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.
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
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.
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
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
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