Blog Archives

139 Degan Guled

4/30/2017

Degan is originally from Djibouti on the Horn of Africa. She left her home in 2001 and lived in Los Angeles and Phoenix before moving to Portland, Maine in 2013 for her husband's work.
Degan attends Southern Maine Community College full time, works part time at DHHS, and raises three children (ages 9, 8, and 5). She is studying Social Work and plans to continue on to complete her bachelor's degree after she graduates from community college in the fall.
In this interview Degan encourages immigrants to maintain good credit, apply for scholarships through CSSP (Competitive Skills Scholarship Program) and go to school to learn English while also learning the culture in order to help people make their dreams come true.
Music: K'naan singing "Waving Flag."

nms_139_degan_guled_djibouti_april_30_2017.mp3
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138 Abdifatah Ahmed

4/23/2017

Abdifatah Ahmed left Mogadishu, Somalia in 1992 at the age of fourteen when civil war disrupted his education and family. He lived in a new refugee camp in Kenya for over a year before being resettled to Cambridge, MA where his family was reunited.
Abdifatah worked very hard and was driven academically. He received his Doctorate of Pharmacy fourteen years ago from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Recruited to Maine in 2003, he has worked in Portland, Topsham and Lewiston/Auburn where he now lives with his wife and five children.
Abdifatah is an advocate for people living in poverty and cares about encouraging others to engage in civic life and good health choices.
Music: Somali National Anthem Soomaaliyeey Toosoo.

nms_138_abdifatah_ahmed_somalia_april_23_2017.mp3
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137 Rifat Zaidi

4/16/2017

Rifat is originally from Pakistan and has practiced as an orthopedic surgeon at Miles Memorial Hospital in Damariscotta since 2002. To hear his first interview click here.
Rifat returned to New Mainers Speak to talk about Islam and how extremism doesn't represent the Islam he knows and practices. During the interview he references a movie called "Among the Believers" to help make his points.
In order to help other Pakistanis and his classmates from Rawalpindi Medical College organize and fund a school for girls in the most remote area of Pakistan. The girls are offered access to a non-biased basic foundation education. These Pakistani doctors now living in N. America are currently helping to educate 123 girls in Basti Awan in the Punjab region.
FMI: click here

Music: Ae Rahe Haq Kay Shaheedo from Coke Studios.

nms_137_rifat_zaidi_pakistan_april_16_2017.mp3
File Size:	29557 kb
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136 Deb Breiting

4/9/2017

Deb was born in Montreal and raised in Vancouver, Canada, the only child of immigrant parents from Germany and Japan. She lived and worked around the world before moving to America and becoming an immigrant herself fifteen years ago.
Deb is the co-owner of a business called Maine Intercultural Communications Consultants and also works at New Mainers Resource Center. She and her husband Mike are raising two school aged daughters in Portland, ME.

Music: "Ahead by a Mile" by The Tragically Hip.

nms_136_deb_breiting_canada_april_9_2017.mp3
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135 Mateo Hodo

4/2/2017

Mateo and his family left Tirana, Albania when he was sixteen and finished high school in Maine. After studying finance at USM he was introduced to the trades and learned to be a carpenter so that he might one day be able to become more involved in real estate.
In the meantime, on a trip back to visit friends and family in Albania, he reunited with Alba. They have been together for 9 years now.
Together they designed and built a brand new coffee shop based on a shared vision--to offer a place of welcoming and human connection with neighbors. It is called Coffee ME Up and is located at 221 Cumberland, Ave. in Portland, ME. If you stop by you might enjoy homemade soups, byrek, baklava, sandwiches or even Mateo's favorite--a chocolate eclair with your coffee. Everything is hand made with love by Alba's mother, on location.

Music: DJ Aldo produces "Love for the Summer" sung by Dhanny.

nms_135_mateo_hodo_albania_april_2_2017.mp3
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139 Degan Guled

138 Abdifatah Ahmed

137 Rifat Zaidi

136 Deb Breiting

135 Mateo Hodo

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