10/07/2026
HOL COMMUNITY USA
Leadership Farewell and Exit Message
Date: July 10, 2026
Dear Hol Community Members, Friends, and Partners,
On behalf of my Hol Executive Leadership Team, Ayiik Deng Gatkuoth, Andrew Magor Thanypiny, Akur Geu Leek, Lual L*l Nyok, Achol Riak Chiin, Tiop Machok Achuil, and Paul Deng Makuach, Alang and I extend our deepest gratitude to Hol Community and to all our friends, partners, and supporters for the trust you bestowed upon us over the past eight years. Serving this community has been one of the greatest honors of our lives, and your unwavering support throughout this journey has been both humbling and inspiring. The overwhelming turnout and solidarity displayed this past weekend were a powerful reminder of what makes Hol Community strong: unity, commitment, and love for one another.
As we conclude our service, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to the many individuals and communities whose presence, support, and encouragement made this occasion deeply meaningful.
First, we thank all invited guests who stood with us and honored our leadership transition with your presence, encouragement, and generous support.
To Palek Community, represented by Majier Riak Chol, thank you for your financial support, your thoughtful words of encouragement, and your continued commitment to unity, collaboration, and the spirit of working together. Your presence reminded us of the importance of strong community partnerships and the enduring value of standing together for common causes.
To Nyarweng Community, represented by its chairman, Chol Aleer Chol, we are especially grateful that you stood with us during such a painful and difficult time for your own community. At a moment when Nyarweng was mourning the tragic loss of 17 of its people to Murle assailants, you still came to support Hol Community. Your financial support, your words of encouragement, and your willingness to stand with us despite your grief reflect the centuries-old bond between our communities. Through joy and sorrow, our communities have remained one people, bound by shared history, culture, mutual respect, and the understanding that we stand with one another regardless of differences or difficult circumstances. For that, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
To Duk Community, represented by Vice Chairman Mator Awan Chiengkuach, thank you for your steadfast support and for showing, once again, that Hol, as part of the greater Duk community, holds a special place in your heart. We are grateful for your financial support, your encouraging words, and your continued care for our people and our causes. Your presence was a testament to the unity and sisterly bond between our communities, and we deeply value that relationship.
To Duk Women Leadership, represented by Chairwoman Aduk Ayiik Awuol, we thank you for the pride, beauty, and strength you bring to our gatherings. You make our events colorful, meaningful, and complete. Your words of encouragement and your financial support toward our cause of completing the construction of the hospital in Hol land mean so much to us. You are not only a source of pride to your own community, but to all of us who believe in the power of womenโs leadership, service, and sacrifice.
To Hol Community in Canada, led by Makoi Nak and Joseph Machiek Atem, we are profoundly grateful for your unwavering support of Hol Community USA since the very beginning of our fundraising efforts years ago. Time and again, you have shown up with generosity, energy, and the true spirit of community service. Your partnership has been invaluable, and we look forward to strengthening that bond and continuing the journey of building our community together across borders.
To Leek Makuek Deng Malou, also known as Leek-Manyangdit, our legendary artist, we thank you sincerely for your dedication, loyalty, and love for Hol Community. Your return to the United States within just three months after attending the Duk Kuรซi launch speaks volumes about your commitment. The songs you have dedicated to Hol Community and to leadership across the globe carry pride, dignity, and identity for our people among all Jieng communities. Hol Community is respected and celebrated across Jieng land in part because of the unmatched talent and cultural contributions of artists in Hol like you. You make us proud, Panan Manyangdit, and we honor you for lifting the name of Hol with excellence and grace.
To Hol Youth in the North, what can I say? You mean everything to us. We are not complete without you. We are not a community without your active participation. We have no future, no culture, no pride, and no strength without your leadership and commitment. You are our backbone. You are our future leaders, our future pride, and our future selves. Thank you for putting together one of the most incredible shows our community has ever seen in such a short period of time. You kept us on our toes as we prepared for this event, and I could not be more proud of what you accomplished. Let this be only the beginning of your journey in community service and cultural leadership. We will continue to support you unconditionally in every way possible. I meant what I told you during our meeting: โMake them jealous. Make us proud.โ And you did exactly that. Thank you for making us proud.
To Nyiir ke Hol who came and supported this event, your attendance means a great deal to the entire community into which you were born. It shows that you have not forgotten where you came from, and that connection still lives in your heart. Your support for this cause, as well as for previous efforts such as contributing medical supplies to victims of flooding, has been seen, valued, and deeply appreciated. Thank you.
To Hol Women Leadership, led by the able Chairwoman Alek Deng Aguer, and to all Hol women, you have provided superb and exceptional service to your community. Since the establishment of this community in 2002, it has not been complete without you. You brought unmatched energy, commitment, and care. Your leadership contributed to the purchase of the emergency vehicle in 2024โa vehicle that has saved lives not only in Hol land, but across Duk County. That is the care of a mother for her family. For that, we thank you sincerely.
To all Hol Community members across the United States, thank you for your unconditional dedication to community service, your unwavering support for every cause we undertook, and your readiness to answer the call of leadership whenever needed. Your sacrifices, your ideas, your labor, your financial contributions, and your trust made our work possible.
Together, over the past eight years, we accomplished milestones that will stand as part of our communityโs legacy, including:
1) The reconstruction of the Kakuma Community Library (2023)
2) The laying of the foundation for the Community Hospital in Duk Padiet (2024)
3) The launch of the Youth Program in North America (2026)
These are milestones that reflect what a determined and united community can achieve when it believes in a common purpose. You have been our greatest assetโour source of knowledge, our source of ideas, and our pride. It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to serve as your leader. I was proud to lead you, and I will always be proud to belong to this community.
To the incoming leadership of Santino Nyuon Galuak Nyuon, congratulations. Your community has spoken and entrusted you with the responsibility of leading for the next three years. As I hand over the torch, I do so with hope and confidence in your leadership. I encourage you to remember that the community members you now serve will be your greatest source of strength, wisdom, information, ideas, and supportโif you listen to them. Leadership is not only about vision; it is also about stewardship, humility, and building upon the work that others have begun.
In addition to your own plans and aspirations, I urge you to continue the programs we have started but not yet completed, and to strengthen and improve the programs we have already achieved. These do not belong to any one leader; they belong to the community. I wish you wisdom, courage, and success as you begin this important journey.
As I take my leave from this role, I do so with a heart full of gratitude, pride, and hope: gratitude for the trust you gave me, pride in what we accomplished together, and hope for what lies ahead for Hol Community. Leadership may change, but service to the community does not end. Though my term has come to a close, my commitment to Hol Community remains steadfast. I will continue to stand with you, support our causes, encourage and mentor our youth, and contribute in every way I can to the growth and unity of our people.
Thank you for allowing me the honor of serving you over the last eight years. Thank you for your trust, your patience, your partnership, and your love. If our leadership accomplished anything meaningful, it is because we did it togetherโas one community, with one purpose, and with one heart.
May God bless Hol Community, bless our partners and friends, bless the incoming leadership, and bless all those who continue to work for the unity, dignity, and progress of our people.
With sincere gratitude and respect,
Abraham Deng Ater
Outgoing Chairman, Hol Community USA
