Blog Archives

027 Ridelphine Katabesha

8/31/2014

Ridelphine, her husband Ephraim and their three children arrived in Portland seven months ago from the Eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo where war still rages on. She is a lawyer and Human Rights Activist who helped women who had suffered physical and emotional injustices learn to speak up thorough an initiative called South Kivu Women's Association. Her hope is to work in a coalition to change the culture of physical and sexual abuse in Eastern Congo and bring an end to the war in the region so that people may live fully and freely.
Music: Alain Moloto's "C'est Encore Possible"

nms_027_ridelphine_katabesha_eastern_congo.mp3
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026 Naoto Inoue

8/24/2014

Naoto Inoue came to the United States from Japan in 1963 as an 11 year old. Today he is the President of Talmage Solar Engineering, Inc. in Arundel, Maine. Naoto's has been involved with renewable energy since the early 1970's. He shares his latest idea about a new way to think about sustainability with a more activated model which includes individual participation.

Music by Willie Nelson

nms_026_naoto_inoue_2_-_japan.mp3
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025 Damas Rugaba

8/17/2014

Damas Rugaba is a Rwandan man who spent his early years on his parent's cattle farm in Eastern Congo surrounded by extended family. Damas completed high school in Congo and worked as a pilot in Rwanda between 1994 and 2000 before leaving for Maine. He now has a family, is employed at UNUM, has an MBA, and is the head of the Rwandese Community Association of Maine, in Westbrook. Additionally, he is collaborating on a project to create a Maine Integration Center to serve as a centralized support for new immigrants to help them navigate the existing system and become ready to contribute to the greater community.

Music by Muyango: "Impundu Iwanyu" and "Ibyiza By'urwanda" (The Beauty of Rwanda).

nms_025_damas_rugaba_--rwanda.mp3
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024 Alain Nahimana

8/10/2014

Alain Nahimana came to the United States from Burundi four years ago. He is now doing advocacy work for immigrants and minorities as the Coordinator for the Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition, he is the Organizer for Immigrants' Rights and Racial Justice at Maine People's Alliance, and is also the elected President of the Burundi Community Association of Maine.

Alain is passionate about making sure immigrants not only have a voice, but also a place at the table. He recognizes the incredible resource immigrants are to our community.

Musical selection: "Kugasozi" by Nicolas.

nms_024_alain_nahimana_-_burundi.mp3
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023 Minh Canfield

8/3/2014

Minh grew up as one of nine children in her family. She remembers loving the smell of flowering rice near her family's home in Hue, Central Vietnam's imperial citadel. She made Maine her home 13 years ago. Minh has a passion for education, and has loved learning since she was a child. She now teaches Title I Math in Portland Public Schools while raising two young sons, together with her husband.

Music: Tran Manh Tuan playing Ve que.

nms_023_minh_canfield_vietnam.mp3
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027 Ridelphine Katabesha

026 Naoto Inoue

025 Damas Rugaba

024 Alain Nahimana

023 Minh Canfield

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