Comedian Akau Jambo returns home after 14 years

South Sudanese Stand-Up Comedian Akau Jambo has gone back to his hometown in Rumbek after 14 years of trying to make it work out here. The comedian who has  been in Uganda and back to South Sudan for several years recently rebranded from AK Dans to Akau Jambo for reasons he keeps close to his chest.

New brand, new opportunities?  We can only speculate.  What we are sure of is that he sniffed an opportunity which is hard to turn down.

The reason for his home coming was not to stay but rather to work and return. This was  after he was contracted to attend an HIV/AIDS campaign dubbed “Back to Treatment”. It is no secret that Lakes State in Rumbek, South Sudan where Akau hails from records the second highest HIV positive cases after Eastern Equatorial State. Lakes State records about 10,000 cases with only 1,500 on Medication.

Akau Jambo was contracted as an Influencer by ICAP- Global Health to help his influence to find out why; Positive cases are spiking, the biggest percentage is not on medication and why More Women follow up their Medication than men. He did this through holding interviews and conversations with Medical Doctors, Religious Leaders, Cultural leaders, Government officials and People Living with HIV.

Akau believes that cultural activities like polygamy and Wife inheritance (A cultural activity where brothers of a deceased take over a widow as their partner and bear more kids with them) stigma and toxic masculinity which sees men against seeking medication as a big hurdle.  He says they are the biggest contributors to the spread of HIV in Lakes State

Akau also used the same opportunity to pay his respects to his father Maj. Jambo Poundak Reec who died in April 2001. Akau was only 4 years old. Akau renovated his father’s tombs while he was there and he is seen telling the emotional story on all his Social Media Accounts @AkauJambo. He couldn’t hold his emotions when he found out he hired the same Man who buried his father 20 years ago to renovate his father’s grave. Akau Jambo who doesn’t believe in coincidences believes there is a strong sign in that.