By Elena Ray
Divine Selengbe, Ifraax Saciid-Ciise, Safiya Khalid, and Mohamed Awil are among the first generation of African-born Mainers to grow from childhood to adulthood in Lewiston. Now powerful young advocates and leaders, they are working in unique yet related ways to see the city thrive that they and their fellow immigrants have helped revitalize and transform over the past two decades.
Each of the four advocates arrived in Lewiston as a refugee in the early 2000s, immigrating with their families to escape violent conflict in their countries of origin. Each grew up in the Lewiston Public Schools and earned post-secondary degrees while navigating the challenges of being first-generation immigrants. All four experienced the struggles and complexities of integrating into American culture while embracing and preserving their African identities. And over time, they all have become passionate adult advocates who are making important contributions toward a stronger Lewiston.
Meet Mohamed Awil
Mohamed Awil has always dreamed of creating a business that would improve the lives of others. Community Staffing Partners (CSP), which he founded in 2020, is dedicated to helping immigrants join and succeed in the workforce, and is the product of this lifelong aspiration.
“We help New Mainers integrate into the workforce while ensuring Maine employers are culturally competent,” Awil explained.
Under Awil’s leadership, CSP connects immigrants with job opportunities and provides services such as employment case management, job coaching, and transitional transportation.
“Maine is one of the oldest states in the country,” Awil said. “Our population demographic is elderly, and we need young people to enter the workforce. Immigrants can help fill in those gaps.”
He has built his professional life around bridging those gaps, and fostering connections between Lewiston’s population and its institutions and organizations.
Awil is intimately aware of the challenges inherent in being a newcomer in a foreign city, since he immigrated to Lewiston from Kenya with his family as a young boy. “Immigrating is never easy, especially as a young kid, but it gave me a new perspective,” he said.
“Moving to America opened my eyes to opportunities – it gave me a community and offered me a better life, but it was also a new environment and culture that was hard to acclimate to while preserving my roots.”
Awil quickly realized as a child that the difficulties he and his family faced were not unique. All the other immigrants he knew also struggled – due to language and cultural barriers – to find stable, well-paying jobs. It became clear to Awil that Lewiston would benefit from developing organizations and supportive programs to assist immigrants through the adaptation and integration process.
After graduating from Lewiston High School in 2014, he attended Salem University in West Virginia on an athletic scholarship before transferring to the University of Southern Maine (USM) to be closer to home. While at USM, Awil got an internship at Gateway Community Services, and worked on the operational team to assist immigrants and refugees in the Portland and Lewiston areas. He is currently on the board of the Tree Street Youth and Trinity Jubilee Center, and has worked for Spurwink, Community Concepts, Preble Street, and the North American Family Institute.
Awil founded CSP to address the need for stable employment opportunities for immigrants. “When I immigrated here as a kid, a lot of people, including my parents, had to work multiple odd jobs to support themselves. Especially with the language barrier, it’s really hard for immigrants to get stable, consistent, well-paying jobs. Most of the time, the jobs they can access are low-paying and don’t [pay] enough to support themselves and their families,” he said.
Nowadays, Awil hears from young people that Maine is lacking in professional opportunities, and they are leaving the state to pursue a career elsewhere. He thinks this is a shame. There are plenty of good jobs in Maine, he said, but there needs to be a closer connection between employers and available workers.
In addition to his work with CSP, Awil is also the Associate Director of Volunteer Programs and Community Partnerships at Bates College’s Harward Center, which has led a push for Bates College to be an active, contributing member of the Lewiston community. While growing up in Lewiston and running track at Bates, Awil saw a distinct separation between the college and the local community. However, this has shifted dramatically in the past decade, he said.
“I think [Bates] students need the community just as much as the community needs them. At the Harward Center, we want to create two-way relationships that benefit both our students and the organizations we partner with. Above all, we value mutual co-creation,” he said. His primary role at Bates is the facilitation of mutually beneficial connections between Bates students and the Lewiston community. “I love what the Harward Center is trying to do, and I’m honored to be a part of it.”
A three-sport athlete in high school, Awil is also passionate about mentoring and coaching young athletes, and serves as an assistant coach with the Lewiston High School track and field team. “I’ve always had that coaching mindset, and I love the kids. The kids appreciate having someone who’s been through the program, who they can relate to. They know that they can always look to me for guidance or advice, both academically and athletically,” he explained.
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Lewiston has immense potential, Awil said, and he views his work as giving back to the place that shaped him. “As Lewiston continues to grow socially and economically, we will see this community flourish, and Bates will play a huge role!”
