The Umoja Linn market is the first of its kind in Ireland.

With each passing Christmas, we’ve become more aware of the importance of shopping local and supporting smaller businesses, and thankfully, it’s never been easier to do exactly that.

If you are looking for a super unique gift for a special someone in your life, you might just find it at Dublin’s first ever Afro-inspired Christmas market.

The Umoja Linn market is the brainchild of African-Irish entrepreneurs China Soribe and Meneliswa McDonald, who founded their enterprise in order to empower Ireland’s African fashion scene. This December, they’ve teamed up with EPIC, the Irish Emigration Museum, to bring an African-inspired market to Ireland’s capital.

The Umoja Linn Christmas market will run from 17-18 December at the EPIC museum, and it will “showcase Afro-inspired designers and entrepreneurs while helping Christmas shoppers find high quality and unique products”.

Speaking ahead of the market’s launch, China and Meneliswa said: “Having had a successful Market in June at the Fumbally Stables, we look forward to making this Market an even better experience.”

We caught up with China and Meneliswa earlier this year, and they spoke about how their company’s name embodies their mission. In Swahili, Umoja translates to ‘unity’, while Linn is the Irish for ‘by us’.

“The name is a celebration of our Afro-Irish roots,” China and Meneliswa tell Her. “It represents our mission to unite and empower Afro-inspired…