Yesterday, we were at the ACE Awards in Sioux Falls - we sponsored the important event that recognizes members of the South Sudanese doing important work. But we also learned that some people wouldn't be able to attend the event without some support. Moses Tut, the creator behind the ACE Awards, envisioned the event as one in which any South Sudanese could attend. No limits, no barriers. Just a gathering of community members to celebrate and dream even bigger. However, with a ticket price of $20, he knew that the cost would prohibit many from attending. So, on Day 316 we wanted to remove that barrier - and help anyone who wanted to attend but not could not afford the price. The ACE Awards are such an important community event, we wanted everyone there who wanted to be. With our Changemakers 365 daily budget of $500, we were able to offer complimentary tickets to 25 more members of the South Sudanese diaspora to attend the event! To have an extra 25 people in the room made a big … [Read more...] about Including ACEs

The US, specifically the Midwest, is home to a large South Sudanese diaspora population. Moses Tut is a member of this South Sudanese diaspora - he now lives here in Minneapolis and is making a huge impact in the world. One of Moses’ priorities is taking a moment to recognize all of the accomplishments of the South Sudanese community. He wants to acknowledge all of the good that the community is doing and also spur more good. So he created this thing called the ACE Awards. The ACE Awards stand for the South Sudan Arts, Culture, & Entertainment (ACE) Awards. It's an annual event that aims to recognize South Sudanese for their achievements in various fields - including Musician of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Designer of the Year, Athlete of the Year, Model of the Year and Humanitarian of the Year. The purpose of ACE is to empower the South Sudanese in the community. As one of the only humanitarian organizations that is operating in South Sudan and one that has been … [Read more...] about Recognizing ACEs

Kong James is another member of the South Sudanese diaspora. He lives in Sioux Falls with his mother and six siblings. He is an entrepreneur by nature and has co-founded a lifestyle brand called Beyond Younique. So far Beyond Younique has two companies under the umbrella organization – a clothing company and a music company. Their motto is “Be Rare, Stay True, Be You”. Beyond Younique sends a positive message to people to love their bodies, no matter what shape or size, and accept themselves as they are. On the clothing side, they make customized everyday apparel, largely through screen printing. So far their clients are primarily non-profit organizations and student-run groups at schools. Kong and his two business partners work out of the garage at his home, taking up all three stalls! In the year that they’ve been operating, they’ve come a long way, growing a little bit more with every order they receive. Their dream is to open a store front! However, one thing that has stalled … [Read more...] about Beyond Younique

Diew Malou is another member of the South Sudanese diaspora who lives in Denver, CO - he, like us, was in Sioux Falls to attend the South Sudan ACE Awards. Diew works at the African Leadership Group (ALG), a resource organization dedicated to helping refugees in the Denver area by identifying, developing, and connecting the next generation of African leaders. Their vision is to transform Africa by developing and connecting a new generation of ethical, entrepreneurial leaders. One of the largest and most attended programs of the ALG is their Public Speaking and Leadership course. It’s a 16-week program that helps to empower people personally and professionally. And most recently, ALG has been in need of books to use in the course. Diew asked us for three specific public speaking and leadership books: - Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill - Start with Why by Simon Sinek - The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield So, on Day … [Read more...] about Developing Leaders

When Paul (who we met yesterday) is not busy running in his spare time, he is helping others. He works at the Omaha Talons Academy as a Community Outreach Coordinator. The Omaha Talons is a non-profit organization serving the South Sudanese immigrant and refugee community in the Omaha metro area. Specifically, they provide a positive and safe environment focused on education, healthy food access and nutrition, and sports. They utilize basketball as a vehicle to develop life, leadership and educational skills. Many of the kids who have participated in the Talons program have gone on to succeed in school, obtained college scholarships and returned to work with and serve our younger kids. With basketball as one of their largest and most attended programs, we learned that it has recently been declining due to lack of proper equipment. They typically work with 200 kids at any given time, but have had to scale down to 100 recently. With the proper equipment, we’d be able to impact many … [Read more...] about The Talons

We met Paul at the Phillips Avenue Diner in downtown Sioux Falls, SD. We were in town for the ACE Awards. The South Sudan Arts, Culture, & Entertainment (ACE) Awards is an annual event that aims to recognize those in the South Sudanese for their achievements in various fields. Paul is a member of the South Sudanese diaspora. He and his family spent time in Pinyudo Refugee Camp in Ethiopia when he was very young, and then they were resettled in Iowa in 2001. Paul fell in love with running when he was in 7th grade. We asked Paul why he likes running. After a difficult childhood living in a refugee camp, resettling to several different areas of the United States, and finding his way, “Running is like my getaway. It’s a different kind of community.” Paul is an extremely motivated and determined person. In high school, Paul’s coach believed in him and his ability to go far through running. He ran DII throughout college at Augustana University where he was a two-time All American … [Read more...] about Running for 2020