University of Southern Maine USM Digital Commons Amjambo Africa! Items From the Collection 6-2020 Amjambo Africa! (June 2020) Kathreen Harrison Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/samgen_amjambo Part of the Adult and Continuing Education Commons, Africana Studies Commons, African History Commons, African Languages and Societies Commons, African Studies Commons, Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Cultural History Commons, Digital Humanities Commons, Diplomatic History Commons, Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons, Genealogy Commons, International and Intercultural Communication Commons, Journalism Studies Commons, Language Interpretation and Translation Commons, Nonfiction Commons, Other American Studies Commons, Other French and Francophone Language and Literature Commons, Other History Commons, Poetry Commons, Public History Commons, Social History Commons, United States History Commons, and the Women's History Commons Recommended Citation Harrison, Kathreen, "Amjambo Africa! (June 2020)" (2020). Amjambo Africa!. 27. https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/samgen_amjambo/27 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Items From the Collection at USM Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Amjambo Africa! by an authorized administrator of USM Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. JUNE, 2020 | VOL. 3 / NO. 3 Understanding, Embracing, and Celebrating Diversity in Maine Free WLOE | BEVNE | AIU | UAAE | SO DOOW | BM VNO | BYY AAU Dr. Abdullahi Ahmed is Maine’s first Aican-born school principal Story on page 3 Leyla Hashi delivers University of Southern Maine’s commencement address Story page 3 Alain Nahimana, Executive Director of Greater Infection rate for people of color in Maine off the charts In This Issue... by Kathreen Harrison Ramadan 2020.............................p. 2 Portland Immigrant Welcome Center, dies from Introducing Africa News editor.p. 5 complications related to diabetes Leaders of Maine’s immigrant communities and their allies predicted early that Pious Ali .......................................p. 6 COVID-19 would slam vulnerable immigrant communities in the state particularly Banyamulenge .............................p. 8 hard because of economic and social conditions that are widely acknowledged to im- L/A Food needs ...........................p. 9 pact public health, however the rate of disparity along racial and ethnic lines that re- cent data highlights has shocked even them. On May 27, the Maine Center for In Every Issue... Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their data on COVID-19 infection rates among people of color to over 25% of total cases, or greater than one in four in- Publisher’s Editorial ....................p. 4 fected people in Maine, even though 2019 U.S. Census Bureau records indicate peo- Translations ple of color make up only 7% of Maine’s population. French................................. p.5/21 Even more stark, upwards of 20% of total infections where race is known are in Swahili ................................ p.6/21 Black or African American Mainers, while the census data indicates that only 1.6% Somali.................................. p.7/21 of Maine’s total population is Black or African American, or one in sixty Mainers. Kinyarwanda ....................p.18/21 And that disproportionate infection rate is rising rapidly. On April 29, the first date the CDC released data by race and ethnicity, the rate of total infections of Black or Portuguese .......................p.19/21 African American Mainers stood at 5.09%. At the time, that disparity in infection News from Africa ........................p. 8 rates along racial or ethnic lines seemed wide. In just one month it has more than Community News........................p. 9 quadrupled. Maine does not report deaths from COVID-19 along racial lines, how- World Market Basket ..........p. 12/13 ever e Atlantic COVID Racial Data Tracker reports that nationally, 25% of deaths Financial Literacy.......................p. 15 are among Blacks or African Americans, while only 13% of the population is Black Columns ...............................p. 16/17 or African American. Maine’s rate of infections among Black or African American is among the highest in the nation. Telehealth | Hope House Amjambo Aica joins the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center, Trying to prevent devastation to their communities, immigrant leaders began mo- Mental Health | A Bright Light his family, the Burundian community in Maine, and his many friends in bilizing in mid-March. Let’s Talk | High School mourning the passing of Alain Jean Claude Nahimana, Executive Direc- “We approached our COVID-19 response work with a sense of urgency from the Azerbaijan tor of the GPIWC, who passed away on Sunday, May 31, 2020, from very beginning. Because of the existing disparities in access to health care and lan- Poetry.........................................p. 20 