Across the United States, and here in Maine, communities that once felt safe are confronting a new climate of fear. Houses of worship, cultural centers, and immigrant organizations are increasingly facing threats driven by hate, misinformation, and political polarization.
In this episode, we look at a rare and powerful response: faith leaders, immigrant advocates, and civil society groups in Maine coming together across religious and cultural lines to protect vulnerable communities. At the center of this effort is LD 2107, a bill that would create a Nonprofit Security Grant Program to help organizations strengthen their safety without sacrificing their mission.
Through a conversation with Zach Schwartz, director of the Jewish Community Relations Council at the Jewish Community Alliance, we explore rising antisemitism, threats facing African and immigrant communities, and why solidarity — not silence — is essential in moments like this.
This is a story about fear, yes — but also about courage, memory, and unity.
You’re listening to Amjambo Time.
As we close today’s episode, one message stands out clearly: security is not just about locks, cameras, or guards — it is about dignity, belonging, and the right to exist without fear.
From synagogues to mosques, churches to cultural associations, the coalition behind LD 2107 shows what is possible when communities refuse to be divided by hate. Their work reminds us that history — from the Holocaust to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi — teaches a painful but urgent lesson: violence does not begin with weapons, but with words, exclusion, and indifference.
What’s happening in Maine is more than a local legislative effort. It is a model of solidarity in a fractured world — a reminder that when one community is threatened, all are at risk, and when communities stand together, they become stronger.
If you’re in Maine, your voice matters. Engage, testify, and speak out. And wherever you are listening from, remember: protecting vulnerable communities is not optional — it is a shared responsibility.
Thank you for listening to Amjambo Time.
I’m Eloge Willy Kaneza.Until next time — stay informed, stay engaged, and stay human.

Welcome to Amjambo Time,
the podcast where stories from Africa and its diasporas meet memory, resistance, and hope.I’m Éloge Willy Kaneza, journalist with Amjambo Africa.Today’s episode takes us to Portland, Maine, in November 2025, where art became testimony and music carried the weight of exile, survival, and faith.In a powerful reimagining of Handel’s Messiah, refugee artist and poet Nyamuon Nguany Machar, also known as Moon, brought the stage to life with Gospel Messiah—a fusion of gospel, spoken word, theater, and lived refugee experience.This is not just a performance.
It is a story of displacement and belonging.
A story of mothers, fathers, and children forced to carry home on their backs.
A story of joy as resistance.In this episode, we listen to Moon’s voice—calm, fierce, and deeply human—as she explains how art becomes memory, advocacy, and healing.Stay with us.You’ve been listening to Amjambo Time,
a production of Amjambo Africa.Today, we heard how Gospel Messiah transformed a classical Western oratorio into a living archive of refugee experience—where poetry breathes, gospel cries out, and survival becomes sacred.Nyamuon Machar reminds us that refugees are not statistics.
They are storytellers.
They are creators.
They are witnesses of history.As Moon says, “Joy is a form of resistance.”
And sometimes, choosing to survive—to protect one’s peace—is itself an act of courage.If this story moved you, share it.
Talk about it.
Let it travel beyond borders.I’m Éloge Willy Kaneza.
Thank you for listening to Amjambo Time.Until next time—
stay human, stay curious, and stay connected.

Today’s episode takes us deep into a crisis unfolding thousands of miles away in the high plateaus of South Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo — and into the streets of American cities where a diaspora is mobilizing with urgency.
Before we hear from our guest, Douglas Gasore Kabunda, President of the Mahoro Peace Association, we take you first to Maine and Indiana, where the Banyamulenge community has been rallying to raise the alarm about what they describe as a deadly blockade imposed on their families in Minembwe.
In Portland, Maine, under a biting winter cold, community leader Claude Rwaganje stood before protesters and told them why they had gathered — why parents brought their children, why elders walked slowly with signs in their hands, why they refused to remain silent while loved ones were trapped without food or medicine.
And in Indiana, voices like Laurent Mwungura carried the same message: that what is happening in Minembwe is not a distant conflict but a humanitarian emergency requiring urgent international action — including from lawmakers in Washington.
These demonstrations have become a collective cry for visibility, protection, and justice.
And now, to understand the heart of this crisis — and why the diaspora is calling for U.S. intervention — we turn to someone who has been documenting the situation closely.

Today, we’re diving into the story of a man whose leadership is helping reshape how immigrants engage in American public life — Pious Ali, and the network he founded called AELA, the African Immigrant Elected Leaders of America.

AELA is a national organization that connects and supports African-born elected officials serving in the U.S. It helps them share ideas, mentor one another, and build bridges with other communities — from African Americans to Asian, Caribbean, and Latinx leaders.

Through AELA, Pious Ali is showing that immigrant leadership is not just about representation — it’s about participation, collaboration, and transformation.

And that’s our story for today — Pious Ali, AELA, and the growing impact of immigrant leadership in America.

From Portland, Maine, to cities across the country, immigrant leaders are stepping up, mentoring one another, and building bridges across communities — from African and Caribbean to Asian and Latinx populations, and beyond.

