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Meet the 2023 New Orleans Alumni Team

New Orleans, Louisiana
April 4th-16th

This April, a team of seven FFI Alumni will be traveling to New Orleans and staying at the North Rampart Community Center for an Advanced Leadership Training Program. This high-level leadership program for our most engaged and advanced alumni is focused on social justice and includes a trip to our Gulf Coast region. Alumni will meet with community members, practice facilitating workshops, prep for our upcoming summer program season, and work with their teammates to develop the Global Alumni Movement. They will also have a chance to learn about the culture of the New Orleans area. The goal of the program is for the alumni to bring home the skills and lessons they learn while on their program to have a positive impact on their communities. This program is entirely planned and led by our current Josephine A. Lamprey Alumni Fellow, Jessica Maye. Learn more about the Alumni by reading their bios below. 


Follow us on social media to see what this group accomplishes. (@friendsforeverintl on all platforms)

Interested in meeting alumni or sponsoring an activity? Contact Jessica at jessica@ff.international.

NOLA Team: About Us
Serving Food
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Abe (He/Him)

Uganda

Year he participated in FFI: 2015 & 2021

Current job/schooling: Business Development Lead at Cioka Communications Agency and Founder, Peace Works Initiative

Hobbies: Soccer

3 favorite books of all time: Things Fall Apart, The Journey, Bible

How he volunteers: Working with young people

Community issues he is passionate about: Access to education, access to basic health services and information, empowering young people to foster peace

Inspirational quote: "Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world" 

- Desmond Tutu

Diamando (She/Her)

Cyprus

Year she participated in FFI: 2018


Current job/schooling: Project Manager at the Cyprus Youth Council

Hobbies: Walking in nature, reading, watching movies, and meditating

3 favorite books of all time: The Harry Potter Series, Murder at the Orient Express, Pride and Prejudice

How she volunteers: Helps set up booths at fairs for her favorite organizations to raise awareness, and donates food, clothes, or other items to people in need in our community or through the Red Cross

Community issues she is passionate about: Cost of housing in her country, access to public transportation in her village

Inspirational quote: “As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” - Audrey Hepburn

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Dima (She/Her)

Palestine

Year she participated in FFI: 2019

Current job/schooling: Teacher, Harduf High School

Hobbies: Hand crafts, ceramics, reading, writing

3 favorite books of all time: Return to Haifa by Ghassan Kanafani, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, All the Rivers by Dorit Rabinyan

How she volunteers: Street clean ups, helping elderly with groceries

Community issues she is passionate about: Israeli/Palestinian conflict, crime rate, access to education

Inspirational quote: "Good things take time"

Hadas (She/Her)

Israel

Year she participated in FFI: 2018

Current job/schooling: Preparing to go to university for economics and political science

Hobbies: Hand crafts, ceramics, reading, writing

3 favorite books of all time: The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, Wonder, Nine Princes in Amber

How she volunteers: At a school for kids with disabilities, giving food to those who need it, and spending time with the elderly 

Community issues she is passionate about: Diviseness between people, food waste

Inspirational quote: "Never harm in peace. Stay in harmony" - IMDDB, Child's Play.

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Jessica (She/Her) - Program Leader

Northern Ireland

Year she participated in FFI: 2014


Current job/schooling: Oncology Nurse at Ninewells Hospital Dundee, currently taking a career break to volunteer with FFI. 

Hobbies: Cold water swimming, reading, travelling and socializing with friends 

3 favorite books of all time: Bigger Than Us by Fearne Cotton, How Long Have I Got by Fiona Munro, November 9 by Colleen Hoover 

How she volunteers: Visiting elderly people at Community Companions Dundee, on the board of SSYCC youth club, helping run youth programs with FFI 

Community issues she is passionate about: Social isolation amongst the elderly, opportunities for young people

Inspirational quote: "Breathe with ease, speak with purpose, live in peace."

Robyn (She/Her)

Northern Ireland

Year she participated in FFI: 2017

Current job/schooling: Third year medical student at the University of Aberdeen

Hobbies: Reading, yoga, swimming, coffee and tea making, cooking

3 favorite books of all time: Dune by Frank Herbert, Fear by Thich Nhat Hanh, Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson

How she volunteers: Supply drives, community meetings, facilitating workshops with FFI

Community issues she is passionate about: Healthcare worker and student disconnect and burnout, the isolation of older people and community disconnect

Inspirational quote: "Sthira sukham!" (steady and at ease) - Patanjali

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Steph (She/Her)

Northern Ireland

Year she participated in FFI: 2005

Current job/schooling: SEMH school, C&YP psychotherapist

Hobbies: Reading, listening to country music

3 favorite books of all time: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, A Time To Kill by John Grisham, and A Boy Called It by Dave Pelzer

How she volunteers: Offering counseling services to young people via telephone when they have been referred by a support worker

Community issues she is passionate about: Providing basic needs to children

Inspirational quote: "Before I learned civility, I used to scream ferociously, any time I wanted." - Taylor Swift

NOLA Team: Our Team

Logistical Information

Program Focus

Program Development, Community Engagement, Alumni Planning

Number of Participants

7

Number of Leaders

1 Alumni Leader, 1 Staff Member

Ages Range

19-33

Team Interests

Activism, leadership, volunteering

Dietary Restrictions

Plant-based

Allergies

N/A

Vehicle

15-Passenger Van

NOLA Team: List
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