complications related to diabetes. He was 49 years old. Mr. Nahimana guage barriers, among other factors, it was just a matter of ‘when’ our communities and Damas Rugaba co-founded the Center in 2017 with the goal of help- Just for Kids ...............................p. 22 would be adversely affected, not ‘if ’,” said Mufalo Chitam, Executive Director of ing Portland’s immigrant community fully reach its civic, economic, and Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition (MIRC), in an email. MIRC is a coalition of 69 social potential. Mr. Nahimana was a member of the board of the Na- partner organizations. tional Partnership for New Americans, a national partnership of 37 of Working groups such as the New Mainer Working Group formed, with some fo- the largest regional immigrant and refugee rights organizations in 31 cused directly on the health crisis. ese groups immediately identified the need to R states. He formerly served as Executive Director of Maine Immigrants’ get COVID-19 testing, information in translation, culturally competent and multi- Rights Coalition. Born in Burundi, Mr. Nahimana arrived in the United lingual community health workers, and contact tracers out into the communities States in 2010. where immigrants live and work in order to Continued on page 14 State Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross shares letter to Governor Mills, Com- missioner Johnson, and Economic Recovery Committee Chairs Broder Helena Colai (second om le), Fiston Mubalama Lowatiwiya (third om right), and Randy Hord (far right) with volunteers of and Lachance on behalf of the Maine Black Caucus. Story Page 4 St. Mary’s Nutrition Center in Lewiston (taken prior to the COVID-19 crisis). Story Page 20 2 amjambo africa! Four Mainers share thoughts on Ramadan and Eid during the pandemic | Kathreen Harrison is year’s holy month of Ramadan was very different for Maine’s Muslims than in previous years because COVID-19 led to mosques being closed, and Iar meals and Eid celebrations took place at home rather than in large public gatherings. Nonetheless, the essence of Ramadan remained unchanged, despite the pandemic. According to Islam, Ramadan commemorates the month when the Qur’an, the Holy Book of Islam, was first revealed to Muslims through the Angel Gabriel by the Prophet Muhammad. As such, it is considered a blessed month, and for most Muslims, it is a joyous month. During Ramadan, Muslims try to strengthen their relationship with Allah (the Arabic name for God) and behave in the way Islam teaches. Islam emphasizes the importance of being chari- table toward others, and Muslims believe that fasting during Ramadan helps them learn to be charitable. ose who fast take nothing into their bodies from sunrise to sunset throughout the month, believing that the hunger and thirst they experience teaches them empathy. At sunset each day Muslims break their fast, first with a small meal before prayers, and then with a larger Iar meal shared with friends and family. e evening meals are festive and generous. Muslims around the world end Ramadan each year with Eid-al-Fitr, a joyous, three-day celebration. roughout the month, Amjambo Africa readers shared their thoughts about this year’s very unusual Ramadan. Following are some of what they said between April 24 and May 16.Our final mes- sage was from Portland City Councilor Pious Ali. His message was in the form of a video, which is on our Facebook page. Apr 24: South Portland Councilwoman Deqa Dhalac their fast each evening is dates, for example. For Somalis, sam- May 16: Mohamed Awil busas are also important. If there are no sambusas during Iar – Asalaamu Alaikum and Ra- the meal that breaks the fast – something is missing. madan Kareem to all Muslims We are learning how to get used to this new way of observing in the world. Muslims all over Ramadan. Some imams are holding Friday prayers and sermons the world are celebrating the virtually through Zoom or Facebook Live, others are not. In any holy month of Ramadan to re- case, people are still able to pray at home, in circumstances like flect on what we are grateful for. we are experiencing this year. It is time of hope, a time for family, friends, and community May 8: Mana Abdi engagement. We all know this Ramadan is Ramadan is a going to be different for most of b e a u t i f u l us than any other Ramadan month. I think that we have experienced be- you have to ex- fore, but the essence and the perience it to see beauty will be of great value and will remain the same. what it’s like. If Yusuf Adow, Mohamed Awil, and Mohamed Musse To improve ourselves, to trust in God, and to support each you do Ra- For those who might not know, Ramadan is a time of year all other in these difficult times will remain the foundation of this madan right, Muslims look forward to. All across the globe, Muslims fast holy month of Ramadan. there’s really from dawn to dusk and reflect on community, charity, and faith. We need this Ramadan, more than ever, to serve as a reminder nothing like it.