Amjambo Time

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...

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,...

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 shap...

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, a...

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 liter...

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 navig...

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 livel...

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...

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...

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 c...

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 brid...

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 livin...

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 a...

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 he...

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 Somal...

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 iden...

What happens when the President of South Africa sits down with the President of the United States — and the conversation turns unexpectedly toward “white genocide,” land reform, and racial history? In this episode of Amjambo Time — Shaping the World’s Voices, host Éloge Willy Kaneza explores the controversial May 21 meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and President Donald Trump at the White...

In a major diplomatic development, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have signed a declaration of principles in Washington—under the watchful eye of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The agreement, signed on April 25, is being called a milestone toward reviving the stalled peace process. The declaration calls for respect of sovereignty, ending support for armed groups, and finding rea...