Georges Budagu Makoko became the change he wanted to see. The Banyamulenge author spoke five languages when he initially arrived in Maine in 2002. English was not one. Finding his way around the Pine Tree State remained challenging — little credible information on navigating American life existed for newly arrived Central and East African asylum seekers.
Makoko went on to take English classes and work in the nonprofit affordable housing sector, where he encountered others who similarly escaped the African “Great Lakes” region due to genocide and escalated violence. In 1994, he fled the Democratic Republic of Congo — where the ethnic Banyamulenge Tutsi community was long targeted — through the Rwandan border, before ultimately landing in the United States. Working with fellow asylum seekers, he planted the early seeds for establishing the nonprofit news organization, Amjambo Africa.
“In 2007-2008, as the conflict intensified in Congo and Burundi, so many immigrants started coming here, and they came to find housing,” said Makoko. “And when they asked for information about housing, they were asking me for other information that I didn’t have. It came very clear to me that they were struggling the same way I struggled. I made a goal to help them somehow. But I didn’t know how to help them. Sometimes they’ll call me in the middle of the night. … I had in mind that I needed to create something that would inform people as to how to navigate the system.”
As luck would have it, Makoko crossed paths with grade-school teacher Kathleen “Kit” Harrison while hosting a presentation for his book “Ladder to the Moon: A Journey from the Congo to America.” She enlisted him to share his experiences with her students, and Makoko revealed ambitions to start a multilingual newspaper.
The only problem? Makoko lacked journalism and publishing experience. But Harrison turned out to be the daughter of Selig Harrison, the famed, late Washington Post foreign correspondent. They later met and brainstormed for more than a year about Makoko’s vision.
A roughly two-hour drive separated them, often requiring them to meet halfway. Sometimes, doubt crept in. Makoko seemed keen on the publication serving immigrant communities, with grand ambitions of publishing a free print edition every month. But the realities of the news business posed a daunting challenge of getting the idea off the ground. With the guidance and encouragement from the state’s most prolific publisher, Reade Brower, Makoko sought patrons and fundraised for the project.
Ultimately, Makoko and Harrison co-founded Amjambo Africa. The name, Amjambo, means “word” in Kinyarwanda and serves as a Swahili greeting. The inaugural edition was published on April 1, 2018, in four languages: French, Swahili, Kinyarwanda and English. “I will never forget the feeling that I had when I grabbed the first copy,” said Makoko.
The Maine ingredient
Maine remains largely rural and overwhelmingly racially white, with an aging workforce — in fact, the state has the U.S.’s oldest median age. Supporting immigrants in the state goes beyond altruism. It’s also about pragmatism, added Makoko. Many asylum seekers left professional careers behind. They were doctors, lawyers and, yes, journalists.
“I think it’s a common understanding that immigrants have a lot to offer,” he said. “And they are talented. … They’re young, energized, smart and talented, and seeing that potential now being tapped into and utilized for the workforce development that we desperately need here in Maine.”
Now, at year eight, Amjambo Africa prides itself as “Maine’s most inclusive newsroom.” More than just self-promotion, the publication boasts coverage in seven different languages and has multiple reporters based outside of the United States: four across Africa and one in the Netherlands. Along with French, Swahili, Kinyarwanda and English, Amjambo Africa also prints in Portuguese, Spanish and Somali today. Makoko also mentioned a hope to provide Arabic coverage in the future.
Interim Chief Editor Éloge Willy Kaneza does not take this inclusivity for granted. The Burundi-born journalist gushes about the newsroom culture while profusely apologizing over the phone for his English, despite a decorated, award-winning career reporting on radio and for outlets such as The Associated Press and the Voice of America. Amjambo Africa originally brought him in to oversee the newsroom’s Africa team. Kaneza stepped into his current role when Harrison departed from the newsroom at the start of this year.
“The strength of Amjambo is that they have a respect for the team,” said Kaneza. “When Kit [Harrison] resigned, and I replaced her, I had reporters who are typically English-only, but they never looked down on me as someone whose [first] language is not English. … This is something that aligns with Amjambo; they are respectful.”
This respect extends to Amjambo’s audience. Kaneza says sources and readers handle corrections and provide feedback with grace. But the trust goes both ways, thanks to Amjambo’s focus on immigrant communities. “We touch almost every aspect of immigrant life: health, education, business and success stories,” said Makoko.
