Somali-Bantu Community of Lewiston, ME: Partner Update
By Julia Wachtel, Nashoba Regional High School Summer Intern

World Farmers is proud to highlight the work of our partner: the Somali Bantu Community Mutual Assistance Association, a nonprofit organization that works towards helping Somali Bantu refugees in Lewiston, Maine. The Somali Bantu community is a small ethnic group located on the river banks in Somalia. In the midst of the Somali Civil War many Bantu fled to Kenya where they lived in refugee camps for a decade, before continuing to the United States. The Somali Bantu Community Mutual Assistance Association was created to give these refugees “the skills and education [they] need to find employment.”

When the Somali Bantu people moved to this rural area, there was hardly any work available to the Bantu people. Executive Director Muhidin Libah decided to seek land to provide agricultural opportunities for the community to help them restart their lives. Today over thirty families use this land to help support themselves.

Presently, the organization is starting a fundraiser called the Well-Wishers campaign to help establish an irrigation system at their farm. Dignity Farm currently has no irrigation system, and is relying solely on rainwater to water their crops. The ongoing drought has made irrigation a pressing issue. Their Well-Wishers campaign is a goal to raise $8,000 by August 4th so that an irrigation system can be put into place for the next season.

If you would like to learn more about the organization you can watch this video about the Somali Bantu Community Mutual Assistance Association here: https://vimeo.com/156052051.

IF you’re able, please donate to their Well-Wishers campaign through their Donate page:
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1121681240855&ca=35007731-7385-47ec-b952-be278d654078