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 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

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

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

Since the early 1990s, Minnesota has welcomed members of the Oromo community after having been displaced from their homes in Ethiopia. Telile, who arrived when she was a young woman, told us that her time in Minnesota was hard at first. She had difficulty adjusting to the cold and a new culture. But, she also said that Minnesotans helped ease these struggles of starting over. “Everyone was very nice and welcoming.” She also found a local church that helped her find comfort and connections here. Many in the Oromo community have had similar experiences, and they hope to continue to build connections and deeper relationships. Today, the Twin Cities is home to 40,000 members of the Oromo community, making it the largest population of Oromo outside of Ethiopia. This community has so much gratitude for Minnesotans, pride in their culture, and belief in the future we will all have together. To honor this, we decided to support them in coordinating a celebration of Oromo cultural event – … [Read more...] about Proud to Be From Here

When people are displaced, they're taken away from the environment that fostered generations of culture and community. For families who have the opportunity to resettle into a new home and begin rebuilding their lives, they often work hard to maintain these traditions – to remember and honor their history and to carry this identity forward. But this isn’t an easy task. Over the last 30 years, thousands of members of the Oromo community found Minnesota to be their new home. While many of their experiences have been positive, filled with welcoming neighbors, it can be difficult to fully express your cultural traditions. This is especially challenging for the next generation - Oromo youth who were born in Minnesota. In an effort to ensure Oromo youth learn about their heritage and traditions, an organization called Oya was born. The current president of Oya, Maggie, wants to ensure young people in her community have the opportunity to learn and feel confident in what it means to … [Read more...] about The Next Generation

Volunteers Mohamad, Dylan and Karlie met for the first time at IIM at our 'Spread a Little Warmth' event, and they all happened to all sit down at the same table together. While Dylan and Karlie live in Minneapolis, Mohamad was one of about 15 volunteers from Global MN visiting for a few weeks from the Middle East! Even though their time in Minnesota was limited, Mohamad and his traveling group made it a point to explore the different volunteer opportunities that are offered in the Twin Cities. Before we knew it, the trio had a fully completed, cozy fleece tie blanket! The three held it in the air and took a selfie to commemorate the time they spent together before moving onto the next fabric set. Not only was there a new blanket, but the creation of a new friendship! While attendees began to say their goodbyes, Dylan lifted a bag from beneath the table and asked if there was a designated area for additional donations. Many of the people who came to IIM also brought along … [Read more...] about Cozy Connections

Each year, the Twin Cities receives newly resettled refugee families, largely from refugee camps in warm-weather climates like Myanmar, Congo, and Ethiopia. The International Institute of Minnesota (IIM) helps to welcome these families, finding them affordable housing before their arrival. It's not uncommon for the units or homes that are available to be barren and in need of deep cleaning, so they do their best to prepare the space before families arrive. When IIM staff visit newly resettled families in the winter months, they oftentimes find families huddled together under thin blankets with the thermostat set very low to avoid the additional costs that heating can add to an electric bill - sometimes it's their first-ever winter. They call on their community members to donate as many blankets or warm items as possible to help families during the long, cold months. So we had an idea...could we get together a group of people to help create large, warm blankets to be given - … [Read more...] about Spread a Little Warmth

Of course, people struggling through displacement and seeking asylum need the basics - things like food, water, and shelter. But only serving basic needs does not do justice to the complicated human beings at the center of our work, who yearn and hope for better days ahead. That's why, after we gathered an all-star group of volunteers to assemble hygiene kits for asylum-seekers at the border, we wanted to do something more...something to let them know that there are people out there, however unseen, who are wishing them well on their journey. A hand written note can speak volumes - so together, we got to work. We wrote hundreds of cards, some in Spanish and some in English, to send along with our hygiene kits for people waiting at the border. The notes contained messages of welcome, of support, of encouragement, and of love. They let people know that they're not alone - and they spoke volumes about the kindness and generosity of this incredible group. Just a few … [Read more...] about Messages of Hope

You know that feeling after a warm, refreshing shower? How everything just suddenly feels a little bit better than it did a few minutes ago? The power of freshening up, especially after a long and straining journey, is undeniable. And for asylum-seekers who haven't had access to shower a days or even weeks or months, feeling clean again is not just refreshing - it's a way to restore dignity. And to feel a little bit better again. After spending some time at the U.S./Mexico border in recent months, we've seen that need come through loud and clear. So we convened some incredible volunteers in the Twin Cities to do what we could to help even a few families lift their heads a little higher. Deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap...those were just a few of the things that went into the hygiene kits prepped by dozens of friends at the Alight Minneapolis office. It's true that many hands make light work - in the span of just a few minutes, the group assembled close to 150 … [Read more...] about Feeling Fresh