Tae Chong (NMS 097) is the director of TEEM (The Emerging Entrepreneurs of Maine) which is a new program offered through Catholic Charities.  This project has a market called Fikiria (Swahili for "Imagine") which is a store-within-a-store at 244 St. John St, Portland, inside the Threads of Hope store.  Amanda Fisher is the manager of the mission driven resale shop that helps to fund other Catholic Charities programs in the area.  She brings with her years of high end retail experience and shares information about display, marketing, advertising and sales to the entrepreneurs, among many other responsibilities. 
Presently, Nana Batumike and Zahra Abukar (NMS 160) are creating fashion designs, selling jewelry and make up for Africans at the St. John St location.  If you want to learn more about "Glamming" and "Queening" swing by and and check out their designs.
 
Music: Selected by Nana Batumike, "Dream Big" by Ryan Schupe.

Earlier this year (2018) Anselmo and Henrique arrived in Portland, Maine.  They come from Cabinda, Angola which is an area about the size of New Jersey (7,000 sq. miles) located between Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo on the Atlantic Ocean, and is not contiguous with the rest of Angola. 
In Cabinda there are many natural resources (oil, diamonds, gold, uranium, phosphates, and rare tropical hardwoods) and a temperature that ranges between 65-87F all year long. 
Some people in Cabinda would like to seek independence from Angola and sovereignty for their people, as their culture is quite different from Angola's and their work to unite the disparate groups has not been successful. 
Anselmo and Henrique are a part of a group called ADCDH (translated from Portuguese that stands for the Association for the Development of a Culture of Human Rights) which works peacefully toward raising global awareness about their region's issues.  

Music: "Filho DeCabinda" by Filipe Mukenga

Music + Words
Kifah Abdulla (NMS 141 and 173) and Devon Colella co-create an emotional healing art form between poet and cellist. Devon describes a landscape and Kifah lets his "ears taste the cello" and responds with a reading of his poetry.  Together they explore silence and sound while awakening a different kind of consciousness that invites healing from diverse experiences, such as life as a prisoner of war.

If you are interested in inviting them to your future event they can be reached through these outlets:
www.kifahabdulla.com 
abdulla.kifah@gmail.com
DevonColella@comcast.net
https://www.quadtheduo.com/
also through facebook and instagram.

El-Fadel watched his house and village burn when he was 12 years old.  What followed were ten years of running, hiding, escaping genocide and childhood slavery.  While he might have been a boy in school he was leading a very difficult life.  That is why he values education and appreciates all his elders ever taught him. 
He came to the US in 2004 and started learning English.  Now he works with students to cultivate compassion and share information about his life and the political realities of war and genocide.  He is also working two jobs and is going to finish his high school diploma (through Adult Education) in just 10 more credits. 
El-Fadel believes that if you have money for one month that is enough, the real richness of life comes from "raising others up."  He has many awards and certificates recognizing the humanitarian work he does with youth.  He supports the efforts being done by other groups here in the US: STAND and Darfur Women Action Group.  If you wish to book him for a school event he can be reached at Elfadelfcr@gmail.com.

Music: "Ethiopian Instrumental Music" by Habeshaw Abel (and the video portrays his village).  

Malual was born in South Sudan and studied hard to become a physician, specializing in tropical medicine and infectious disease.  He trained in South Sudan, Jordan, and the UK.  Malual moved to the USA in 2009 and became a citizen in 2013, but didn't have a license to  practice medicine here so worked in public health, instead.  In March of 2015 Malual was on New Mainers Speak before he started school to become a Physician Assistant (NMS 052) and now he is back to talk about his unorthodox journey as a health care provider.
He  works as a PA at Greater Portland Health, professionally offering the very best care to local people, regardless of their insurance status.  And he speaks fluent Arabic, too. But, when he is not at work he likes to be at home with his wife and three children (11, 10 and 5) in Biddeford. 

Music: Sinach sings "I Know Who I Am."

Namory has a dream to open a cultural center in his home region called Hamana Arts Center where children can learn the art of traditional village drumming.  This is an art form that is threatened by electronic media today.  He learned by listening and watching his world-famous uncle, a skill passed down through the family from many generations before them. 
Namory hopes to also write a book about his experiences that took him from a life of subsistence farming to becoming a world traveler and American citizen.  In it he hopes to pass along the lessons drumming has taught him.
This coming January  2019 he is leading a trip to Guinea: a time for culture, dancing, drumming and vacation.
In the meantime, if you want to hear him play or dance to his rhythms you have some good options:
Sept 8 at Henryfest
Sept 9 Special Workshop
Tuesday evenings in Portland and
Thursday evenings in Kittery.
FMI: www.namorydrum.com and Embodytherhythm.com
To hear his previous interview on New Mainers Speak click here.

Music: Salif Keita.  *Due to technical error you cannot hear Namory playing along on his djembe in the studio at the end of the program.  My apologies--KTM.

 
El-Fadel and Bazia were both raised in Sudan (Darfur and what is now South Sudan).  Under the umbrella of Project Bazia they are collaborating on outreach efforts called Africa United with the goal of raising awareness around genocide and mass atrocities while cultivating a new generation of compassionate leaders.  They speak to students throughout New England and can be engaged to speak to your audiences through www.projectbazia.org. 
El-Fadel arrived in Maine in 2004 and works with Amnesty International and other organizations such as STAND to spread information and awareness.  He can be reached at elfadelfcr@gmail.com.
Bazia came to the US first in 1999 and again to live in 1999, in Philadelphia and then in Maine.  He has been on this show annually and you can hear much more about his organizing efforts by listening to former shows (028, 077,127,149).

Music: Emmanuel Kembe

Mateo Hodo came to Maine from Albania with his family as a teenager.  His first NMS interview was in April 2017. To learn about his life and their business called Coffee ME Up click here (NMS 135).
On this program Mateo talks about staying awake and focused on living a loving and connected life.  He spreads his joy to all those he meets in both small and substantial ways.  He is motivated to make the world a more loving place as he and his wife welcome their first child this fall.
Mateo is working on a plan (still in the making) to bring connection and unity to this community and hopefully beyond, over time.  He believes that love changes everything and uses his life force to make that happen, to the best of his abilities. 

Music: Alvaro Soler sings "La Cintura"

James was a child from a "mixed marriage" because his father was Protestant and his mother was Catholic.  He was born in Derry, Northern Ireland and raised in Donegal, Ireland.  His family's lives strattled both of the countries, a mere four miles between the two towns.
James is entering his second year of his Master's degree in Social Work from University of New England and also works in social services in Southern Maine.  He has been a youth worker for most of his adult life, as well as many other jobs.
Additionally, he and his wife have a side business called Maine Inflatable Pubs, renting out a 20x40' inflatable pub around the state, sharing some Irish fun.
In this interview James also refers to historical information about Ireland's famine (FMI: click here).

Music: Aslan sings "Crazy World"

Ayman Nijim was born in Gaza, Palestine, attended university in Baghdad, Iraq and came to the US in 2012.  He has gotten his Master's degree in Intercultural Service and applies his knowledge of organizational management and trauma recovery professionally.  Ayman is also a human rights activist and has spoken at numerous universities around this country raising awareness about the political situation in his home in Gaza.
FMI: Contact Ayman at aymanijim@gmail.com.
Music: Fairouz sings "Ya Tayr"