Meet Safiya Khalid
In 2022, Safiya Khalid and her brother Mohamed Khalid co-founded the Community Organizing Alliance (COA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for equity, celebrating diversity, and encouraging civic engagement among BIPOC and low-income Mainers. Since its founding, the organization has educated close to 400 adults, equipping them with knowledge about government structures, legislative advocacy, the importance of being involved in one’s community, and the role of voting in exercising one’s voice.
“In 2022, COA was really active in getting out the vote and engaged in canvassing and providing transportation and interpretation. We plan to do that in this election season as well,” Khalid said. “Starting in May, COA has been trying to ensure that everyone we work with is registered to vote. Since then, we have registered close to 200 people. But I think the biggest thing is getting people to the polls on election day and educating them on the candidates’ policies.”
Nearly two decades before Khalid’s professional journey began, when she was just 7 years old, Khalid’s family immigrated to the U.S. from Somalia. They initially settled in New Jersey before moving to Lewiston, where they found a welcoming and dynamic community of fellow Somali immigrants. In 2014, she graduated from Lewiston High School and enrolled in the University of Southern Maine, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Khalid’s work has long focused on, and continues to emphasize, the power of mobilizing communities concerning critical social issues. She values community collaboration and discussion, describing COA as functioning in a “bottom-up” and not “top-down” manner. “Honestly, all staff share decision-making,” she said. “We’re very small and that has many benefits because we’re constantly communicating with each other. The collaboration at COA is very fluid.”
In 2019, Khalid became the first Somali American to be elected to the Lewiston City Council. Her election was a powerful signal to immigrants in Maine that representation and inclusion in local government is possible. As a City Council member, Khalid advocated for policies that supported immigrants and refugees, as well as other vulnerable communities in Lewiston, with the goal of creating a more inclusive community with equitable systems and institutions.
Prior to her role on the City Council, Khalid clerked for the Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing and was a member of the executive committee of the Maine Democratic party, the vice chairwoman of the Lewiston Democratic Committee, a participant in Emerge Maine’s candidate training program, and an intern at the Maine State House in Augusta.
However, she said she became disheartened by the immense demographic disparity in Maine’s places of power, so when her time as a Lewiston City Council member came to a close, Khalid knew she did not wish to run again. She remains passionate about politics and public policy, but now channels that passion into community education and organizing.
“I think my lived experience led me to the creation of COA,” Khalid said. “I was really engaged in politics and policy, and I was in many spaces that very few people of color were engaged in. So that got me thinking, what are the gaps? How can I reduce the disparities?”
This May, Khalid earned a master’s degree in public policy from Northeastern University. Her studies have motivated her more than ever to work hard to educate others about the power and potential of political systems and policies.
Meet Ifraax Saciid-Ciise
Pull-out: “Fatuma Hussein’s groundbreaking work as the first Somali female community organizer in Lewiston inspired me to become an advocate for social justice. Her leadership in building bridges between cultures and addressing the needs of our community ignited a desire to create positive change. I aspire to follow in her footsteps by creating positive change within my own community.”
In 2021, Ifraax Saciid-Ciise founded IFKA Community Services, a Lewiston-based nonprofit organization that assists Somali-speaking immigrants and refugees from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. Aware of the needs of her community at an early age because of her own experience as a refugee, Saciid-Ciise has built an organization that works to bridge gaps between cultures and provides vital services and assistance to those navigating the complex challenges of a new country. IFKA, which means “Mother Earth” in Somali, is particularly focused on supporting and empowering immigrant mothers.
Saciid-Ciise’s family lost their home and business during the civil war in Somalia in the 1980s and immigrated to the U.S. in 1993, initially living in Atlanta, Georgia, before moving to Lewiston in 2002. Her family was one of the first Somali families to settle in Lewiston, and her mother, Shukri Abasheikh – or Mama Shruki as she is affectionately known by many – opened the Mogadishu Store on Lisbon Street, a market that sells traditional Somali food, clothing, and other everyday items.
More immigrants began arriving in Lewiston during the early 2000s, and many of them had limited language skills and no idea how to navigate and integrate into a foreign country. They looked to Mama Shruki for guidance and assistance, and Mama Shruki, who was busy running her business, looked to her daughter for help.
“I founded IFKA because I was already assisting the Somali-speaking community unofficially for many years,” Saciid-Ciise recalled. “I saw the needs of the immigrant community firsthand, and I was motivated to create an organization to attempt to adequately address those needs. Now I assist people with everything from public health to legal support to finding housing,” she said with a smile.
