“Yirol Fok Kulushi”: Yirol Community In Nimule – An Epitome of Hard-work, Solidarity, and Resilience

“A crying appeal to emulate the Leadership style of Yirol Community Leaders in Nimule.”

By Appollo A’Anyang, Nimule, South Sudan

In order to keep their hopes and ambitions alive, the Yirol Firsters coined “YIROL Fok Kulushi” to brand themselves as ” Something Above All Things.” This jargonal Arabic phrase has continued to provide inspiration to both Sunset Generation, Midday Generation and Sunrise Generation. When they say Yirol Folk Kulushi, they mean uniqueness and distinctness to soar above all things.

Throughout their engagement with the world in all walks of life, there is always an inspiration drawn from “Yirol Fok Kulushi.” Yirol folks wherever they are do exhibit this distinctive character. In work, they work extrahard. In battle, they fight extrahard. In education, they excel extrahard. All these extras make them “EXTRAORDINARY.”

As a member of generation on rise, I have heard this Communal Mantra every so often. I heard in schools whenever a Yirol folk make to a Distinctive award of academic honors. In leadership, I heard whenever a Yirol Folk made it to a position of influence or authority. I have often disregarded this “Fok Kulushi” dubbing as a more cynical belief exaggerated and advance to belittle other communities.

I never knew Yirol Fok Kulushi was something beyond cynicism until I was made to know in my recent trip to Nimule. In this trip, we took up from Juba without Transport Fare. Upon Arrival, we found a Madi driver and requested him if he will mind to take us to Nimule and get paid at the destination. The first thing he asked was where we from and who is the person we are going to. We told him “Yirol.”

The description he gave us about Yirol Community in Nimule made me think of Yirol Fok Kulushi. The guy told us that Yirol community in Nimule is the most organize one. They are peaceful and friendly. Exactly when we arrived, it was like we came home. 3/4 of the people we met were unfamiliar but in a moment of 30 minutes, we were able to mingled into the community at a breakneck speed.

As if this was not enough, they again took us to their Evening Passtime Zone. There, we met several others mostly leaders of Yirol Community, County Leaders as well as payams. We introduced ourselves and the first thing they did was blaming our “Inviter” for not informing them in advance. We conversed and dispersed. As if this was not enough, they unexpectedly organized a dinner for us.

This community has one guiding philosophy, they are eacothers’ Keepers. What belong to each of them belong to all them. Our visitation is a lesson learnt. It has opened the curtain of nepotism that have continued to fly us down as people of Yirol. We It has made us believe that despite the moral decayness of any given community, there is always one that is morally upright.

In this border town of Nimule, the vision of Yirol Fok Kulushi is still alive.The Yirol Heritage of hospitality is still alive. It is alive in a sense that the people there are guarding against the bad stains that may be said against them. There is a high moral sense that Yirol community in Nimule is an embodiment of hardwork, peace, unity, solidarity and hospitality. This came from the Leadership they have put in place.

The Yirol Community Leadership in Nimule is a true definition of servant leadership (Kadam Leadership) where a leader’s role is to serve people. This leadership is exceptional. They told us that there are three types of Yirol people living in Nimule. There are Government Workers, Traders and students.

In Nimule, they have no one in any prison. This is not because they don’t make mistakes but it is through the commitment of their leadership that solved these mistakes. They have a transnational and international role. They take care of the issues facing Yirol travellers at the border sometimes if you can’t make it to go to Juba or Kampala due to clearance related issues.

They know each other pretty well. When a visitor comes, it is not necessarily a relative responsibility but their collective duty depending on a person you meet. They are Democratic and they have successive peaceful transfer of power. There is a great sense of civility as those who have never attended any class SPEAK fluent English than some graduate.

This community in these two days trip has shone a vivid light of what Yirol is truly is. It is indeed a Fok Kulushi! It is not Fok Kulushi anywhere but in Nimule. They are hospitable, peaceful, educative, Solidarists and united. Yirol community in Nimule is so organize and flexible to live in. It is integrative and accommodating. Unlike most Yirol communities, they have one belief. They are teaching young people to be hardworkers.

In Nimule, their pride is to see their community swelling in numbers.The leadership oversees who has and who has not. Who is in trouble. Who has just come. These things defined them as the living testimony of what it means to be leaders of the community. We felt so challenged and we assured them that we must extend your way of life and leadership traits to the other areas where Yirol community lives.

