Reuben Garang, Winnipeg, Manitoba*
"Being fluent in both the Jieeng and Nuer languages, Rev. Monybuny’s homilies are deeply full of reflections and sometimes hysterical. Love it when he is preaching in Jieeng."
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| Rev. Monybuny and his family |
Allow me to fly in the face of the Jieeng’s (Dinka’s) beliefthat Raan ace leec ke pïïr ka raan ace leec ke tɔ̈ nyinthïn. Jieeng has some sayings that if taken out of context, makes the least amount of sense. Raan ace leec ke pïïr ka raan ace leec ke tɔ̈ nyinthïn word for word it means a person cannot be appreciated when alive or while you stand in their presence.
However,
figuratively, it means a good deed done for the community is everyone’s
responsibility and that individuals who outperform others are only appreciated
in their absence. To encourage others to do the same or more importantly to
make the appreciation more authentic and freer from being perceived as flattery,
the Jieeng believes that a genuine appreciation or thanking is one done when
the person receiving the thanks is not around.
In
the olden days, appreciations and positive feedback was provided in the absence
of a person. When an individual was criticised directly, it restricted chances
for community gossip. Community being sharp-eyed and sharp-eared does a great
service to the person who do good to others in many ways, including respecting the
individual on a greater scale, but as well as their families.
The
point of this letter is to go against our older traditions of appreciation by
publicly commending Reverend Abraham Monybuny for all the great work he has
done and continues to do for the Jieeng and the South Sudanese community in
Winnipeg.
Rev.
Monybuny runs a non-stipend ministry while at the same times doing a full-time
job to support his family. For more than a decade he has voluntarily run the
successful, cultural youth summer program many youths within our community
attend annually. The program produces young leaders equipped with professional
and life skills, aiding them in the work they would be doing for the larger
City of Winnipeg.
This
is where Rev. Monybuny is exceptional. People call him night and day for help
or assistance, whether its transportation, a visit to the hospital, or grocery
shopping. And day and night, he is there to help. He is a handyman, so he
provides any assistance he is asked to do.
Rev.
Monybuny is trusted amongst so many people within the community.
However,
with all the good deeds he provides, he still is blamed and sometimes
disrespected. Really? It is far-fetched, but this speaks to the
universal fact that human being is a very complicated being. The
thing about him though, he does not show it. Rev. Monybuny is a resilient man.
See
his name is longer than most names, could be deemed “difficult” to remember. Nevertheless,
everyone, even little children in the community, remember him. They know how to
pronounce his name because the man connects to most families in a cordial way. This
is the person, that when you see him standing at your home’s front doorsteps,
you feel at ease and blessed.
Being
fluent in both the Jieeng and Nuer languages, Rev. Monybuny’s homilies are deeply
full of reflections and sometimes hysterical. Love it when he is preaching
in Jieeng. His command of the Jieeng language is powerful and artistic.
For
a few years now, whenever there is a community gathering or there is something
concerning him or his role in the community being discussed, I tend to
acknowledge his good deeds even when he is around.
A
genuine acknowledgment of good deeds is not flattery. Some people do more than others
for their community, but a few are exceptional like the Rev. Monybuny.
