An Open Letter to Jonglei State Governor Dr. Riek Gai Kok: Please Appoint Abraham Dau Dhieu Kon (Junior Dau) as Minister for Youth and Sports in Jonglei State.
By Naih Garang, Kampala, Uganda
Wednesday, 02 July 2025 (PW) — Your Excellency, I extend my warm greetings and deep respect for the work you continue to do for the people of Jonglei State. Under your stewardship, Jonglei has witnessed a renewed sense of purpose, development momentum, and institutional rebuilding. As a concerned citizen and long-time enthusiast for youth engagement, I humbly write to appeal for the appointment of Abraham Dau Dhieu Kon, widely known as Junior Dau, as the Minister for Youth and Sports in Jonglei State. This recommendation is not made lightly, but rather with a strong conviction grounded in both personal history and an informed appreciation of Mr. Dau’s exceptional capacity, unwavering commitment, and demonstrable record of service to young people across South Sudan and in the EAC region. His appointment would not only be meritorious but transformative for the Ministry and, more importantly, for the youth constituency of our state.
I have had the privilege of knowing Junior Dau for over two decades, tracing back to our formative years as students at Bor Town Secondary School (BTSS) in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, starting in 2004. From our earliest days, he stood out as a natural leader, thinker, and change-maker. We participated together in multiple extracurricular platforms, including the drama club, the writers and journalists club, Straight Talk, the environmental club, student leadership, and even the school football team.
These youthful engagements were not mere hobbies for him; they became the seeds of a lifelong dedication to youth empowerment. One particularly unforgettable moment in 2006 was when Junior Dau, during a spirited football match between Manchester United and Arsenal fans in the Zone 2 field, near the Holy Cross pitch in Kakuma, scored a goal directly from a corner kick, a rare feat that captured his precision and creativity. That same game, even after I had scored too on header, I was knocked unconscious by a defensive block, and I still remember how he stayed at my side until I regained consciousness. Such was the character of a young man not just talented, but deeply empathetic. This is one of so many examples that our mates at that time can testify to.
Your Excellency, one cannot overstate the academic and professional accomplishments Mr. Dau has garnered over the years. He holds a Diploma in Film and Theatre from Kenyatta University, a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media and Communication from Mount Kenya University, a Certificate in Civic Engagement from the University of Georgia, a Community Trauma Facilitator Certificate and an Ongoing Master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy. He is also a certified youth mentor, trained actor, and theatre facilitator, whose expertise spans youth mobilisation, trauma healing, civil society engagement, and peacebuilding. These qualifications mark him as a polyhistoric thinker, well-versed in both the theory and praxis of leadership.
From the refugee corridors of Kakuma to the cultural spaces of Nyakuron Cultural Centre (NCC) in Juba and the grassroots fields of Bor Town, Jonglei state, Junior Dau has been a force for good. After South Sudan’s independence, he returned home and became one of the key founders of the Woyee Film and Theatre Company based in Nyakuron Cultural Centre. This initiative gave rise to a new generation of young South Sudanese artists, actors, and poets, offering them a platform to channel their voices constructively. These had names like Aliandro Lotok of SSBC, Daniel Danis, now with EDC organisation, Achuoth Deng Achuoth, an award-winning photographer and founder of Munachu, Simon Lokwang Paul of Kiss TV South Sudan, Jacob Bul Bior, an activist and founding member of AnaTaban and of course me, now an Agrifood systems and Business Development expert across EAC region, as well as so many others that will make this piece too long.
Junior Dau served as director of the Unity Crew Drama Group in both Nakuru and Nairobi, nurturing talents like Kuchlong Madol Kuchlong, the Founder and Director of Makuen Atong Nyinwong Media and Anyuon Manyang Arok, known by his moniker “Magedem”, young people who have gone on to contest leadership positions and participate in civil discourse. In addition to that, in 2015, he came to Bor and founded Kreative Nile Family, an advocacy platform promoting peaceful dialogue, youth participation, and social change within our communities. This initiative produced many creatives and youthful professionals, some of whom are now journalists in Radio Jonglei and others in Juba local media.
More significantly, Mr. Dau has contributed substantively to national frameworks. He was part of the consultative process that developed the National Youth Policy (2019), a living testament to his policy literacy and ability to operate in institutional and inter-agency environments. Your Excellency, the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Jonglei needs a leader who is not just politically aligned but technocratically competent, socially aware, and embedded in youth culture. Mr. Dau is such a leader. His lived experience as a product of Jonglei’s challenges, born in Kongor Payam, Twi East County and raised in the rigours of Kakuma refugee camp, affords him both empathy and authenticity.
He understands the psychological terrain of youth, many of whom are survivors of war, displacement, trauma, and poverty. He has walked in their shoes and spent the better part of his life equipping them with hope, vision, and tools to rebuild their lives. His unique blend of socio-cultural intelligence, academic training, and grassroots credibility makes him the ideal bridge between state institutions and the youth population. In an era where disenfranchisement of youth is translating into increased restiveness, crime, and hopelessness, appointing a minister with a deep grasp of the youth psyche is both a preventive and transformative decision. Furthermore, his extensive involvement in theatre and sports gives him an edge in creatively using culture and athletics to heal, unite, create jobs, and motivate the youth.
Your Excellency, great leadership is remembered not just by the roads built or policies signed, but by the lives changed. This is a moment of such significance. By appointing Dhieu Abraham Dau as Minister of Youth and Sports, you would not only be rewarding merit but also igniting a new chapter of youth engagement, innovation, and self-reliance in Jonglei State. I appeal to your wisdom and foresight to consider this appointment as an investment in the next generation. In doing so, you will be giving Jonglei youth more than a representative; you will be giving them a visionary, a mentor, and a symbol of possibility. I will greatly appreciate your time and consideration. With highest respect and patriotic regards. Yours sincerely.
The author, Naih Garang, is a concerned son of Jonglei state, South Sudan and an AgriFood Systems & Business Development Consultant now in Kampala, Uganda. You can contact him by email at naih.akb@gmail.com or on his social media handles: LinkedIn | X/Twitter | Facebook
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