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Amjambo Time - Tune in to hear news for the diverse immigrant community in Maine, hosted by Eloge Willy Kaneza.
Episodes & Posts
Episodes
Posts
1 SEP 2026 · Today, we remember the Gatumba massacre, where 166 people, most of them Congolese Banyamulenge refugees, were killed. More than 20 years later, we hear from David Mukwiye, who was only five years old when the attack happened.
17 AUG 2026 · Welcome to Amjambo Time, a podcast from Amjambo Africa where we bring you stories, voices, and conversations from Maine’s diverse communities. Today, we’re joined by Chris Lyon and Ben Conniff of White Men for Racial Justice to talk about their work, racial justice, and the importance of engaging white men in the fight for a more equitable community.
12 JUL 2026 · Hello, and welcome to Amjambo Time, the podcast from Amjambo Africa, prepared and presented by Eloge Willy Kaneza.
I'm your host, Eloge Willy Kaneza.Today, we bring you a special conversation with Martha Stein, who is retiring after eight years of leading one of Maine's most important organizations serving asylum seekers and immigrants.
As Hope Acts prepares to celebrate its annual "Celebrating Home" event and welcome new Executive Director Madeleine Saucier, Martha Stein reflects on a remarkable journey of service, compassion, and community.
In this exclusive interview, she shares the story of Hope Acts' growth from a housing initiative into an organization that now supports thousands of immigrants every year. She speaks candidly about the challenges asylum seekers face today—from housing insecurity and immigration delays to the fear created by changing immigration policies.
But this conversation is also about hope. Martha explains why she believes immigrants are essential to Maine's future, why welcoming newcomers strengthens communities, and why simple acts of kindness can transform lives.
As she prepares to pass the torch to a new generation of leadership, Martha leaves us with a powerful reminder that everyone deserves a place to call home—and that building welcoming communities is a responsibility we all share.
Stay with us for this inspiring conversation with Martha Stein, only on Amjambo Time.
14 JUN 2026 · Today, we are joined by Muhidin Libah, Executive Director and co-founder of the Somali Bantu Community Association of Maine. Born in Somalia and raised in refugee camps in Kenya before resettling in the United States, Libah has dedicated his life to helping Somali Bantu families rebuild and thrive in Maine.
The Somali Bantu community traces its roots to farming villages in southern Somalia. After years of conflict, displacement, and life in refugee camps, many families found a new home in Maine, where they have worked to preserve their culture, strengthen their communities, and reconnect with their agricultural heritage.
One of the most visible examples of that effort is Liberation Farms, a 103-acre community farm in Wales, Maine, where hundreds of Somali Bantu families grow food, share knowledge, and pass their traditions on to the next generation.
In this conversation, Muhidin Libah reflects on the Somali Bantu journey from displacement to belonging, the role of farming in restoring identity and dignity, and his vision for the future of his community.
This is Amjambo Time, a production of Amjambo Africa, prepared and hosted by Eloge Willy Kaneza.
31 MAY 2026 · Today, we bring you a story about books — but also about belonging, memory, and what it means to feel seen.
Across the United States, as immigration continues to shape political debate and family life, children’s books are becoming something more than stories on a shelf. For many immigrant and refugee children, they are becoming places of recognition, healing, and even refuge.
In Portland, Maine, one organization has made that mission its work: I’m Your Neighbor Books, founded by children’s literacy advocate Kirsten Cappy.
In an interview with Amjambo Africa, Cappy shares how stories can help children navigate fear, separation, identity, and hope — while also inviting communities across America to rethink what it means to welcome newcomers.
10 MAY 2026 · Welcome to Amjambo Time, the podcast that brings you stories of resilience, identity, leadership and the African experience across the world. I am your host, Eloge Willy Kaneza.
Today, we travel through the extraordinary life journey of Athanase Kadita Tshibaka — from a childhood marked by poverty and uncertainty in the Democratic Republic of Congo to an international career in global banking shaped by faith, perseverance and purpose.
In his memoir, Son of the Congo, Tshibaka reflects on survival, education, imprisonment, ethical leadership and the responsibility of Africans in the diaspora to remain connected to their roots.
Stay with us as we explore a story guided, as he says, “by God’s grace.”
You’ve been listening to Amjambo Time with Eloge Willy Kaneza.Today’s episode featured the inspiring journey of Athanase Kadita Tshibaka, author of Son of the Congo — a story of hardship transformed into hope, and of success grounded in faith and service to others.
As Tshibaka reminds us, life is not meant to be lived for ourselves alone, but in a way that uplifts others and honors where we come from.
Thank you for listening. Please share this episode with your family, friends and communities, and continue following Amjambo Africa for more voices and stories from Africa and its diaspora.
19 APR 2026 · Hello and welcome to Amjambo Time, I’m Éloge Willy Kaneza.Today, we take you to Bates College, where memory, healing, and intergenerational dialogue came together during the commemoration of the 32nd anniversary of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
In this episode, we bring you voices from across generations—students, scholars, and survivors—each reflecting on what it means to remember, and why that responsibility continues today.Alexandre E. Dauge-Roth, a leading scholar of the genocide, reflects on memory, silence, and the responsibility of education.
Benjamin Ndamukunda shares how commemoration shapes his generation’s understanding of identity and resilience.
Solomon Kayobotsi offers a powerful reflection on memory as a reclaiming of truth.
James L. Reese speaks about the role of universities in fostering dialogue, justice, and responsibility.
