Deborah was born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.  Her childhood was disrupted by war and time spent in a prison camp and refugee camp before moving to Michigan-- then Maine in 2000.  She was almost nine years old when she found herself learning English in Portland Public elementary schools.  Deborah has spent her life since figuring out how to navigate the new culture, through grade school, Catholic high school, Clark University and University of San Francisco School of Law.  

Now Deborah is a community lawyer with Maine Equal Justice and she intends to help others to navigate the complicated systems they find themselves working with in Maine.  Maine Equal Justice is dedicated to increasing economic security, opportunity and equality for people in Maine.  

Maine Equal Justice (1-866-626-7059 ) often partners with these other organizations for specific free services for people in  Maine who are living in poverty:  
ILAP,  Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project
MIRC, Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition
Pine Tree Legal Assistance

​Music: "My Power"  by Beyoncé featuring Tierra Whack, Naja, Yemi Alade and Moonchild Sanelly on The Lion King Album. 

Matthew (10) and Manzi (8) are brothers who came to Maine in August of 2019. Prior to that they lived in Denmark. The lively and delightful brothers are in 5th and 3rd grade, finishing out the school year from their homeschool via computer.  I wanted to know what that was like for them. 

Matthew loves everything basketball and enjoys drawing, almost as a meditation.  He has shared the pictures he's drawn during quarantine, of people who inspire him.  Manzi has a pretty cool invention that could really help with Covid.  Their family manages to get outside regularly to combat cabin fever, and enjoy the fresh air.  Their mother, Mariella, points out that the boys have become even closer to one another over this time of confinement.

The boys sing and dance with their mother and older brother and pray every day that Covid will go away soon.  

This interview was pre-recorded over a Zoom call (aka Zoom Party) and edited afterwards. 

​Music: They sing for us: "Inanay" by Sing and Grow Australia and Alicia Keys sings "Underdog."

Maurice and his wife came to Portland, ME from Rwanda in 2014.
He is a dancer, choreographer, drummer and master of Rwandan dance. Maurice started to dance in 1995 and in 2006 he joined a group of dance at University called the Indangamuco Cultural Ballet.  Once here in Maine they joined Ikirenga cy'Intore and perform traditional Rwandan dances called Imihamirizo around the state and beyond. For links to upcoming shows click here for June and August 2 and Aug 24. 
Maurice is all about conserving his traditional cultural heritage. Additionally, he is a CNA, nursing student at UNE, father of two young children, and brand new US citizen.
Music: "Ikiribazayire" performed by Uwizihiwe Charles

Ikirenga cy'Intore is a local Portland dancing and drumming group performing the traditional dances of Rwanda.  The choreography depicts scenes of hunting, fishing and other activities while wearing traditional costumes and moving to the rhythms being created on handmade drums.  Christielle Mutoniwase started the group in 2015 to perform at cultural events and weddings in the area.  There are now ten members who invite others to sample the ancient dances at many different venues.  
You can see them perform in Maine or by viewing their facebook page or their website.

Music: "Ganyobwe" by King James

This was a special one-hour round table discussion on Workforce Development in Maine. Guests highlighted a program they all experienced together at Southern Maine Community College called ESOL-to-IT as director, instructor, student, and tutor. 
Maine has a real need to develop a workforce because of an aging population with upcoming retirements as well as new business growth.  Immigrants offer a skilled and hard working labor force.  If Maine strategically plans for it we can match meaningful work with just the right workers. 
Dieudonne summarized it well, New Mainers are grateful for the help/training/support they receive here and want to remain loyal to Maine.  If Maine had more infrastructure to connect jobs and workers, immigrants and native Mainers both would be able to stay here, work, pay taxes, and contribute to building a healthier state for tomorrow, all of us together.

Guests:
David Zahn, Chair of ESOL and Global Languages Department at Southern Maine Community College. For more information on the ESOL to EMT click here
and more on SMCC's workforce training click here.

Stela Markova-Kanin, International Project Coordinator from Bulgaria who was a volunteer and tutor in the ESOL to IT and ESOL EMT programs offered at Southern Maine Community College. She spoke of free Conversational English support at YMCA where she works in accounting.

Dieudonne Nzeyimana is a pioneer in the development of IT in the Rwanda Public Administration, was COO of Population Services International and recently participated in the ESOL-to-IT workforce development program. 

Stefanie Trice Gill is the founder of IntWork, a diversity recruitment firm that specializes in matching Maine employers with engineers, IT, and other STEM professionals, mostly immigrants. She helped in a similar way with the ESOL to IT program at SMCC. MANA also offers info on workforce gap and solutions.

Music:
Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares sing "Ergen Deda" early in the program and to close
Kizito Mihigo sings "Ijoro Ribara Uwariraye"

Christian Muhunde was born and raised in Kigali, Rwanda.  His teacher noticed his art talent, as a boy, and he has been drawing and painting ever since. 
Christian has lived in Portland since 2014.  He studied English at Portland Adult Education before attending SMCC.  This fall he will continue his education at USM.  His hope is to be a full time artist. 
You can soon reach him at his new website: www.christianmuhunde.com. (or on Instagram)

Music: Justin Timberlake sings "What Comes Around."

Raised in rural Ruhengeri, Rwanda, Apollinaire was a member of a large extended Catholic family.  His parents valued hard work, integrity, education, and kindness for all of their children.  Likewise, they were respected in the community for the same qualities.
In April of 1994, just before graduation from high school, the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda swept through the country and left Apollinaire alone. He speaks of the kinds of social injustices which set the stage for genocide. 
Apollinaire moved forward toward his educational goals and studied Chemistry at the national university.  He then got his Ph.D in South Africa and did research and lecturing on Green Chemistry in Botswana before coming to Maine in the summer of 2017.
Apollinaire, his wife and children all live here now and he dreams of returning to his professional career as a chemistry professor. 
Music: Cecile Kayirebwa sings "Rwanda"

Monique came to the United States to study and arrived in Maine in 2016.  This spring she will be graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering from USM, the only woman in her class. 
Growing up in the Great Lakes Region of Africa (DRC, Burundi and Rwanda), Monique always loved writing and yet she also felt the need to be assured that she would be financially independent, something she sees as essential for women's empowerment.  She has found a way to pursue both and shares two of her poems on this program: "Asking For A Friend" and "Fifteen." 
For more of her poetry and thoughts visit her blog.

Music: Andrea Day sings "Rise Up"

The Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center is located on the third, (and soon fourth), floor at 24 Preble Street in Portland, ME.  Alain Nahimana (NMS 24, 60 and 92), above, is the Interim Executive Director of the center and Damas Rugaba (NMS 25, 68), below, is a founder and the Chair of GPIWC's board.  

The IWC is taking a pro-active and collaborative stance toward immigration in Maine.  Rather than simply responding to policies they are playing a more ambitious, strategic and positive role in the community. 

Top priorities for the center include:
Citizenship support
Language in a digital language lab
Shared Professional Working Environment
Empowering entrepreneurs with networks
and resources.

FMI: www.welcomeimmigrant.org

Music: "Famille" by Lokua Kanza

David is originally from Nyanza in the southern province of Rwanda.  As a statistician, he evaluated poverty elimination and economic development programs at Rwanda's National Institute of Statistics.  David has just begun a master's degree program in statistics at USM so that he might return to meaningful work for which he has a passion, here in Maine. 
During this interview David speaks about the stigma that surrounds the lives of homosexual people in Rwanda today.  He has had the courage to get himself to a safe place, sort out his situation, and then share it with others publicly. 

Music: Liza Kamikazi sings "Mwanawa"