People
Learn more about people who brought this project into existence.
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Fowsia Musse, a Somali refugee woman and community leader in Lewiston, Maine developed a theory of posttraumatic growth grounded in both her lived experiences and her work with Somali refugee women. Her theory outlines five key concepts, known as the 5Rs, representing phases of healing and growth after trauma. These 5Rs are natural and non-linear processes for Somali people’s experiences with Ka Bogso.
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Yun Garrison is a Korean immigrant psychologist and Bates College professor in Lewiston, Maine. She transformed Fowsia’s oral theory into a written one, building on four years of collaboration with her. In addition to writing and visual conceptualization, she contributed fabrics from her grandmother, who endured, healed, and grew after the trauma of colonialism and war. She directed the Ka Bogso Project, which included curating public art display events and creating a digital gallery.
Bates College students have been working to prepare for the Ka Bogso local gallery and digital displays, actively supporting upcoming community events.
Bates Student Team
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Olivia Gidlow is a senior at Bates College from Cleveland, Ohio. She has been working with Yun Garrison as her thesis advisor to write her thesis. She gathered feedback about the 5Rs posttraumatic growth model. She is honored to be a part of the Ka Bogso team as she has had the pleasure of seeing this project grow and has witnessed how art and community are powerful tools for healing.
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Reynolds Huard is a Sophomore from Athens, Ohio, studying Psychology and Gender and Sexuality Studies at Bates College. He has found being a member of the Ka Bogso team and learning to apply Psychological theory for the purpose of healing and maintaining the holistic wellbeing of marginalized and traumatized communities through accessible, de-colonial means to be a truly inspiring and hopeful experience. Through Ka Bogso, he has learned the meaning and pleasures of engaging in purposeful, community-centered work which he hopes to continue throughout his time at Bates, expand upon in further education, and use as the basis for a professional clinical/counseling Psychology career
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Deborah Meillah Hirwa Asiimwe, a Bates College student from Rwanda, is passionate about healing from intergenerational trauma. Growing up in a country marked by both profound adversity and resilience, Deborah is committed to fostering community spaces where stories of struggle and growth are shared and honored.
Through the Ka Bogso Project and the Ka Bogso exhibit, Deborah celebrates the power of communal healing, connecting diverse paths to resilience. She hopes her work inspires others to uplift each other’s journeys and build communities rooted in shared healing.
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Ro Emerson is from Apache Junction, Arizona. Being part of the Ka Bogso team means learning from and uplifting the voices of those in their community who they stand with in prayer and solidarity. They hope to uplift a message of healing and growth that is accessible and meaningful to folks coming from all walks of life.
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Tatum Holley is from Bedford, Massachusetts. She is grateful to be part of the Ka Bogso team and collaborate with the local community. She is interested in how people can come together and embrace their healing journey through storytelling, visual art, and connection. Furthermore, she is excited to see how Ka Bogso can inspire people to share their experiences and find comfort in community.
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Maggie Kornfeind is from Los Angeles, California. She is honored to be a part of the Ka Bogso team and feel connected to using art as a healing methodology. Celebrating the lived experiences of Somali refugees in Lewiston is integral to fighting the systems of oppression we are called to dismantle through a social justice lens.