And Landry Kwizera reminds us that behind the numbers are real lives, memories, and a responsibility to never forget.You’ve been listening to Amjambo Africa.
From Bates College, the message is clear: memory is not only about the past—it is a responsibility for the future.
I’m Éloge Willy Kaneza.
Thank you for listening.
29 MAR 2026 · Today, we’re talking about the power of storytelling — and how books can build bridges, strengthen identity, and create a sense of belonging, especially for immigrant families.
My guest today is Kirsten Cappy, Executive Director and co-founder of I’m Your Neighbor Books, a Maine-based nonprofit working across the United States to foster inclusive classrooms and communities through children’s literature.In this episode, you’ll hear how stories can become spaces of connection, tools for learning, and even safe havens for children and families navigating new cultures and new lives.
Thank you for listening to Amjambo Time, a podcast produced by Amjambo Africa.
Today’s conversation with Kirsten Cappy reminds us that stories are more than words on a page — they are bridges between people, cultures, and generations.
Stories bring us together, help us understand one another, and remind us of our shared humanity.
If you enjoyed this episode, please share it, subscribe, and continue supporting independent journalism that reflects and uplifts our communities.
8 MAR 2026 · Hello and welcome to Amjambo Time, the podcast where we explore stories, ideas, and conversations shaping our communities.
I’m your host, Eloge Willy Kaneza.
Today’s episode focuses on an important initiative in Maine’s education landscape: MOXIE Public Schools, a new public charter school preparing to open its doors in Portland in 2026.
At a time when many immigrant and refugee families are navigating uncertainty — from immigration enforcement to long asylum backlogs and housing instability — MOXIE aims to become more than a school. Its founders envision a learning community built on dignity, participation, and trust.
Seats will initially be limited in grades 6 and 9, with the first student offers expected in April 2026, following a public lottery scheduled for April 1. Families are encouraged to submit an interest form early, in a process that MOXIE describes as relational rather than transactional.
But beyond enrollment timelines, the bigger question remains: what does a truly human-centered school look like for students whose lives have been shaped by migration, displacement, and uncertainty?
To explore that question, I spoke with Virgel Hammonds, one of MOXIE’s founding leaders, and Robert Karl, a historian and professor at Minerva University who has spent years studying migration, trauma, and asylum processes.
Our conversation explores language access, belonging in schools, trauma-informed education, and how communities can rebuild trust between families and institutions.
Here is our conversation. You’ve been listening to Amjambo Time, hosted by Eloge Willy Kaneza.
My guests today were Virgel Hammonds, founding leader of MOXIE Public Schools, and Robert Karl, historian and professor at Minerva University.
We discussed the challenges immigrant and refugee families face in education systems — and how new models like MOXIE are trying to create schools where students feel seen, heard, and supported.
If you’d like to learn more about MOXIE Public Schools or submit an interest form for enrollment, you can find more information through their official channels.
Thank you for listening, and until next time, this is Amjambo Time — where stories, ideas, and community meet.
15 FEB 2026 · Welcome to Amjambo Time. I’m Eloge Willy Kaneza. Today, we’re talking about how recent ICE operations in Maine spread fear through immigrant communities — and how that fear quickly turned into a housing crisis for hundreds of families.
In late January, fear moved faster than snowstorms. It crept into apartments, workplaces, and school drop-off lines. Streets emptied, doors stayed closed, and livelihoods went silent. For many immigrant families, the surge in ICE raids didn’t just threaten arrests — it triggered a housing emergency.
To understand the impact, I spoke with Claude Rwaganje, executive director of ProsperityME, a community organization supporting immigrants and refugees across Maine. Rwaganje told us, “People were afraid to go to work, afraid to take their children to school, afraid to go to church or even to the grocery store.”
Even those with legal status — green card holders or asylum seekers — stayed home, unsure who might be next. That meant no income, but rent didn’t wait. One single mother didn’t leave her apartment for a week. Her car was towed, costing five hundred dollars, with no income to cover it.
The ICE surge affected more than families. Immigrants make up much of Maine’s essential workforce — hospital staff, cleaners, drivers, and food service workers. When fear forced them into hiding, hospitals struggled to staff shifts, businesses couldn’t operate, and children missed school.
Rent quickly became the most urgent problem. Families lost income overnight, had no savings, and eviction notices loom after 30 days of unpaid rent. To respond, ProsperityME launched an emergency housing relief fund, providing up to three hundred dollars per household to cover part of rent or prevent immediate crisis.
The fund prioritizes families affected directly by ICE raids, those with reduced wages, and the most vulnerable households. It’s a one-time intervention — not an ongoing subsidy — designed to help families regain stability.
While evictions haven’t peaked yet, the risk is real. ProsperityME works with partners like Project Home, which has raised three hundred thirty thousand dollars for rental relief. But the line between fear and eviction remains thin.
This crisis underscores a vital truth: immigrants are essential to Maine. They’re workers, taxpayers, business owners, and members of our communities — not criminals. When enforcement disrupts their lives, it affects the state’s economy, housing, and social cohesion.
Thank you for listening to this episode of Amjambo Time. Stay informed, stay engaged, and continue supporting our immigrant communities.
Follow us online at https://www.amjamboafrica.com/ and on our social media platforms. Share stories from your community by reaching out to us — we want to hear from you.
Until next time, keep listening, keep learning, and keep building stronger communities together.
Amjambo Time - Tune in to hear news for the diverse immigrant community in Maine, hosted by Eloge Willy Kaneza.
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