Welcome Message from LUCO’s Chairman
It is with great honor that I send my heart most greetings to all Luo communities around the world. It is indeed great to be a true son of one of many Luo subgroups across the Great Lakes Luo Nations of East Africa.
The Luo speaking people spread from Sudan, Uganda through Congo to Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
The most recent claim to fame of the Luo is the first African American President of the United States of America, Barack Hussein Obama, whose father is a Kenyan Luo. It is our responsibility as Luos to carry the torch that our predecessors passed to us to unite the Luo subgroups of East Africa.
In August 2008, Luos in the USA gathered in Sioux Falls, SD, for the first Luo annual conference. The attendees appreciated the presentation of the history of Luo migration and the similarities between the Luo subgroups.
It is the local Luo community of Sioux Falls, SD, that made this event a success. We appreciate their commitment and ability within their capacity to help Luos from different parts of USA get together for the first Luo annual conference.
On behalf of Luo United Communities Organization (LUCO), I thank all participants for their support and commitment to inform other Luo communities around the world about the initiative to unite the Luo speaking people of the Great Lakes Nation of East Africa both at home and in the Diaspora.
It is with great pleasure that I share with you the goal of LUCO:
* MISSION STATEMENTS
1. Unity through a common Luo language. LUCO’s mission is to develop a curriculum that will afford us the means to foster a common language among the Luo subgroups. This common Luo language will meet the global standards in both spoken and written forms.
The Luo subgroups are comprised of the Acholi, Alur, Anyuak, Blanda Boore, Brun, Chollo, Dhopadhola, Funj, Joluo of Kenya / Tanzania, Jumjum, Kumam, Lango, Luo Bahr-El-Gazal, Maban, Pari, and Thuri.
2. Development of culture. LUCO will focus on education, healthcare, career development, social services, and creating youth development centers.
In addition, LUCO will engage in continuing research to understand and teach the history of Luo migration of the Luo speaking people.
Once again, on behalf of LUCO, thank you to all our friends and supporters of a united Great Lakes Luo Nations of East Africa. May the heavenly Father bless us all and give us the strength to move forward to accomplish our mission.
Thank you,
Cleyto Mayewn
Chairperson of LUCO,
Email address [mcleyto @ yahoo.com].
Home phone (507) 208-4159
Cell phone (605) 553-6072
#1 by Lwanyo on March 19th, 2009
Wonderful Mr. Chairman.
#2 by Okelo Patuda on March 26th, 2009
Congratulations Mr. Chairman,
Your speech has made me to closer to my Luo roots than ever.
I am inspired, so let the torch of unity of purpose and conscience keep shining, since we have a lot yet to learn about each other as we adopt to our other motto that should read: “Kinship is thicker than border, ideology, and politics”.
For the wealth of every great community is the integration of divergencies found in it. In this case, UNITY HAS TO BE A MUST IN OUR LUO SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO UNJUST TREAMENT IN WHICHEVER COUNTRY IN AFRICA WE ARE.
Thanks
And let the Great God of the Luos bless you all
Okelo Patuda
#3 by Gnigwo/Nyigwo/ Gala on March 30th, 2009
Endless Thanks to you,Cahirman, of LUCO.
First of all, I would like to introduce myself. I am Anyuak/Anywaa/ of Gambella, Ethiopia.I am 29 years old.I am B.A. degree holder in Cooperatives(business management) and currently,I am studying my M.A degree in Cooperatives Marketing in a University called Mekelle University in Ethiopia, particularly found in Tigray region.
I really appreciate the sparkler of this idea. In the language of cooperators we believe in the word which says,”Unity is strength” and thus we have to pray to achieve our mission.
#4 by Okello Gilo B. on March 31st, 2009
Great Mr Chairman, this was one of my life dreams to have what can unite Luo people, and it is there in the form of LUCO. It is our pride and it is the way forward.
#5 by Gnigwo/Nyigwo Gala on March 31st, 2009
Delightful News and Endless Thanks for It.
Dear Chairman,
I really appreciate the work you are doing for uniting the Survivals of the Luo Communities in the World today.I am Anyuak/Anywaa of Gambella,Ethiopia; whose flash is stired up with salt for others. Unity is strength.Our original history is recorded but no one had dared to look in-depth and find a solution for it. The solution is what you have commenced.To me,it is a great joy for every Anyuak/Anywaa community to hear about this organization.I wish success to come down from our creator,God.May God bless our start to reach the end.
#6 by Gnigwo/Nyigwo Gala on March 31st, 2009
#7 by okello on September 1st, 2009
It is the best thing that can ever happen. The wise say unity is strength in Kenya some of the clans call themselves names like Seme Lang’o, Jonam, Adhola, Achol these are actually different tribes outside Kenya. In Kenya the Luo groups that migrated adopted a common name, the Acholi, Lang’i, Jonam, Alur, Padhola, Baganda imigrants called Suba part of Luhya: Banyore, Manyala, Sagam, Marachi and Samia collectively call themselves Luo and bearing Luo names. Thanks for the unity that now spreads… let it cover the whole earth