Under Amjambo Africa’s vibrant masthead — which features silhouettes of a lion and a natural-haired woman in an African headwrap — stories ranging from immigrant business spotlights and community member profiles to know-your-rights campaigns and service journalism on avoiding scams fill the 32-page tabloid each month. Local reporting about Lewiston libraries and Rockland city ordinances also shares space with international pieces about political prisoners in South Sudan and military actions in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“When we started Amjambo, we were thinking there are so many things happening from Africa and where we come from,” said Makoko. “So, there were a lot of events happening, but they were not covered here in the U.S. We thought maybe we could be a source of information to bring news from Africa here.”
The coverage is firsthand. Amjambo Africa previously boasted reporters in Rwanda and Kenya, with correspondents currently in Congo, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Nigeria.
“By covering Africa, we are filling this role as media of educating people,” added Kaneza. “By talking about that, we are educating the [long-time] local residents [about] the reasons why people come here and what pushes people to flee to the U.S. But at the same time, talk about what happened and how people must behave in the U.S. environment, we are educating new Mainers on how they can navigate this environment.”
Meeting the moment
Amjambo Africa lacks no shortage of moxie in a state famous for it. The publication’s journey over the past eight years sets the stage as an indispensable information source for new Mainers as the federal government ramps up immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
Dubbed “Operation Catch of the Day,” federal agents raided Maine communities earlier this winter, claiming to target “the worst of the worst.” Fox News staff embedded in the deportation efforts depicted the federal agents as constrained from pursuing “wanted criminals” due to local sanctuary laws, which prevent local law enforcement from sharing immigration status information with ICE.
But Amjambo Africa’s reporting offered a different perspective and kept readers informed during uncertain times. Stories platformed direct immigrant voices from hardworking people, terrified of leaving their homes, as long-time Maine residents took to the streets and came together for their newest neighbors.
Local politicians echoed these concerns and called for legislative protections. Additionally, the killings of protesters Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis galvanized further local resistance against immigration enforcement. Amjambo Africa was there to capture much of it.
“We’ve been able to do some stories that maybe could not be done by other outlets because of who we are,” said Kaneza. “For example, approaching someone from the DRC, they want to feel as if they are talking to their own relatives. People didn’t fear opening their doors for us, because they see us as their own.”
Additionally, Amjambo provided a crucial know-your-rights guide, drawing on resources from organizations such as the Maine ACLU. Videos recorded in French, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Spanish and Lingala explained how people could protect themselves during immigration enforcement interactions and obtain legal assistance. And the guide also showed how the community could chip in, with donation links and a list of halal-permissible food needed at the local pantry.
Kaneza said Maine immigrants, even green cardholders, often feared going to work. Some missed critical paychecks and required community support. And Makoko said the recent immigration enforcement efforts are retraumatizing Maine’s asylum seekers who left their previous lives to escape repression and violence. “They’ve seen their lives crushed and now are trying to build a new life here,” he said.
As immigration arguably remains the most pressing domestic issue to date, Amjambo Africa tells a counter-narrative to the growing anti-Somali sentiment across the country.
“What we can do is just make sure the Somalis are coming with their own stories too and have a platform to use to make sure that the other side of the story is heard,” Makoko said. “When we started Amjambo, we were thinking the Mainers here have never been exposed to immigrants from Congo and other countries. How would they know who they are, where they’re coming from and what they have gone through unless somebody’s telling those stories?”
Amjambo’s future
What’s next for Amjambo Africa? There will be some leadership changes, including the executive editor role, as well as a new executive director for the Ladder to the Moon Network, the news organization’s parent nonprofit.
For Kaneza, looking into the future means looking to future generations. He points to connecting Amjambo Africa with younger readers, particularly online, as the publication grows. “We try to also interest youth; that’s why we talk about sports and activities that interest youth,” Kaneza said.
Makoko wants to become even more inclusive. He believes that with the new Ladder to the Moon Executive Director, Leah Hargrove, and greater resources, they can tackle new issues.
“When I see divisions taking root in this country, it concerns me because that’s the root of the conflict that we’ve seen in other countries,” adds Makoko. “And I always hope that we have a strong justice system, strong economy and strong society that supports one another.”
Tandy Lau is an award-winning journalist currently based in Jersey City. He currently works as a staff reporter covering public safety for the New York Amsterdam News in Harlem. He can be contacted at tandylau1995@gmail.com.
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