Steff and her family arrived in Portland, ME in November 2015.  She had studied at an English school in Burundi prior to her arrival making her the most fluent English speaker in her family of six. 
Steff is a junior at Casco Bay High School, an Expeditionary Learning School within Portland's system.  She participates after school in the Young Writers and Leaders Program through The Telling Room and works hard to keep up with college preparations through the Make It Happen program. Throughout this interview Steff describes her native Burundi and thinks about all the ways her life here is different, but she embraces it all with a grace that belies her years. 

Music: "Nkumbuye Uburundi" by Lion Story

Bob Andoh considers himself a Global Citizen after being born and raised in Ghana, educated and employed in UK before coming to live and work in Maine in 2003.  Bob holds a PhD in Public Health Engineering and helps people around the world to access clean water.  His international consulting business is called AWD Consult, Inc.
Bob's world view has been informed by many things: working in more than 20 different countries, his family's belief in education, strong Christian values, and life experiences such as the reading the book The Power of Positive Thinking, as well as working as a taxi driver in London.  It turns out, after much consideration, Bob believes "Water is Life" and "We are all one people."
In this interview Bob also explains his life philosophy which incorporates "Materios, Humanos and Spiritos" into a natural harmonious balance.
Music: Bob Marley sings "One Love"

Ali Al Mshakheel came to the US from Iraq in 2014.  He is now a Parent Community Specialist for the Portland Public Schools, is on the board of the World Affairs Council of Maine and continues to do some journalism and while raising a family in Portland, ME.
He discusses his experience at the recent Camden Conference (Feb. 17-19, 2017) which is an annual event created to foster discourse on world issues.  This year the conference was called "Refugees and Global Migration: Humanity's Crisis."   Ali was a Special Guest and addressed the audience as an immigrant, himself, personalizing the policies and learning on the issue over the course of the weekend.  During this show Ali shares the comments he presented at the conference.  He looks at how the experience impacted him, talking about how this crisis calls us to be responsible to the other humans with whom we share this planet.  He believes we should help those in need and to make peace so that people might resume their lives in their homes. 
Also, his sixth grade son, Ahmed, joins us in the studio and recites a poem by Nizar Kabbani which he recently memorized. 
FMI on Ali's book project which needs an editor and publisher click here.
FMI on The Iraqi Society of Maine's Children's book drive click here.
Music: "Can't Stop The Feeling" from the Trolls movie.