Jaluo in germany/ Great-Britain , Thomas Rommel

Amosi jaluo,

Idhe nade?

My name is Thomas Rommel. I´m studying Ethnology at University Leipzig/ Germany and want to specialize on Luo-Culture.

I´ve done fieldwork in Nyanza (Nyabondo) in 2005 and wrote a report about my findings. Now it´s time for my final tests in Ethnology so I can complete my studies at University. The topic for this is "Luo-Culture in Exile". Therefore I try to get in contact to jaluo living in Germany. I already got in contact to some, but in order to draw a representative picture I need about 20 persons. I´m addressing you, hoping to get some information from you about how to contact others here in Germany.

Maybe you ask yourself why I want to focus on Luo-Culture. So let me tell you. When I was told that I had to carry out a three-month period of fieldwork during my studies I searched a culture to observe. During the searchings I met the persons who founded an NGO called "Arzt- und Zahnarzthilfe Kenya e.V.", a dental aid project working in Nyabondo and other places in kenya. They offered me the chance to get to Nyabondo. I wondered if I should do so, but then I noticed, that among all the other tribes of Kenya the Culture of Luo is not represented in literatzure as it should be. The newest publications I found dated back to the 1970ies. so I thought that Cultutre must have changed in Nyanza and so I came to Nyabondo. During the three months I got to know so many people and learned so much (except speaking good DhoLuo, since for my german tongue it was quite difficult, I apologize)! I became an admirer of Luo traditions and Luo-Land. I found it especially interesting that Luos differed from many other tribes, especially because of their history and their diplomatic way of conversation.

So now I will learn more about Luo-Culture but since its to expensive for me to return to kenya at the moment I will focus on Jaluo living in Germany (or Great-Britain). So if you have an idea or contact emails of Luo who live in germany or Great-Britain I would be very thankfull! Contact information of Luo-organizations are very welcome as well.

Maybe it´s possible to publicate my mail in the forum?

Thank you very much for your help.

Ero kamano!

Oriti.

Thomas Rommel

______________________________________
Institute of Ethnology
University of Leipzig
Schillerstraße 6
Leipzig
Germany
______________________________________