Posted on August 4, 2016 under Faces in the Crowd with one comment

ACALA – his home away from home

 

“I want to make movies; to enable vulnerable groups to have their stories told and their voices heard.”

Meet Abdullah (Dullah) Kafashe

It was not easy growing up in Kigoma, Tanzania. Poverty, corruption, disease and unrest were normal parts of everyday life. The genocide in neighbouring Burundi tragically affected Dullah’s extended family and he lost many relatives. His family protected those that they could. Two cousins rescued by his mother grew up in the safety of his childhood home.

Against staggering odds, Dullah completed high school and became a member of the Tanzanian National Basketball team. On the day that he was writing his national exams, his older brother, a police officer and key supporter of Dullah’s education, was killed tragically in a motor vehicle accident. He left behind three children who were then abandoned by their mother. Dullah’s family stepped in and have looked after them ever since.

Around this time he met a young woman, Maggie, from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, who was working in the nearby refugee camps. There was much suffering in the camps and Dullah volunteered his talents to make life a bit easier for the children there. It would be the start of his commitment to assist those less fortunate than himself.

When Maggie went back to Canada he decided to follow her.  He knew a vital step to becoming a Canadian was to improve his rudimentary English skills. The urban centres of Toronto and Montreal were described as immigrant-friendly and hosted a number of services for newcomers.  But these cities also posed challenges, as ESL classes had wait lists well over 6 months long. Then, one afternoon in Toronto while biking to work, Dullah was held up at gun point for the $10 he carried in his wallet. The cities no longer felt so welcoming.

Feeling overwhelmed, a timely solution came from the east coast.  Maggie’s mother mentioned that ACALA (Antigonish County Adult Learning Association) was accepting students. So this African Muslim immigrant left the diverse urban centers and took a risk – and a train – out Antigonish. The jump from urban anonymity to small town curiosity was immediate.  In a place where everyone wants to know your name and your father’s name and where you’re from he was immediately welcomed into the ACALA program.   Dullah dove into learning, enjoying the great instructors, classmates and content. One of the goals of ACALA is to promote literacy, networking and awareness. Dullah had found a home. “Lise Devilliers is the most instrumental  mentor I’ve had. She has made me the person that I am today.” praises Dullah.

The admiration is mutual. “Dullah is a very inspirational human being on so many levels. Because of his background, he has perspective which he shares willingly with other learners. He has a lovely and beautiful way of listening to those around him,” says Lise.

Following his success at ACALA Dullah was awarded a scholarship from the Coady International Institute where he earned a Diploma in Leadership. Juggling studies and family responsibilities, Dullah still found time to volunteer with L’Arche. Helping people is in his DNA.

In 2011, he packed his bags and joined Maggie in Salluit, a fly-in Inuit community. He arrived in January and was greeted by a treeless landscape, bitterly cold weather and 20 hours of darkness.  But also there to meet him was a people just as curious about this novel, tall African as he was about them. Dullah’s expressive personality, sense of humour, and personal experience dealing with trauma helped break down the cultural barriers. He became immersed in the community.  He took on numerous roles, from helping create a fitness center, coaching basketball, co-founding a running club, offering art and stained glass programs for teenagers at risk; to being a foster parent.

In 2015, he took a year-long program at NSCC and discovered a passion for film and video production. Dullah plans to use this new skillset in the future to give voice to those who have none. A recent highlight was filming a documentary about Salluit youth who travel to Hawaii to run in a half-marathon; a project that promotes health and resilience in Inuit youth.

“My journey has been difficult but I have met so many good people along the way. They have become my family in Canada. Antigonish is a very special place to me. It is such a positive community.”

Every time he returns home, his first visit is to Lise and ACALA. He updates her on his projects, dreams and plans – from personal to professional. He seeks her advice and attentive ear. Leaving the urban centres of Toronto and Montreal for the gifts and relationships so easily discovered in a small community was the best decision he could have made.

ACALA opened doors for him – and now he opens doors for others.

 

 

Posted on August 1, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with 4 comments

Livingstone’s Cove at sunset

 

Simple things.

I suppose we  ( baby boomers )  are no different than previous generations. Most of us who had the good fortune and the pure luck of the draw to be born in small town Canada, have a somewhat romantic notion of our childhood. I say most because I know there are lots of people who would rather forget their childhood.

