From Asylum Seeker to Citizen - Navigating Maine as an Immigrant, with Georges Budagu Makoko
3In this second talk in our "New Mainers" series co-hosted with Connecting Across Cultures, we welcome Georges Budagu Makoko for a program on Zoom. Makoko will talk about his journey from the Democratic Republic of Congo to the U.S., his experience seeking asylum in Maine, and his transition to citizenship. He will share thoughts about the kinds of help that immigrants need, and read excerpts from his memoir "Ladder to the Moon: Journey from the Congo to America." Email jpierce@librarycamden.org to request a link to attend.
Georges Budagu Makoko is the founder of Ladder to the Moon Network and co-founder of Maine’s most inclusive publication, Amjambo Africa. Makoko was born in the D.R. of Congo and moved to Rwanda in 1994 due to political unrest in his country. He graduated from National University of Rwanda with a degree in Business Administration, and moved to the United States in 2002, where he sought and received asylum. Makoko worked as Senior Property Manager with Avesta Housing for 15 years. In 2012, he was awarded Site Manager of the Year, a joint award from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Housing Service and Maine Rural Development. He is currently the Director of Residential Services at Serenity Residential Care, LLC. He speaks more than six languages, including English, French, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Lingala, and Kinyamulenge. He strongly believes in advocating for peace, reconciliation, and justice for all.
To contact the Connecting Across Cultures organization, email cacmidcoast@gmail.com. You can also find the on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/cacmidcoast
To learn more about Amjambo Africa, the publication mentioned in this program, visit: https://www.amjamboafrica.com/
To learn about upcoming events from the Camden Public Library, visit: librarycamden.org.