At Amjambo Time, we celebrate these voices, their courage, and their contributions to making democracy stronger, more inclusive, and more representative of everyone.

Thank you for tuning in. I’m Eloge Willy Kaneza.
Keep listening, stay connected, and remember: when immigrant communities rise together, they change the world.

On September 3, the University of Southern Maine launched a new initiative called the Forum on American Democracy. The inaugural keynote speaker was Dr. Eboo Patel, interfaith leader, author, and founder of Interfaith America.

In this episode, we take you inside Hannaford Hall in Portland, where Patel challenged the audience to think of democracy not as something fixed or inherited, but as a living, daily practice. He drew on the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln, the nation’s founders, and thinkers like John Stuart Mill and Martin Luther King Jr., reminding us that the health of democracy depends on how we treat one another across lines of faith, race, and identity.

Stay with us as we share Patel’s vision, and what it means for Maine’s growing, diverse communities.

Today we heard Eboo Patel remind us that democracy is not only about elections or institutions—it’s about the everyday choices we make to respect differences, engage in dialogue, and work together for the common good.

In a state like Maine, where new communities continue to enrich our neighborhoods, Patel’s words carry both a challenge and a promise: diversity can be a source of division, or it can be our greatest strength.

Thank you for tuning in. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, and join us again for more conversations that matter. And don’t forget to follow Amjambo Africa and Amjambo Time on our social media platforms to stay connected with the stories and voices that shape our community.

Until next time, stay engaged, stay hopeful, and keep building community.

Kaze mu kiganiro "Wiriwe Maine ". Tugaruka kw'ifatwa ry'abantu ( Abimukira) rimaze igihe rivugwa kuva Perezida Donald Trump agarutse ku butegetsi bagirizwa kuba muri Amerika badakwije ivya ngombwa. Muri kino kiganiro tuvuga ku musore w'Umurundi yirukanywe hadakurikijwe amategeko ariko aragarukanwa ku butaka bwa Amerika kubera umunyamategeko wiwe yarurwanye. Umutumire ni Cassius Shirambere yahoze arongoye ishirahamwe ry'Abarundi baba muri Leta ya Maine. Agaruka ku mpanuro zitari nke na cane cane agahamagarira abantu kugira umuco wo kurondera abanyamategeko babunganira. Yaganiriye na mugenzi wacu Bigoro Ernest Ndayisaba. Kino kiganiro mukigezwaho na Eloge Willy Kaneza.

Welcome to Amjambo Time, a show of Amjambo Africa. I’m your host, Eloge Willy Kaneza. Fear divides us. But together, with courage and compassion, we can build a community where everyone belongs.In this episode, we bring you the story of Ifraax Saciid-Ciise, the founder and executive director of Ifka Community Services in Lewiston, Maine. Growing up as an immigrant herself, Ifraax has dedicated her life to helping others navigate the challenges of displacement, integration, and survival in the face of fear.We’ll talk about what it means to live in a climate of distrust, how families are coping, the struggles around youth violence and mental health, and the powerful ways Ifraax and her community are resisting fear with hope.Stay with me - this is Amjambo TimeYou’ve been listening to Amjambo Time. I’m your host, Eloge Willy Kaneza.Ifraax Saciid-Ciise’s story reminds us that fear may divide us, but hope, courage, and compassion can bring us together. In Lewiston, and in every community, the work of building trust and belonging continues ,and it depends on all of us.Thank you for joining me today. To hear more stories that connect, inspire, and inform, be sure to follow Amjambo Time wherever you get your podcasts. Until next time, take care — and let’s keep building communities where everyone belongs.

Hello and welcome to Amajmabo Time, the podcast where we share powerful stories of migration, identity, and resilience. I’m your host, Eloge Willy Kaneza.
Today, we bring you a touching story from Portland, Maine .  The book talks about Dutiful to Hooyo by Dr. Abdullahi M. Ahmed.
In Somali, “Hooyo” means “mother,” and in this moving work, Dr. Ahmed honors the strength, love, and sacrifice of Somali mothers everywhere.

Welcome to Amjambo Time, a podcast that brings you stories of resilience, creativity, and connection, from immigrant and refugee communities in Maine, and from voices around the world. I’m your host, Eloge Willy Kaneza.

In today’s episode, I’m honored to speak with acclaimed visual artist Daniel Minter. Through sculpture, painting, and community collaboration, his work carries memory, uplifts identity, and resists silence.

As Daniel says, “When your rights are denied, shout with color.” Together, we explore what it means to create in the face of injustice, to remember where we come from, and to imagine a future where everyone belongs. Let’s get started.

That’s all for this episode of Amjambo Time. A huge thank-you to our guest, Daniel Minter, for reminding us that art can be resistance, that memory is power, and that,as he puts it: “even when our words are silenced, there’s still music, there’s still clay, there’s still color.”

Amjambo Time is produced by me, Eloge Willy Kaneza, for Amjambo Africa. We bring you voices from Maine and beyond, stories that connect communities and cross continents.

Be sure to subscribe, share, and leave a review. Until next time—stay curious, stay connected, and keep listening.