Local Collaboration Assists African
and Russian Schools
A collaborative effort among local college
bookstores, student groups, citizens, and the Maine National
Guard resulted in the shipment of much needed books and school
supplies to students in need oversees. Pictured here left
to right are Barbara Vassallo, Bookstore Manager at Andover
College, Barry Rodrigue, USM/L-A professor, Zark Van Zandt,
Dean, USM/L-A,(standing) Sgt. Kim Dionne, Maine National
Guard and a recent USM/L-A graduate, ISOLO member and USM/L-A
graduate student Ismail Ahmed, and Carol Veilleux, Andover
College Assistant Director of Education. At far right is
Amy Love, wife of Captain Andrew Love who is serving in Iraq,
with their children Brianna, Monica, and Nicholas.
Several schools, libraries, and organizations
in overseas nations will soon be receiving some much-needed
supplies
as a result of a local collaborative effort.
The International Student Organization of Lewiston
Auburn (ISOLA), which is based at USM’s Lewiston-Auburn
College, has begun shipping books and supplies to several
schools
and libraries in Africa and Russia, as well as clothing to
the people of Afghanistan and Iraq.
ISOLA sent out a call to the community for
these supplies last year. The schools and libraries they
are assisting are
located in Zimbabwe, Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, and Russia.
The USM-LA Campus Bookstore and the Andover
College Bookstore in Portland have donated textbooks and
school supplies that
have been shipped to Africa. Many individuals from the central
Maine area and from as far away as Alaska have contributed
clothing, footwear, children's literature, and additional
school supplies. While ISOLA arranged the shipping of books
to Africa
and Russia, the Maine National Guard stepped forward
to handle the shipping of clothing to Afghanistan and Iraq.
“This kind of cooperative effort among
local colleges, the National Guard, and individual citizens
is what made
this project really special to us,” said Faculty Advisor
Dr. Barry Rodrigue. Ismail Ahmend, program coordinator, added, “We
are very grateful to Andover College and the Guard for their
generosity and support.”
ISOLA is a multicultural and international
student group that focuses on the promotion of diversity
in the United
States. The group sponsors a variety of programs and events
that bring together African-American, Asian American, Latin
American, Native-American, and Euramerican experiences. These
include seminars, social gatherings, courses, publications,
committee work, and other vehicles for communication. For
more information, please check their website at www.usm.maine.edu/lac/isola/ or email isola@usm.maine.edu.
^ back to news
|
