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    Dr. Mogga shares her love for the fashion and culture of South Sudan

    Day 288

    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 and medical training in New York, Washington D.C. and Texas, Dr. Mogga felt that something from home was calling to her.

    Remembering her youth in her home country, Dr. Mogga started to realize that there was a lack of recorded cultural history, and she could not bear the thought of losing the beautiful stories, recipes and ultimately the connections to the home she left at a young age.

    So she created a platform called Taste of South Sudan, specializing in cookbooks, craft-making, and storytelling. She describes it as a celebration of what she holds within her. Her mission is to normalize the practices, fashion and foods that she loves so much.

    The Luol Deng Foundation wanted to support and amplify the work, creativity and voices of vendors like Taste of South Sudan who traveled to Minneapolis to share their work and passion! So with Alight, they sponsored the purchasing of products from different vendors that were then gifted to select SSU attendees throughout the evening.

    South Sudan Unite is a unique opportunity for Dr. Mogga to advertise, but also for her to network with other South Sudanese artists and business owners. It is at community gatherings like these that Dr. Mogga can share her passion for preserving the artisanal beauty of her country, standing as a role model to other South Sudanese entrepreneurs looking to showcase the beauty of the country to the world.

     

    Meet Zu! Zu works on the Global Connections Team at Alight in Minneapolis. She’s American-Ugandan, but she’s spent most of her life in the Midwest. She feels fortunate to have witnessed the power of human connection and understanding that is unleashed when we simply create space to come together and share our stories.

     

     

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    Changemakers 365

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