Brief history of late George Nicola and condolence message to family and the entire Anyuaks Community

The death of George Nicola on July 5, 2012 has been very shocking. I have been highly overwhelmed by all his memories and contributions he made in the land and to the entire Anyuak community in Gambella. I wish to share my heartfelt sorrow and grief with all not only as a family member, but as a victim to the disappearing world of the Anyuak culture and traditional heritage of which our prominent elder, honorable George Nicola, had labored to sustain and preserve; and could he just depart our world quietly? In the midst of my mixed feelings, I am convinced that I should write what I know best of him, with the aim to rescue and extract some of his best ideals he maintained in the entire land of Gambella, for the new generation to know.

George Nicola die on July 5, 2012

Death can really be a bad enemy. If days could be rolled back to rewind life of some ideal people, George could highly deserve it. Here, I want to flash back some of his memories on a few things we should continue to remember about him. If someone could lean closely to his heart, he/she will agree with me that George was a man of God, he was a man who really feared God from the heart. He loved his wife Ariet Ojulu and his children with great affection and tolerance, fulfilling what is required of a husband and a father of the Bible. One of his few testimonies which touched me most is how he decided to leave with Ariet as a covenant wife despite all the racial tensions against him in the past. Relating the early Gambella lifestyle, he really loved it, and lamented that he had missed it with regret.

Gambella being a British enclave was also a hub for diverse merchandize activities of which many businessmen comprising Greek, Italian, Armenians, Arabs, Turkish, etc found themselves in a friendly atmosphere and easily mixed up with local Anyuak community. Gambella was an ideal place for many foreigners. As Italians described it in one of their travel guide books “as one descend from Buri town on highland, down towards the sunset you surely come to the land of beauty and clean Anyuaks of Gambella”. As George described it, foreigners intermingled with the local Anyuaks and their beauty and cleanness were attractive to them and made life very jubilant. Many children were born out of these cozy relationships from Greek, Italians, Armenians, Arabs, and so on. However, unlike other foreigners who built separate homes for Anyuak wives and children, George was the only one who decided to leave with Ariet as covenant wife under one roof till his death. He greatly triumphed over any racial and color discrimination by demonstrating a true genuine fear of God in his live.

He had quietly established a family that I would term an International heritage family unit, where all the grandchildren from many diverse racial backgrounds are conditioned to pick up at least 3-4 languages to ensure that they communicate confidently with the rest of the family members. These grandchildren range from American blood to Greek, Oromo, Amhara, Tigre, Gurage, Nyanggway of Sudan and so on. They all converge to the grandfather George, who was born out of Greek and Oromo and Grandmother Ariet Ojulu, of Anyuak blood. One would wonder how the DNA would tell, but you would enjoy the mixing in an international social heritage environment of upbringing. Can anyone refrain from calling George a hero in fighting against any racist outlook in any form, to construct non-racial social governing in his own world? For Mandela of South Africa, it had required 27 years in prison along with many human lives sacrifices lost in the course of struggle to overthrow the racist white government of apartheid, and to realize the present non-racial government. George triumphed over social injustices and discriminations of all sorts through peaceful relations in which he deserved to be called a hero of social justice, and he demonstrated this quality as an ideal elder in many relationships, peace building committees and public meetings in Gambella.

George Nicola exhibited a genuine passion in promoting Anyuak culture and tradition not only to Ethiopia, but also to the world of tourism. I am lamenting with shed of tears over his best qualities and traditions he established over time, which I would attest to be the foundation to the Gambella of today. Could people recognize him surely as an icon in the foundation of Gambella of today? George truly loved the Anyuak community and their culture and by this virtue he was moved to initiate many innovative social and economic activities in the land of Gambella to preserve the culture. He was one of the founders and promoters of Baro club, the well known cultural club in Gambella of which some of its figures comprise of Ochan Gilo, Achala Okok, Topia, Chwata, Opiti Cham, Chibi Ochala, Oleng (the singer), etc, could still be remembered in the history of this cultural dancing club. In this, George played a proactive role in promoting the Anyuak culture not only to Ethiopia, but also to the world through tourism.

He was a friend to many Anyuaks Nobles (Kwari and Nyeye) and he loved the traditional culture, their thrones adorned with traditional decorations and settings. He reminds himself of times these nobles would come and leave the town with very remarkable demonstrations. He described that the subordinates would line up and walk in row with their noble in the middle, blowing trumpets and singing traditional songs of anthems like ancient Jews adoring their Lord. By this simple demonstration they would attract every emotion in the town of Gambella. He admired the Anyuak’s generosity, hospitality, respect and love shown to guest, honesty, integrity, and lack of thieves in the Gambella town amazed everybody. He would say people were really peaceful and honest, constructing a very friendly social environment that makes life easy in Gambella.

