When you move into a new house, it can take a while to learn the little idiosyncrasies of the place and the right place for all your things. For the residents of Casa de Luz in Tijuana, this was an especially interesting task. They needed a lot of space to be able to fit as many people as they had, and decided to rent out an old club to be their new home since it had lots of space. But this meant figuring out where people would stay and sleep, and what that might look like. They decided to set up one area specifically for families, and another for solo LGBT refugees, many of whom felt most comfortable in a pitched tent in the house that offered a little bit more privacy. One thing they hadn’t quite figured out was how to keep everyone safe. A small child could easily slip through one of the many railings they had, or stumble down the stairs. To help solve this, we decided to stop by a second-hand shop with more things than you could have imagined — lots of old scrap … [Read more...] about From Club to Crib
Campaigns
Good Organization Makes Good Roommates
One of the hardest things about communal living is keeping things straight and organized. When you live in a house of thirty people, it’s easy for things to get out of hand — dishes piling up, food spilling out of the fridge, bathrooms that need a thorough cleaning. Casa de Luz already does a great job of keeping things clean and orderly. But the residents recognized that they could only do so much with the materials they had. When we met with them to brainstorm ideas about what they wanted, the need to stay more organized came out loud and clear. To remedy this, we bought a couple of different things...For the kitchen, we bought two tall shelves to house items that were otherwise sitting on the floor in plastic bins. We also bought some whiteboards and whiteboard markers to help them break up different house duties. When we got back from the store, the shelves went up pretty instantly. Everyone was so excited about the new whiteboards, trying to figure out what part of … [Read more...] about Good Organization Makes Good Roommates
A Shoe In
Hello, hello! We’re back at Casa de Luz in Tijuana today, continuing to work with the children of the house. Out of the thirty house members, ten of them are children. And five of them are old enough to go to a local school. Now that we knew they were set for at home entertainment, we wanted to make sure that they were prepared to be at school, too. Many Mexican schools have a dress code or uniform, and while this includes shoes, not every family can afford shoes that are up to the school’s standards. This was the case at Casa de Luz, where the children didn’t have the proper black shoes they needed as a part of their uniform. So, we went out to buy shoes for the kids! One set of shoes would be for the children to wear to school, and another set would be for sports and fun. When we got home from the store with these, the kids were ecstatic! “Tomorrow, at the school, they will have a festival and they would have been the only kids without shoes," said Irving, one of … [Read more...] about A Shoe In
Life Goes On
Hello, and greetings from Tijuana! We’re spending the next few days here working with three different collective and intentional community houses that focus on serving LGBT refugees. These communities house people from all over — Cuba, Jamaica, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and from time to time, people from as far away as Ghana or Iran. The newest house, Casa de Luz, has been quick to create a strong community. But it's still working to get some of the basics taken care of and make the house feel more like a home. To help get them started, we decided to buy them some additional items to fill out their kid’s corner! They had already gotten started with some pads for the floor, a handful of books, and couple of toys, but we wanted to give a wider variety of options for the kiddos. So we got some more floor pads, more books, balls, bubbles, play-doh and some soft and cuddly animals. The balls were an instant hit with the toddlers! We also wanted to make sure that the … [Read more...] about Life Goes On
Showcase of Pride
Today is the final day of South Sudan Unite 2019 — a culmination of learning, connectivity, and beaming pride for the culture and accomplishments of South Sudan and its people. The Showcase of Fashion and Arts event is an opportunity for attendees to express themselves through traditional attire, and also for professional artists to display their talents. The evening began with mingling surrounded by a colorful bazaar full of artisanal wares from South Sudan. There are designers, painters, photographers, chefs, dancers, jewelry-makers, hairstylists and more! All of the art and products have origins within the culture and their production is practiced in traditional ways from the maker’s homeland. This was the vendors' opportunity to share their talents with the crowd and boost their business! Dr. Noela Mogga is a South Sudanese anesthesiologist who was born in Juba, South Sudan, but fled to Khartoum in Sudan before immigrating to the U.S. After completing her impressive education … [Read more...] about Showcase of Pride