Currently, IFKA Community Services has two staff members and 10 dedicated volunteers, including Melissa “Frankie” Dunn, a committed community organizer, who has volunteered countless hours at IFKA and has been a crucial part of the organization’s growth. When asked about the focus on immigrant mothers, Dunn explained, “Immigrant mothers are really vital to our community. They’re doing the healing, they’re doing the caretaking. They are the foundation for so much. So it’s really important that IFKA is here and giving a voice to Somali mothers in the Lewiston community.”
IFKA focuses on helping immigrants and refugees overcome the language barrier and learn about local resources, but there are also thousands of everyday tasks that can loom large, like getting groceries or figuring out legal documents. “There are so many logistical things that sound simple until you’re trying to navigate and do it all by yourself. Especially for mothers taking care of children – they have so many things to figure out while trying to fulfill their duty as a parent,” Saciid-Ciise explained.
One of IFKA’s core principles is empowering the community to lead, so that the support provided is relevant and impactful. “I want ideas and suggestions to come from [the people we serve],” Saciid-Ciise said. For example, when mothers expressed concerns about increasing gun violence following a tragic death in the community, IFKA organized discussions and workshops about gun laws in Maine.
Additionally, because many Somali mothers worry that their children are losing touch with their roots, which erodes understanding and closeness between parents and their children, Saciid-Ciise plans to establish afterschool programs and summer camps that offer cultural education. “The mothers constantly ask me to create programs where their children can learn about their culture, traditions, and language. The mothers are happy their children are integrating, but they also don’t want them to be completely Americanized. They want to keep their culture preserved and alive.”
Looking ahead, Ifraax Saciid-Ciise plans to expand IFKA Community Services and enhance the support it offers, helping to create a community where immigrants can noy only adapt but also thrive, embracing their life in Maine while preserving their rich culture and traditions.
Meet Divine Selengbe
Divine Selengbe graduated from Lewiston High School in 2016, earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Thomas College in Waterville, then worked with ProsperityME for a few years before deciding to move to a position in city government. She now serves as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Specialist for the City of Lewiston, a position she has held since October 2023.
Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, she moved to the U.S. at 5 years old. Her family settled in Saint Albans, Vermont, a town of only six thousand predominantly white people.
“At the time, it felt like my family was the only Black family in that town. And now I’m realizing that we probably were,” Selengbe joked. That experience instilled in her an intimate understanding of the challenges faced by fellow minorities, fueling a passion for equality and inclusion that would only grow.
When Selengbe moved from Vermont to Maine in 2008 at age 11, she was shocked by the diversity of Lewiston. “Although Maine is a very white state, Lewiston is a pocket of culture and diversity, and I felt that right away,” she said. Growing up in Lewiston, one of the most diverse cities in Maine, Selengbe witnessed the unique blend of cultures and ethnicities that make Lewiston special. This firsthand experience of the city’s evolving demographics and community dynamics inspired her to stay and contribute to her city’s growth and developing diversity.
In her current role as Lewiston’s DEI Specialist, Selengbe works to ensure equitable hiring practices and inclusive work environments. She also collaborates with city departments and local organizations to promote and celebrate diversity, and directs the Lewiston Youth Advisory Council (LYAC).
“Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions and negative opinions about DEI,” Selengbe acknowledged. “But the mission of the position is to level the historically unequal playing field and generally promote respect and decency in the workplace.” She also leads DEI trainings and participates in numerous boards and committees that plan events for the community.
A notable project close to her heart is the Youth Advisory Council, composed of a group of high school students who work collaboratively with the City Council to engage with community issues and implement beneficial initiatives. One example was their 2023 “Let Diversity Shine Event,” which highlighted and celebrated the “origins, ethnicities, and cultures of those who call Lewiston home.” Selengbe herself was a member of the LYAC when she attended Lewiston High School.
“It feels so full circle to now be overseeing [the council] and working with the next generation of community leaders,” she said. “I’m so excited to be the LYAC advisord because I’m passionate about working with young people and hearing what they have to say. Working with these kids and helping them make their vision come to life is a dream come true.”
A changed community
When Mohamed Awil, Safiya Khalid, Ifraax Saciid-Ciise, Divine Selengbe arrived in the U.S., Lewiston was a very different place, with an almost entirely white population, many of whom had never known anyone from outside Androscoggin and other nearby counties. Since then, through the efforts of many people on all sides of the political spectrum, and all demographic groups, the city has become more international and more welcoming.
And at the heart of the change, through their work in inclusive policies and programs, education initiatives, cultural celebrations, and civic engagement, young people like Awil, Khalid, Saciid-Ciise, and Selenge are serving as an inspiration to others, demonstrating the power of commitment and community leadership in creating positive change.
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Elena Ray is a senior at Haverford College where she studies religion and peace, justice, and human rights. After graduating, she plans to go to law school with the aim of becoming an immigration lawyer.
