First hour: Afghan teacher on fleeing her home country and the Taliban's restrictions, and starting a new life in Rochester
Second hour: Salsa music pioneer Johnny Vega
Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls over the age of 11 are banned from attending school. The Taliban’s restrictions on females extend to adult women, who are banned from most work and from public spaces. Many Afghan women who flee their home country are filled with the hope of starting a new life. In Rochester, the local nonprofit Keeping Our Promise is helping with that transition. This hour, we’re joined by a teacher who shares her story of escaping Afghanistan and resettling in Rochester with her husband and baby. She came to the U.S. on a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV). We also discuss the state of education, work, and life for women and girls in Afghanistan. Our guests:
- Frohar, teacher who escaped Afghanistan and resettled in Rochester on an SIV
- Ellen Smith, executive director of Keeping Our Promise
- Nadia Hashimi, M.D., pediatrician and author who has consulted for the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants to help design and implement a psychosocial support program for Afghan evacuees
Then in our second hour, salsa music pioneer Johnny Vega is back on Connections. Vega will be inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame next month. The Puerto Rican native has lived in Rochester since 1970, but he and his music have traveled the globe. This hour, we talk with Vega about his life, his work, and we listen to some of his music. Our guests:
- Johnny Vega, international recording artist and salsa music pioneer
- Hector Arguinzoni, member of Vega’s band and leader in the Rochester Puerto Rican community
- Dresden Engle, public relations director for the Rochester Music Hall of Fame