He introduced and demonstrated many developmental activities to bring changes in the area. He introduced fishery using modern gears which provided employment opportunities to many Anyuak and Nuer fishermen in Gambella. He introduced small scale agricultural farming and by this a small forest of mango trees can still be spotted in Ichway. He had of habit of eating fruits from his own garden and institutionalized it into family’s habit too, whereby his grandsons would expect fruits from his own hand when they visited him, and children loved small gift from his hand as grandpa. He was also one of the founders of GEWA - the Gambella Educational welfare Association that provided great contribution in promoting education among the indigenous Anyuaks community and others.

Some of his hobbies included night poaching, paintings (art), sports, functions, and visit of poor people in their homes. George used to love poaching especially in the evenings on the way to Pinykew, Abol, Itang and even to Jikaw areas. He also remembered the experiences he had along the Alworo River where he used to buy canoes from Abobo and Okuna villages and took a journey downstream of Alworo River to Pokedi Alworo village, where he would rest for some days in Pokedi to compliment his poaching hobby in the area called Dumma before he continued his journey to Pino village on Baro River. His venture along this route allowed him to introduce some of the international poachers such as Thomas (a well known poacher in Anyuak land) who made himself very familiar with Anyuak village lives and also with Dumma, the high concentration area of animals towards downstream of Pokedi.

George was an archive of the land and by virtue of this he preserved many cultural photos, most of which dominate his paintings at home. Many of these cultural photos are still being used in tourism in many parts of the world, displaying and promoting Gambella to international heritage. He was a man of courage, who introduced the region and the people to the outside world. He introduced many sports and games some of which a soccer team called Atero (named after a typical Anyuak spear that doesn’t miss the target) still vivid in the minds of many Gambellans of the past. He loved to encourage many young children to sports and finance their needs to excel in their ambitions. He loved social functions which he initiated by himself and some where he was invited. In functions he would love to serve the people not to be served. He liked roasting meat, chicken, or fish, for people; that’s what he enjoyed most with people. He was a man of people who filled all generational gaps and he socialized with all kinds of people and respected them.

In most lucrative business environment to the outsiders in Gambella, George never been an ambitious businessman as many do. He was content with the kind of lifestyle he had developed in maintaining his career of traditional grinding mill business. He strikes a balance to live a kind of lifestyle whereby he didn’t wish to be very rich or very poor. He kept his business at low profile and continued his traditional career to a limit to avoid disastrous risk in the business. He honored God with all his possessions. He gave abundantly to the church’s needs. He kept a portion of his income for poor people and loved to share his life with them. He is indeed a man who achieved a right balance in life and became a role model to many God fearing people.

Short story of a chicken: George had a strong passion in keeping pets, wild animals, ducks, chicken, and many other wild birds. Among these domestic animals and birds, I was amazed by the kind of intimacy he developed with one chicken. As I watched keenly the episode stood out extraordinarily. Out of my curiosity I discover that the chicken never slept before seeing George coming back from his work in the evenings. The chicken would wait at the door till he would come and when he come home, firstly George would hold the chicken in his arm and make his fingers slide gently over head to tail. The joy of fatherly huge would overflow the chicken until she closed her eyes gently as if she was encouraging George to sooth her to the maximum. You would be attracted to see how much the chicken enjoyed the warm soft touch of grandpa. Subsequently, George would offer food to her in his hand and she would enjoy eating the food from George’s hand. Thus, the chicken would go to sleep quietly. It was a routine life and quite a remarkable intimacy which I relate to his relationship and love for his children and the grandchildren who would really miss him. This is one of his daily lives in which he will not be only missed by the family and people but equally by the pets and chickens too. I don’t know what happen to that chicken in my absence which I love to know. I hope no one would dear to slaughter for food such a friendly chicken.

By human standard measure George was a giant tree of the land in the middle of nowhere whose branches extended widely, to embrace many aspirations. He had been the beauty of the town that his portrait serves as landmark and blind guide in the Gambella region. As every creature would enjoy life and classical singing of the birds above under a cool shed of a giant tree, George was a titan adventurist man who captured our aspirations in the land. His glamour touches every aspect of our lives as family, friends, relatives, and many more people.

However, death never triumphs over our lives as ordinary people, for our hope in the Lord Jesus is eternal. We shall see him again as we approach the throne of the Lord with true faith and action as father George shown to us practically. I should assure all with living hope and the word of God in Hebrews 6:10-12:

“God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until he end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

In this faith we should look to the One who promises and hope to the things promised. May we be encouraged by the living words and cherish for the manifestation of good life presented to us through our father George who quietly passed away. May his soul rest in peace. Amen!  

For a comment you can reach me at: okokojulu@yahoo.com