A Child of Hope-Chapter 1

I was born in the circumstances of death. You see, in Africa, the circumstances of a person’s birth are of great importance.  The first three children born into a family are considered special children, and they have special names in the Lwo community. For example, all the first-born girls are all called Lakang, and first-born boys are named Lokang.  These two names mean, “the child who is the first to open the mother’s womb.” Likewise, the second born-children in every family also have special names:  Laboyi for a girl, and Loboyi for a boy. Ladai is the name for the third-born child if it is a girl and Lodai if it is a boy.

           According to Lwo Culture, there is a special love for either the first-born child or the last-born child in a family.  The first born-male child is the rightful heir of his family’s inheritance, by the virtue of his birth, so he is highly respected by the family and the community. If for one reason or the other, the first-born male child proves to be completely irresponsible and unable to take up responsibility after his father has died, the right of inheritance is automatically transferred to the last born-child male who is now responsible. This child is known as Latin cogo, which means “the child of my bone.” 

There are other circumstances of birth that are also significant. For instance, children who are born by the roadside are given special names: Ayoo for a girl and Oyoo for a boy.  Children who are born during terrible famine where the rate of infertility is very high are called Akech for a girl and Okech for a boy. Children born during the wars are also given special names: Amony for a girl and Omony for a boy. 

           If twins are born, they are also given special names. If the first twin is a girl, she is called Apiyo.. If the first twin is a boy, he is called Ocen for a boy.  If the boy comes first he is called Opiyo, and the girl is called Acen.  These are very special children. They say that the Jok (God) created these two children because this is not a normal birth. Therefore, twins are treated with special care. A male child who is born after the twin is called Okello (the one who follows) while the female is called Akello.  If the third child is a boy, he is called Odong; a girl is called Adong for a girl. 

         If a child is born breech, and it is a boy it is called Odoc (Adoc for a girl).  A child that is born after the breeched child, is called Okello for boy (Akello for girls). A third child is called Odong for boy (Adong for a girl). These are also special children.

So, as you can see every situation into which a child is born is unique and completely different, and has a special meaning to the child. Thus, a name of a child is a symbol of his or her first identity as an individual person of a particular community or a people.  This name also marks the particularities and uniqueness as a child of God created in his image. This identity as a member of a particular community is a guarantee the child’s oneness in the universality of humanity in the global village. Thus, the child is part and parcel of humanity with inalienable human rights to enjoy the freedom, liberty, and equality in life.

Now, let’s get back to my story.  As I mentioned before, I was born in the circumstances of death.  On the day I was born, someone very important in the village died.  All of a sudden, life in the village came to a standstill as the news about the death spread like wild fire throughout the neighborhood. The people were overwhelmingly shocked by this unexpected misfortune that robbed the community of one of its very important members.   Consequently the people’s hearts were full of grief and sorrow, and their eyes were full of tears and sadness. 

I was born in the midst of this grief and sadness.  My sudden birth amid the circumstances of death took people by surprise. The people were not ready to receive me because they were so sad. However, my birth under such circumstances compelled the mourners to adjust their gloomy mood, wipe out their tears from their eyes, and remove grief and sorrow from their hearts, in order to receive the new life that was in me.

The grief-stricken mourners found themselves under new circumstances of hope and victory over the power of death. Thus, my birth under such circumstances was not only a symbol of victory over the power of death, but a new hope to the bereaved community.  My birth came as a replacement for the great loss suffered by the bereaved community. 

Therefore, my birth symbolized victory over the power of death. I was named Ochola II, according to the circumstances of my birth. The word COLA means grief and the name OCHOLA, means A CHILD OF HOPE.  The title OCHOLA II simply means that I was the second child born under such circumstances of death along the lineage of our family.

As a child of hope, my birth made the grief-stricken mourners laughed again with one another in spite of their circumstances.  As a child of hope, my birth brought much relief, comfort and hope, not only to the bereaved community, but also to the whole neighborhood. As a child of hope, my birth under such circumstances of death gives courage to humanity to fight the power of death with much resiliency and hope for the future destiny, in spite of human circumstances and limitations.