Dancing the Night Away
Dancing is a medium not only for entertainment and expression, but for the preservation and celebration of culture! Humans all around the world have danced to tell stories through melody and movement — and South Sudan Unite provides a stage for it all. SSU hosted an open-to-the-public event called SudoNight at Bethel University in St. Paul, MN. This annual showcase features music, dancing, and traditional fashion from South Sudan. Groups practiced their acts for a whole year, crafting their colorful costumes and preparing for this night. Youth for Greater Change, a dance group based in Nebraska and made up of middle school to high school-aged students, was one of the groups to perform, showing off their traditional dances passed on from older generations. Many of them are first or second generation South Sudanese-Americans who strive to maintain a deep, meaningful, and lively connection to South Sudan and their culture. when Youth for Greater Change took the stage, they … [Read more...] about Dancing the Night Away
Super Women of South Sudan
If there is a gathering within an East African community, you can rest assured that food is high on the priority list! Food not only nourishes, it allows the cooks to indulge in rich traditional practices and share something creative for others to enjoy. South Sudan Unite is an annual cultural event series bringing together hundreds of diaspora members for a weekend of learning, sharing and celebration. Part of the celebration was a community festival at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis, featuring activities like basketball, soccer, face painting, virtual reality games, and music from South Sudan! With so many jam-packed events, keeping people fueled is a vital part of maintaining all of the positive energy. Nyapal Chol moved to Hopkins, MN from Nebraska — two states with large South Sudanese communities. During the planning process, SSU organizers reached out to Nyapal and asked her if she’d be willing to share her talents with her community in a big way — by … [Read more...] about Super Women of South Sudan
Learning with a Little Luck
Hello hello, everyone! My name is Andezu Orionzi, but many call me ‘Zu’, and I work at Alight in Minneapolis! I’m American-Ugandan, but I've spent most of my life in the Midwest, with multiple manifestations of where 'home' is. I'm continually learning from and inspired by others who have pieces of themselves around the world, too, and create communities that can also feel like home. The South Sudan community here in Minneapolis is one such example. I got the chance to be a part of their South Sudan Unite event, an annual gathering that brings the South Sudanese diaspora together to embrace shared culture, music, and educational workshops that empower the community for a brighter future. This year, SSU landed in Minneapolis for the first time, inviting hundreds of community members to convene and celebrate their cultural wealth. And we wanted to do something to support their effort - something to give a boost to young South Sudanese people who are making a remarkable life for … [Read more...] about Learning with a Little Luck
Campaign Season
One of my most cherished memories from school is picking and eating from a mulberry tree. But as Pakistan faces deforestation and water shortages, we are facing a lack of mulberry trees - and every other type of tree as well. Our team in Pakistan wanted to play a part in turning things around. Together, we organized a "300 Tree Planting Campaign," in our non-formal schools across Islamabad, getting kids excited about planting trees - and bringing some new life to these neighborhoods. This campaign reduces our environmental footprint, encourages community involvement, demonstrates the importance of teamwork, fosters responsibility among students, highlights the nutritional value of trees, incorporates water management, and raises awareness. So many wins! To foster a sense of responsibility among students, we had each student adopt a tree, tying name tags around the trunks and as students pledged to take care of them. The contribution from the community was inspiring - … [Read more...] about Campaign Season
All at Once
Playgrounds aren't just a fun, optional activity for kids at school. They're actually very important to nourishing their development and learning. Kids who have the ability to play are healthier - physically, socially, and emotionally. The Bari Imam school didn't have a playground. But with 50 students learning there everyday, an outlet for socialization and fun was sorely needed. So we decided to change that! We visited the school and shared our idea with the kids - and they were very enthusiastic! But we also realized that they were missing a few other things...like a door to their bathroom. And the classrooms were too hot - there were no fans on the walls, and the rooms weren't painted, either. So, we thought, why couldn't we solve a few of these problems at once? We built new bathroom doors, installed fans for the classroom, and painted their walls. And then, the change the kids were most excited about - we installed a swing and slide in the play area! And, we … [Read more...] about All at Once