Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to making our MANA Mingle 2023 a huge success.
Here’s a story from Amjambo Africa about the event:
On October 5, staff, clients, and friends of Maine Association of New Americans (MANA) gathered at Indigo Arts Alliance in Portland to celebrate 10 years of serving the community. Dubbed a “Mana Mingle,” the event aimed to bring people together across differences of culture, values, and race. “Mingle” comes from the Old English “mengen,” meaning “to mix,” which is believed to be Germanic in origin.
Yvette Unezase, MANA Executive Director, said, “Our mission is to promote the social and personal empowerment of immigrants by raising awareness of individual and collective trauma and how these affect our lives, exploring resilience-building strategies and resources, and connecting people with their peers across cultures.”
MANA was founded in 2012 by and for individuals who had recently arrived in the United States. Empowerment was the founders’ original vision. In 2019, the MANA board made the decision to focus the organization toward addressing trauma and toxic stress within immigrant communities, including individuals, families, and the wider community.
The rationale behind the shift toward outreach and education about trauma is that traumatic experiences can hinder personal and professional growth. Efforts include raising awareness about trauma and developing each individual’s social and community support network. The ultimate goal is to ensure that everyone, regardless of their linguistic or cultural background, has access to resources so they can build upon their hard-earned resilience and thrive in their new homes.
Francine Ngabu, President of MANA said, “We design and deliver projects that are truly responsive to community needs in collaboration with local community-based organizations, municipalities, and other partner organizations. We also draw on individual professionals and experts who are New Mainers, old Mainers, temporary residents, and everyone in between. People work with us as volunteers, employees, and vendors, as their situation allows.”
The staff of MANA are almost all multilingual. “Together we speak 15 languages. We also have experience living in many different places around the world. Together we have lived in 11 countries, on four continents, and in many locales across the U.S.,” said Abdoul Karim Rwasamirer, the Wellness and Transportation Coordinator.
The evening’s events included food, presentations, a panel discussion, poetry, and a Rwandan dance performance. The panel included Alice, an asylum seeker who shared how important MANA has been for her. “I had no idea what to do when I went to MANA. Everything [in Maine] was strange to me. But they guided me. God made us come together. And now they are my family. They say I’m a strong woman. Yes, I am!”
Amani, another asylum seeker, said, “MANA is an organization God sent to us to resolve our problems. I was able to speak up for myself after seeing my community navigator advocating for us many times. Learning communication skills and basic cultural customs made our lives easier.”
Umaru Balde, City of Portland Director of Justice, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion shared his own life story, which is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit – escape from child slavery at the age of 12, flight from his home country of Guinea-Bissau, and eventual resettlement in the U.S. Balde shared his personal suffering and emphasized the crucial role that counseling played in his healing journey. He believes that the well-being of communities depends on the health of individuals.
“The most important thing is your health. If you maintain good health, it positively affects those around you. Remember to prioritize yourself first,” he told his audience.
Nyamuon “Moon” Machar, MANA Community Wellness Program Coordinator, as well as a poet and activist, shared her poem, “I come from a place they call away.”
MANA board chair Apollo Karara closed out the evening with these words: “The first 10 years are now over. We can be happy with the work we have done together. We need everyone’s support to continue to develop. So, keep it up – create, collaborate, bring together, and proceed!”
MANA’s current programs include free transportation services, community wellness programs, support groups, youth programs, and the Welcoming the Stranger mentoring program.
Amjambo Africa is at https://www.amjamboafrica.com
