The Roots Project
Juba, South Sudan
The Board of Directors
ANYIETH D’AWOL
Anyieth is a human rights lawyer with experience working alongside institutions such as the United Nations and donors, has conducted extensive research on women’s rights, sexual violence, and socio-cultural factors contributing to HIV/AIDS and violence in post-conflict South Sudan.
In 2009, she founded 'The Roots Project,' a non-profit organization dedicated to providing women with a safe space to pursue economic independence through traditional crafts. The initiative continues to empower women from diverse backgrounds.
As a founding member of 'Everywoman Everywhere,' Anyieth advocates for a comprehensive Global Treaty on Violence Against Women. She co-founded the 'Remembering the Ones We Lost' (ROWL) initiative in 2014 to document the names of victims of South Sudan's conflicts since 1955, focusing on trauma and healing for affected families.
Since 2016, Anyieth has been involved with the Center for Mind Body Medicine, becoming a Certified practitioner and joining its Faculty. She conducts training sessions worldwide, recognizing the human capacity for healing. Today, Anyieth incorporates the CMBM model into her various endeavors, such as the Roots Project and her documentation efforts. Her commitment is fueled by the transformative impact she has witnessed community healing have on populations affected by conflict. She firmly believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to heal and reclaim themselves.
NYANACHIEK PADIET
Nyanachiek is a South Sudanese born in 1976 amidst the tumult of Duk, her home county. Nyanachiek's life has been a testament to fortitude, marked by displacement and conflict. At just 15 years old in 1991, she endured the tragic loss of her father during a devastating conflict, compelling her, her mother, and four siblings to flee their home in search of safety. Their journey led them to Malakal and eventually Khartoum, where they sought refuge amidst uncertainty.
In 2013, history repeated itself as Nyanachiek faced displacement once more, prompting her relocation from Duk Padiet to Renk and eventually to Juba. Yet amidst the chaos, Nyanachiek found solace and purpose in joining the Roots Project in 2013, initially as a storekeeper before ascending to the role of Quality Control Manager. In this capacity, she learned various beading techniques, discovered her voice as an advocate, speaking out against the violence and discord that had fractured her community.
Her tenure as Quality Control Manager not only showcased her leadership but also her ingenuity, as she utilized skills learned from fellow artisans to develop new designs and participate in collaborations with international brands like Uniqlo and Marimekko. Recognized for her dedication, Nyanachiek was selected as an Artisan Speaker to represent refugee and IDP women at the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, in December 2023.
Through her journey, Nyanachiek's commitment to preserving her cultural heritage through beading has remained, with the Roots Project providing her with a space to connect with her roots, she advocates for unity amidst diversity. As a member of The Roots Project Board, Nyanachiek continues to amplify the voices of women refugees and IDPs, ensuring their stories are heard and their resilience celebrated on a global stage.
AKUOL DE MABIOR
Akuol is a South Sudanese filmmaker based in Nairobi, Kenya. She has directed one feature-length film and four shorts. No Simple Way Home, her feature-directorial debut, had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival 2022. The film has since won the Dok.horizonte award in Munich, best African documentary and best documentary by an African woman at Encounters South Africa, as well as two nominations at the IDA Awards 2022.
Akuol’s short films screened at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, the Durban International Film Festival in South Africa, and the Pan African Film Festival in America. Her latest short, On the White Nile, won gold at the New York Festivals TV and Film Awards. Believing that the perspectives of African women are undervalued, she aims to create stories for the screen that reach African audiences and encourage a renewed African imagination.
Akuol de Mabior first encountered The Roots Project in 2012 and was captivated by the rich narratives conveyed through traditional beads.
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