly together in an airplane and is exceedingly glad that life has given him the blessing of achieving this dream.
Henry, Wilson and Rebecca are spending the night in Nairobi-Kenya, having spent the day touring parts of Nairobi, visiting the giraffe centre, Nairobi animal orphanage, and the environs of Nairobi.
Henry can’t explain how overjoyed and grateful he is to Uganda Airlines for making their flight very special and sharing the story of the man with a big heart. He adds that the service was well beyond all expectations and is very proud of them.
“To all the Wilsons and Rebeccas of this world, thank you for giving us a hand, believing in us, and showing us unconditional love. God bless you.”, Henry Mutebe.