THE SECOND EXHIBITION OF LUO ARTIFACTS & PICTORIALS

“For Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow”

“Chon Gilala, Kawuono, Kiny”

It is my great honour and privilege to welcome you all to the Second Exhibition of Luo Artifacts & Pictorials.

Today is more than an exhibition. It is an opportunity for us to pause, look back, remember, appreciate, and ask ourselves what we are doing to ensure that what we inherited from those who came before us is not lost with time.

Our theme, “For Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow” – “Chon Gilala, Kawuono, Kiny,” captures the very essence of what brings us together today. Yesterday represents our history and the people who laid the foundations upon which we stand. Today represents who we are, what we have achieved, and the responsibility we carry. Tomorrow represents the generations that will come after us and what we choose to leave behind for them.

Our history is not found only in written books. It lives in our stories, our customs, our values, our photographs, our portraits, our artifacts, our literature, and in the memories of the people who came before us. Unfortunately, many of these memories and valuable pieces of our heritage can easily disappear if we do not make deliberate efforts to preserve and share them.

That is why this exhibition is important.

One of our key objectives is to showcase Luo achievements. We believe that there is a great deal to celebrate. Across generations, Luo people have made significant contributions in many different fields, and those achievements deserve to be remembered, documented and shared. By celebrating these achievements, we are not only honouring those who came before us; we are also inspiring those who are coming after us.

Another important objective is to bequeath to the next generation our customs, values and anecdotes. Our young people need an opportunity to understand where they come from and the values that shaped their community. When we preserve these stories and traditions, we give the next generation something more valuable than objects – we give them a sense of identity and belonging.

This exhibition also seeks to display historical images, pictures and portraits that carry historical information. A photograph can tell a story. A portrait can preserve the memory of a person. An artifact can tell us how people lived, worked, created and expressed themselves. These things are not simply old objects or old photographs; they are pieces of our collective memory.

We also intend to create opportunities for forums and engagements around Luo issues, experiences and challenges. Heritage should not only be something we look at behind glass or admire from a distance. It should encourage conversations. It should allow us to ask questions, share experiences, discuss challenges and think about the future of our community.

Another important purpose of this initiative is to create a repository of Luo memorabilia and make it accessible, especially to our youth. We want young people to have an opportunity to encounter their history, learn from it and appreciate the richness of their heritage. If we do not preserve our memories today, tomorrow’s generation may have very little left to discover.

We are also creating a platform for books and autographing, because literature is another important part of preserving and sharing knowledge. Through books, writers, researchers and storytellers, experiences and ideas can travel across generations.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This exhibition is therefore not intended to be a one-time event. It is envisioned as an annual event, creating a continuing platform through which our history, culture, achievements, literature and memories can be showcased and celebrated.

More importantly, this initiative forms part of a bigger vision: the establishment of a Memories & Heritage Centre – a place where our memories can be preserved, our heritage can be shared, our achievements can be celebrated, and future generations can come to learn about the people and experiences that shaped them.

We must remember that heritage is not only about the past. Heritage becomes meaningful when it is carried into the present and passed responsibly into the future.

To our young people, I say: this heritage belongs to you too. Learn about it. Ask questions. Listen to the stories of those who came before you. Read. Explore. Preserve. And most importantly, take pride in who you are and where you come from.

To everyone who has contributed to making this exhibition possible, I express my sincere gratitude. To our guests, exhibitors, participants, writers, collectors, supporters and everyone who has shared their memories, knowledge and experiences, thank you for believing in this vision.

And to our Guest of Honour, Mr. Edwin Jacob Abonyo, and all our distinguished guests, thank you for joining us and for lending your presence to an initiative whose purpose extends beyond these two days.

As we explore this exhibition, let us not simply look at the artifacts and photographs. Let us look at the stories behind them. Let us remember the people behind the stories. Let us appreciate the achievements of yesterday, engage with the realities of today, and think carefully about what we want tomorrow to inherit.

May this exhibition become a meeting point between generations – a place where memory is protected, knowledge is shared, achievements are celebrated, and heritage continues to live.

Because when we preserve our memories, we preserve our identity.

When we teach our history, we strengthen our future.

And when we pass our heritage from one generation to another, we ensure that yesterday continues to speak to tomorrow.

With those words, I warmly welcome you all to the Second Exhibition of Luo Artifacts & Pictorials.

Come, experience, celebrate and preserve our heritage.

Thank you, and may we have a meaningful and memorable exhibition.