While leadership is a service centred activity in Nimule, it is a pride in Juba. While leadership is more of a community welfare in Nimule, it is an individual welfare in Juba. The Leadership of Yirol Community In Nimule is mandated to make sure that people converge weekly and meetings conducted when need arise. This is not the case with most Yirol communities in South Sudan. We meet our leaders during election and in the next elections. We felt so challenged and we urged them to extend a helping hand to our leaders in Juba to start emulating your leadership traits.

Dear Yirol Community Worldwide, allow me to thank Yirol Community in Nimule. They are so organize and they are doing a great service to our people.They are the change agents we want. They represent the Yirol Community we dream. While keeping the factors of hardwork, Unity, peace, solidarity, resilience and hospitality constant, I am previllge to add one extra quality to them. They are not corrupt. This make them fit in the larger dream of South Sudanism.

The prove is that most of them have been working here since 2008. If at all they were corrupt, they would have been fired and jailed. The other prove is being given positions of leadership. Beyond Yirol, we have a son by the name Magok who is the Chairman of 64 Tribes Clearing Agencies, Mr. Magok Alawei. If he was corrupt, troublesome and chaotic, he wouldn’t have been elected. If they weren’t worthy, Madi community wouldn’t have appreciated them and their son helped us just because we are from Yirol.

This distinctive qualities make Yirol community in Nimule more of divine than most. It is upon this that I urge Yirol Community Leaders wherever they are to emulate this servant leadership. It will do more good to the reconstruction and restoration of the lost values of Yirol. Now Yirol is weak and exhausted. It needs unity, peace and Solidarity. The recent teaching by the Machiavellian students in which we saw each other as blockage should be stopped and discarded.

We need to nurse our wounds of gossip. We need to arm ourselves with new hope and reembark on the journey towards the retention of “Fok Kulushi.” This can be speedily attain when we Divorce our thinking from the capitalist philosophy of “We are Because I am” and adopt a community centred philosophy of “I am Because We ARE.” The first is individualistic as it is predicated on the notion that Community exist because One strong member has made it so. Contrary to Afrophilosophy that put community at the centre of life.

We need to move out from the confined walls of Political affiliation and start building our community. It is so far so good. This rebuilding has started in Nimule. It must spill over to Juba and other areas. In Juba, hundreds are roting in prison and no one cares. Hundred are dropping out school but no one cares. Hundred are getiing back home just because they have no shelter to put up in. Hundreds are losing jobs just because a fellow Yirolian has just gone to betray his homemate. Hundreds are sleeping with hunger yet millions are being watsed in Bars, Saunas and gyming.

This Yirol has not existed before. It must be reinvented and we invite the Yirol Community Leaders In Nimule to breathe our glorious values of hospitality, unity, resilience, peace and respect into it. Once we do this, Yirol will again will proudly move as a giant above all as always said.

At this Juncture, I, on behalf of the team ( Martin El Resmy, Mayor Kot Atool, Mike Agodo & Daniel Ichok) would like to appreciate Silas Majok Achirin for shouldering this heavy load. I believe it is out of sincere show of togetherness that he was able to invite us. We are indebted to the hospitality and care. Because Nimule People live in solidarity, they never surrendered us to Majok. They collectively took good care of us. We are thankful to Yirol Community Chairman, Beny Adut Nhial.

Also so lavish and accomading was a wonderful role played By Sudani Apak, we have not lost sight of the role played by Ruben Kuchlong Marial, the Youth Chairman of Ngop County in Nimule and Majok Aluel. On the same note, we are thankful to John Dhuor Mangook for the incredible service.

We also appreciate the role played by the distinguish students snd young leaders of Yirol Youths In Nimule in the persons of Matur Willy, Makhat, Kalany Makuei, the speaker, Mathou Marial, Machek Albis, Majang, John Muou, Buona Kenya, Akot Lang, Jook Achol, Ater Achuoth, The chair of EC.

On the same token, we appreciates Richard Maluac , Arop Mangui Long, Malok Ngor, Mabor Achol, Madok Deng and Many Ciec Manyiel Folks for the believe in their brothers. In Nimule, you don’t think about your relatives. They are living as brothers and fathers to themselves. What is done by one of them is the same thing that the other person would have done. To those whose names did not feature in this piece, we are grateful to you.

Conclusively, I write this piece as a crying appeal for the need to emulate the Leadership style of Yirol community in Nimule. Dear Yirol community Worldwide, We must invest and harvest in homeland.

“Yirol Fok Kulushi.”

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