My brother, Tom is in from the West coast for a visit. We went for an early morning walk yesterday. We walked beside mist covered , verdant fields . The air was crisp with a freshness hard to describe. Not once did we utter words like Brexit, ISIS , Sika virus nor did we discuss the U.S. Presidential race. We didn’t even mention the fact that the Toronto Blue Jays now occupy top spot in the A.L. East ( at least they did when I composed this piece! ).

No. We discussed trapping muskrats, running ice cream stands, mowing grass at the cemetery and pumping gas. Many of us grew up in large families and our parents had zero disposable income. If we wanted the finer things in life, like a Joe Louie and a Coke, we had to be very enterprising. So Tom got up early in the morning when he was a young boy and traipsed down to the West River to check his traps. His first trap was acquired through a low interest loan of $2.00 from our dad, P.D. From these humble beginnings , he learned about hard work and entrepreneurship.

He operated the campground in the field ( the Salt Ponds ) beside what is now the Canadian Tire store at the mall…. and a very successful ice cream stand. Our younger sister, Teresa was his key staff person. He is not convinced that she would have the same fond memories of scooping out gallons of ice cream in a hot , sweaty shack, inhabited by flies!

I mowed the grass at the graveyard for Joe Mike for a buck an hour, with infrequent breaks for burials. I also pumped gas for the same princely hourly wage at a Gulf Station near the Oasis Campground.

How did you earn your first dollar? The person who sends me the most interesting story about a job in their youth gets a Week45 hat!

The long walk gave us time to reminisce. We both realized that time is life’s most valuable asset and having the luxury to enjoy time in retirement is very special.

I had the privilege of attending a memorial service for the late Berkley Cameron on the weekend. Several hundred of his friends from the teaching fraternity and old friends from the golf club along with many other acquaintances, gathered to remember Berkley. He was the youngest of 12 in an enormously talented family. And Berkley may have been the most talented of the works, according to an older brother who eulogized him. It was a warm, witty affair and a very fitting celebration of a life well lived.

Lastly, our granddaughter Ivory is travelling by train with Nana and will arrive in Montreal later today. We will miss having her around. She is young, energetic (!) exuberant and interesting. Every day was an adventure. Au revoir, Ivory!

Hope you’re enjoying the holiday today and have a great week.

 

Posted on July 28, 2016 under Faces in the Crowd with 3 comments

 

“Laughter in the workplace is one of the most important things in business.”

Meet Mike Sullivan.

Mike’s heart is never far from the water. One of three boys born and raised in Canso, it is a place he treasures for its small town values. His father was a fisherman but didn’t want his sons to follow in his footsteps. That didn’t keep Mike from swimming and boating, passions that he maintains to this day. When he and his wife eventually settled in Antigonish the thing he missed most was the smell of the salt air.

He took a year off after high school and worked at the local Co-op. Despite the friendly staff, he knew that this wouldn’t be his life’s work. His father was also a fine carpenter, so Mike headed off to NSCC to acquire this trade. The next few years found him trying to discover his niche as he took a variety of courses, but none of them grabbed his attention.

He married a local girl and school teacher, Maureen Lumsden. With the decline in the fishery they realized that there wasn’t much of a future for them and their first child in Canso. One day he responded to an ad from Midas looking for a mechanic at their Antigonish outlet. Even though he didn’t have the required papers, he had an aptitude for the job and offered to do a day’s work for nothing so that the boss could check him out. That was on Valentine’s Day, 2000. Three years later he became manager of the business and eventually wrote his exam and got the required documents to become a certified mechanic.

He had finally found his niche.

Despite the success he was having in business, he was dealing with some personal issues which had the capacity to derail his plans. He made some life-changing decisions that set him on a path to happiness and fulfillment.

A few years later he had an opportunity to buy the business. He decided to put his own name on the shingle and the rest is history. Sullivan’s Auto Centre is now a thriving enterprise on the corner of Main and Court Streets.

He and the family took their first big trip together a few years ago to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. It was an amazing experience and Mike picked up some valuable tips on client service, noticing that the staff at this tourist destination was always friendly and smiling.

And what are the keys to his success? “Give everyone the same good service. You need to know how to read people. Never look in someone’s pockets. I treat people fairly. And it helps to be just a little bit crazy!”

Mike is the picture of contentment. “I have a wonderful life. I have a great wife and family, a loyal (and sometimes irreverent!) staff and great customers.”

Whenever he can, he heads down Route 16 to his beloved hometown to relax at his camper and spend a bit of time on his boat.  Inhaling the scent of the briny ocean keeps him grounded and ready for whatever lies ahead.