Juba's first Tedx event was sponsored by UNICEF, and held in early July at the Juba Regency Hotel. We heard from entrepreneurs, cultural artists, journalists, supermodels, and freedom fighters. I was attending for networking purposes, since the event was focused on education, but I feel so priviledged to have heard from these inspiring South Sudanese leaders, including Alek Wek - South Sudan's internationally acclaimed supermodel.
The first story was one of women's empowerment - Mama Eunis recalled back to the days of 'the struggle' (this is what they call the long period of war between the north and south), seeing the ladies in Eastern Equatoria use the mash of shea bean curds to help their skin heal from wounds. Mama Eunis organized the ladies into groups, and started producing shea butter to be sold. She recognized a huge market opportunity in the soldiers, whose feet got very sore from marching. The women were able to both make money and support the cause of freedom. Today shea butter is sold in Mama Eunis's shop in Juba, and it's even exported overseas, still supporting the women who now have machines and additional tools to help them produce even more quickly and better quality shea butter. In a country where fields upon fields like green without cultivation, I loved this story of entrepreneurship and production (her talk is here)
The next story was of Joseph Abuk, an artist whose claim to fame was writing South Sudan's national anthem. He then went on to translated Shakespeare's Cymbelline into Juba Arabic, and produced the play in London - using traditional South Sudanese dress, and people from all different tribes. He talked about the importance of cultural heritage, and the responsibility that goes along with this wealth of cutlural traditions. His talk is here.
My favorite story was that of William Kolong Pioth, who was born in Aweil West in Northern Bahr el Gazal state. William became one of the 'Lost Boys' of South Sudan, who traveled by foot to Ethiopia and then Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, where he spent much of his childhood. He told of when John Garang visited the camp, and, seeing that the boys were huddled into groups based on their tribes, told them, "Now you have one tribe - that you are all brothers, and must care for one another." Garang then reorganized the boys into different living setups, where all the tribes were intermingled. Somehow William made his way to Toronto, and went to school.
William told of returning to his home village, after decades of being away: his father (the paramount chief of that area) was asking him for some improvements to the town, as he thought William was another aid worker. William asked his father the story of his children, to which he replied that his two sons were killed in the war, and his two daughters had been married. William asked if he would recognize his sons, if they came home one day - and of course his father told him he would. Finally, when William identified himself as his son, he said his father would hardly look at him, because in this culture you are not supposed to show emotion or cry. They sat and talked for a long time and celebrated his return. Two weeks later, after William had returned to Canada, he heard that his father had died. William told us he wasn't mourning his father's death, but celebrating the time that they had spent together. Now William is fulfilling the Paramount Chief's requests by building schools and installing water filters in his home village. William tells his own story here.
Some say that there is no logic to this country (I know I've even made that statement) - it's not true. Yes there are paradoxes, but there is also a very non-Western logic. Can you imagine spending your entire life fighting in the bush, and then turning around and sitting in a government office? Every single day, every thought for the past 50 years has been focused on survival. Why do you have 7 children? Because 80% of children don't live past age 5 here. Why do you not get the milk to market? Because your kids are hungry, and it may be all the meal they get that day. Imagine an entire worldview shift focused entirely on survival of some of the harshest conditions in the world - disease, war, famine, and you will have turned your mind's eye in the right direction. This is why the people of South Sudan are so amazing - a country torn apart, and yet producing, growing, and strengthening.
If you want to hear the rest of the Tedx speeches, find your inspiration here:
Jok Madut Jok
Warille B. Warille
Rachel Alek
The first story was one of women's empowerment - Mama Eunis recalled back to the days of 'the struggle' (this is what they call the long period of war between the north and south), seeing the ladies in Eastern Equatoria use the mash of shea bean curds to help their skin heal from wounds. Mama Eunis organized the ladies into groups, and started producing shea butter to be sold. She recognized a huge market opportunity in the soldiers, whose feet got very sore from marching. The women were able to both make money and support the cause of freedom. Today shea butter is sold in Mama Eunis's shop in Juba, and it's even exported overseas, still supporting the women who now have machines and additional tools to help them produce even more quickly and better quality shea butter. In a country where fields upon fields like green without cultivation, I loved this story of entrepreneurship and production (her talk is here)
The next story was of Joseph Abuk, an artist whose claim to fame was writing South Sudan's national anthem. He then went on to translated Shakespeare's Cymbelline into Juba Arabic, and produced the play in London - using traditional South Sudanese dress, and people from all different tribes. He talked about the importance of cultural heritage, and the responsibility that goes along with this wealth of cutlural traditions. His talk is here.
My favorite story was that of William Kolong Pioth, who was born in Aweil West in Northern Bahr el Gazal state. William became one of the 'Lost Boys' of South Sudan, who traveled by foot to Ethiopia and then Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, where he spent much of his childhood. He told of when John Garang visited the camp, and, seeing that the boys were huddled into groups based on their tribes, told them, "Now you have one tribe - that you are all brothers, and must care for one another." Garang then reorganized the boys into different living setups, where all the tribes were intermingled. Somehow William made his way to Toronto, and went to school.
William told of returning to his home village, after decades of being away: his father (the paramount chief of that area) was asking him for some improvements to the town, as he thought William was another aid worker. William asked his father the story of his children, to which he replied that his two sons were killed in the war, and his two daughters had been married. William asked if he would recognize his sons, if they came home one day - and of course his father told him he would. Finally, when William identified himself as his son, he said his father would hardly look at him, because in this culture you are not supposed to show emotion or cry. They sat and talked for a long time and celebrated his return. Two weeks later, after William had returned to Canada, he heard that his father had died. William told us he wasn't mourning his father's death, but celebrating the time that they had spent together. Now William is fulfilling the Paramount Chief's requests by building schools and installing water filters in his home village. William tells his own story here.
Some say that there is no logic to this country (I know I've even made that statement) - it's not true. Yes there are paradoxes, but there is also a very non-Western logic. Can you imagine spending your entire life fighting in the bush, and then turning around and sitting in a government office? Every single day, every thought for the past 50 years has been focused on survival. Why do you have 7 children? Because 80% of children don't live past age 5 here. Why do you not get the milk to market? Because your kids are hungry, and it may be all the meal they get that day. Imagine an entire worldview shift focused entirely on survival of some of the harshest conditions in the world - disease, war, famine, and you will have turned your mind's eye in the right direction. This is why the people of South Sudan are so amazing - a country torn apart, and yet producing, growing, and strengthening.
If you want to hear the rest of the Tedx speeches, find your inspiration here:
Jok Madut Jok
Warille B. Warille
Rachel Alek
