The Monyemiji Cultural Festival committee has officially launched an initiative to reconnect young people in Juba with their cultural heritage. The festival, set to take place in February 2027, aims to introduce children and youth growing up in the capital to traditions they may be unfamiliar with. According to Otwari James Odiongo, chairperson of the festival, Juba was chosen as the venue due to the limited knowledge of cultural traditions among young people in the city.
The festival will bring together communities from different parts of Eastern Equatoria, including the Dongotono, Logir, Lango, Bira, Lotuko, Lopit, and Lokoya. Odiongo called on people living in Juba, other parts of the country, and the diaspora to support the initiative, which aims to make the event a shared celebration of cultural heritage. The committee hopes to take the festival to Torit in the future after holding the planned gathering in Juba.
Monyemiji elder Zacharia Ebul urged families to take responsibility for teaching children their cultural traditions, emphasizing the importance of cultural identity in understanding origins and sense of belonging. He encouraged parents to expose young people to traditional practices and not to feel ashamed of their cultural identity, even for those living abroad.
The launch event featured traditional dances and cultural displays by young men and women, which Ebul described as an important way of demonstrating the community's identity. The organisers announced that the February 2027 festival would be open to registered members of the communities, with a registration fee of 250,000 South Sudanese pounds.
According to Odiongo, the initiative is not entirely new, recalling a similar gathering involving Otuho-speaking communities held in 2010. However, the forthcoming event will be organised specifically as the Monyemiji Cultural Festival. The committee invited members of the Monyemiji communities living in South Sudan and abroad to support the preparations and participate in the celebrations.
The festival aims to promote cultural heritage and preserve traditions that may be fading among young people. Ebul emphasized that cultural traditions deserved to be preserved and celebrated wherever people settled. The organisers hope that the event will help young people learn about their heritage and understand the traditions of their communities.
The Monyemiji Cultural Festival is set to take place in February 2027 in Juba, with the goal of reconnecting young people with their cultural heritage. The event will feature traditional dances, cultural displays, and other activities aimed at promoting cultural identity and preserving traditions.
Key points
- The festival aims to introduce young people in Juba to their cultural heritage.
- The event will feature traditional dances and cultural displays.
- The registration fee for the festival is 250,000 South Sudanese pounds.
