George Nicolas will be missed but never forgotten

Minneapolis,December 08, 2013 (GSN) - George Nicolas Life, Achievements was remembered by Family and the Greater Gambellan Community in the USA. In life some of us will remembered over, over, and forever.

They will stay touch within our memories. But some of us will be forgotten forever no one remembered of them. Some of us will be noticed, but some of us will not be noticed, no one dared whether they have been around or not.

Some of us presence will be felt but also some of us presence will not be felt in the moment we were around or some of us will be honored, respected because of our jobs, our deeds but some of us will be pass by not honored, or respected by others. In other word what we do on this planet earth is important in our life time and crucially important after our life time, it matter the most. Said Ochwor Warajor who through skillful language made the audience “laughed” and amazed. 

Followed by Pastor Omot Agagnia, Agape, and the daughter of George Nicolas himself who both reminded the audiences about George Nicolas contribution in the documentation of Gambella historical developments, that it was paramount important, crucial for future historian?  Through the lenses of his photography George was: a documentarian, a Historian, as Stories teller, a Teacher they reiterated. And through his camera he had documented:  families weddings, social celebrations, sports games, festivals, he had helped students obtained identity cards during their final exams, photographed their graduation ceremonies, national holiday, and religious celebrations, tragedies-non-tragedies, events of any kind, you name it, anything one can think of he had them all documented, he had them kept in archives for all to see.

Pastor Omot Agagnia, pointed out that not only should we remember George Nicolas as photographer, George was a philanthropist who on many occasion borrowed money to some people when they were in dire need to tackle some social problems. He said George borrowed me some money which necessitated me leave my country to Kenya, than to America, when I went home lately, I repaid him back in full, he got “applause form the audiences”    
 

Agape spoke of her father as a loving, a caring man who devoted his entire life to building social and cultural life of the Anyuawa community. She reminded everyone sited; that her father was a color blind person who don’t like people being discriminated against their color or race. He was a loving person she said who raised us all of his children to love one another, do the same for other people. She said my father was hard workingman, throughout his enduring life hadn’t accumulated much as money was concern, she said he was not even a millionaire, the family was just living above the water from drowning. She said my father spoke to us of the important, societal responsibility, sharing some social obligation, in that light of these enormous responsibility, concerns, and paybacks for the society, it has landed me where I am today:  where I am I have not saved that much money, and I was not bitter or grumpy about it; because I CARE FOR DEVELOPMENTS OF THE GAMBELLA SOCIETY, I have to payback some societal needs, to the society I am living among. That’s important because how can one I accumulate wealth when my people are poor disparate? “A long Applause by audiences”  


She was followed by her uncle Mano Nicolas, who echoed the same sentiment that although he hadn’t spent much time with his brother while he was a live he said every time we got one ample opportunity to seeing each other’s we spent long hours talking, nobody says I am tried I got to go, the “audiences in the hall break up with laughter” he said George was a very humble man, who treated his family first, and continued to do so until his last breath on earth.

  Next was Agape’s husband Mr. Dan Forester who said my first time I  met George Nicolas was in St Pauli, after we met I like the man already, the “audiences laughed”, I  loved him more as father in law. He said George was full of energy wanted to learn more after what saw at St. Paul housing development, and housing projects, designs. He said George Nicolas was a story teller, I, him will sat down for a cup of tea, he will tell me about his hunting adventurism in Africa, Crocodiles, Elephants, Buffaloes, Giraffes, he had killed, I  in return would tell him about our hunting games here in the Midwest about Geese, Ducks, Deer etc.. He was followed by a steady long “Laughter” from the hall.  


Agape’s husband speech was followed by Omot Ochan who summed up everything: entrepreneurship, business development, Education, that’s how we should remember George Nicolas, by doing something positive for our society. He wants us focus on businesses, become business people, and create businesses for ourselves, he wants us learned, build entrepreneurship for ourselves, furthermore he wanted us to be more creative in our lives, by acquiring more education, to improve our lives, and lift our people from miserable conditions; that's how he wanted to be remembered, by doing good for ourselves; Omot Ochan concluded...  

IN conclusion: George Nicolas through lenses of his camera had documented political socioeconomic, cultural and social development of Gambella until his death; he will not be forgotten and forever he will be remembered. The people of Gambella owed him honor, and respect, they missed him greatly. It was through these constellations of qualities that made George Nicolas particularly unique, and he will be remembered for the above historical contribution of Gambella.

Reporting by Ahmare Gilo, GSN contributor, Sources: http://ajumhara.blogspot.ca/ Amhare Gilo is Studied Political Science at Minnesota State University, Mankato

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