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The
Man from East Africa
by Mahmoud M. Nafie |
| Hi! My name
is Mahmoud M. Nafie. I’m from Bani Amir tribes and I was born and raised
in East Africa. It is an honor to be here in the United States of America.
Thank God for the day that I’m here in the U.S.A. Ladies and gentlemen, I’m going to tell you a little bit about myself. In 1987 I moved from San Jose, California to San Francisco. Then I got involved in love and things didn’t work so good. And I started to drink a lot of alcohol. And I used to go to my friend’s house and we would drink a lot and smoke a little weed. From there my friend introduced me to crack cocaine. I became a crack monster, and selfish, manipulative and a thief of shoplifting. So to make a long story short, I started breaking the law and ended up in jail. Thanks to God and my probation officer from there I went to a program. My probation officer told me I was a good person except when I drank. He asked the court to send me to a program. So I went to a program inside the jail house called Roads to Recovery for four months. Then I found a bed in the Jelani House. From start to finish the Jelani House welcomed me with open hands. I knew that I had a difficult time reading and writing and speaking English. Thanks to my counselor, Larry Evans, he supported me and he told me we all have problems. He said he was going to help me. He called the Main Library to find me a tutor and they found a very special and kind tutor. Her name is Anne Hilbert and she is still tutoring me. So, ladies and gentlemen, that is why I am writing this note to you today. I thank God and the people in the library, and I thank God that I am clean and sober today. Today I am taking care of myself and my old mother in Africa and my loved ones. Thank you and God bless you. |
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