 Hi, I'm Leslie McVane. Welcome to Portland Media Center member highlights today. My guest is Bazia. Hi Bazia The one of the co-founders of project Bazia. That's great. Well, it's great to have you back again. It's been a while Thank you. Thank you. It'll be a while now. And here we are sitting together at the beginning of week two of a big influx of Refugees and immigrants coming from Texas to to the Portland area Your work has been involved with working with youth with the youth On different high school especially the one who they don't have mom. They don't have dad. They're bad themselves so they really love to have Somebody to direct them out to welcome them to understand how the life of I can say United States or I can say the level of Portland, right? Yeah, and your Primary work has been with people from South Sudan who yeah the transition Transition I've been doing a lot of time job with them for the kids and with you a lot of trip and And right now we spend it to be the old Africa in the state of Maine, right? It's all the same people but it's sort of one Africa Yeah, and and the the new people coming in are primarily from Congo Yeah, but I did for a lot of them from Congo Yeah, but you're going to to work with the because there were many you you said many Yeah, many many many kids so many young generation of youth They don't have anybody to direct them and even regarding to Zaire and and this other one Makes with Brundian and Rwandians Yeah, so those all they need somebody to direct them how to welcome them What is that a man he can do for them or what they can do right because there are so many Opportunities out there and we're not always aware of all the opportunities that are there. That's correct. It's any Formation in it and other issue thing I can be honest is a level of debating of the language sometime You know if you don't have really good English, how are you going to ask to get what you want to get exactly? And that's one of your goals. Yeah to help now with this new group. They're primarily French speaking That's correct. And so you were saying you might need some yeah I might need some people to help to speak French I mean I was couple years ago in Gabon, but that was not enough for me to be fluent in French But some French speakers who could help with some of the direct this young kids when I speak to them Yeah, I was plonation or maybe it can be a workshop in other way I'm encouraging like the one we just did it Saturday. It was a good meeting about to accept Who they are and welcome them and they fill the form with the information Does it give me a chance if I need them to meet them? I'll call them or email them Yeah, and just so they know there is somebody they can reach out that's correct who will help them find answers That's correct to the questions. They have the other thing that we were talking about That this sort of transitions into is the idea that people are told you've got to go to college You've got to go to college But we're a state that is very short on people in the trades right now. Yeah Belief in the trade is better and college is almost dead. You're not gonna go nowhere But I'm just look at it the system of the high school They just get them quick to get to college But they have to have a second chance for something else If they said the trade they will get a better job and then later on still they have a chance to go college I'm not saying do not go to college. I just look at it when you see your mom She have a low job Just say maybe she's walking a big Housekeeping now she have a hope if I have a daughter or a son when he done the school here We're gonna help it So what do you think if he done the high school get to college even it doesn't continue? He created a problem for himself for the family and then even to the American system That's why we have a lot of debt in the system because people debt. Yeah, they get the money Yeah, and and they don't pay back So what is going to happen it's affecting the new migrant and affecting the old migrant who already here in the United States So we need to have balance. Yeah, and I think you know the idea that there are so many Jobs job trade like plumber mechanic those culinary arts. Yeah, there's so many and I think that's a wonderful Service that you can give is to explain what some of the alternatives to college are at this point Without deterring them from going. That's right. And even I asked something but important in this meeting this Saturday Let's talk about I gonna reach there was two one of the Business woman her name is Lucy. She just have a grocery store in Cumberland she was in the meeting So I tried to introduce all these youths to know them and then they can help them if somebody in the store Need help to came to clean it up out to move the boxes We need to engage them to know life is taking give and take it's have to be both side Right and also the let people know that what is available? I mean, I can't do anything if you don't know There's something to do something. Yeah. Yeah. Now. What got you really motivated to work with youth? Bazi right now have more kids I believe from Zaire some them from Our Somalia some them from Brunei Rwanda. Yeah, because all these stresses some Brunei Rwanda and Zaire They're very close border between those three country and then even Kenya and then a soupy and then Somalia and you're coming from South Sudan Have an understanding What is happening going through because if you look at back in the day Africa divided to side East Africa and West Africa And East Africa controlled by British and then West Africa controlled by French That's why there's a division of how they operate Sometimes the people from West Africa because they're connected to more French that different of people from East Africa is English They have better chance to be different a little bit because yeah, the the British when they used to be colonized by British they almost had to teach them. Yeah more than To just be there for the right the different ways of dealing with well One thing that you're going to do to bring all of the people here together Not just the people from the countries in Africa, but people here together will be to celebrate the independence of South Sudan the public of South Sudan Which is usually celebrated on July 9th No, but because you will they will have a job because July 9 is Tuesday, but we decide to do it on next Saturday It's gonna be 30 and it's gonna be in Kennedy Park from 3 to 7 and it's gonna be a soccer game and welcome Football game and it's gonna be welcome all Africa in the state and even the American who here? Yeah, came and wash it and and the other thing very important I want to ask for the South Sudan the music of South Sudan is a square of Texas uh-huh that's telling me there's a lot of things connected Yeah, and then when you see July 4 is a depend of United States and then South Sudan dependent July 9 So I think there's something going on. I think there is too. It sounds great. And these are those they're two Soccer teams made up of people from South Sudan one from New Hampshire one from Portland That's gonna be a really amazing. Do you know what time it will be? We really will receive them at 3 but the game gonna start at 5 to 7 but 3 people come right picnic Yeah, they'd be around and small thing to go on and maybe some shaking hand and they can get in touch with you for Information. Yeah more information. You can call me on my phone number is 207 615 2429 That's perfect. Well, yeah, what's a call and anybody love to be part of it Let us know and what you know its soccer is kind of the universal language language in other way because Game almost give you more traction. Yeah, I know we've been three or four years We don't celebrate in different reason, but a game is different of just have a place I will eat or not, but this is gonna give you more motivation and it doesn't matter where you're from you understand That's correct. Well, thank you. It's always joyful to have you on the show Thank you and look forward to the next time. No problem. I'll be ready for the next one. Thank you