Man uses live trivia show to help connect immigrant communities
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Portland, Maine (WMTW ) — A man who is originally from East Africa and now lives in Portland is welcoming a growing audience every Sunday night for his live trivia show.
Cedric Mfuranzima grew up in Rwanda where he hosted trivia shows during high school. He then moved to Maine.
“It felt like home to me,” said Mfuranzima. “So I kept doing it even after high school. When I was lucky enough to come to United States, it took a minute to find a way to do it.”
When the pandemic hit, he didn’t flinch and realized taking his show online could reach even more people. Now, every Sunday night he’s livestreaming on YouTube, welcoming contestants from Portland and Africa.
He says some questions feature a little spice from back home, focused on East African Culture.
“I have a great opportunity too to comment on some of the things, too,” said Mfuranzima. “The way they compare here and there, but also folks reminding me of things I experienced back home. It feels amazing and I always have a blast.”
He says getting a chance to show his personality while meeting new friends – and keeping the old – has helped him feel more welcome in a new community. He wants other immigrants to find that comfort, too.
He also hopes his show can remind everyone that learning is still cool.
“There’s some power that comes with having an inquisitive mind, you want to question everything,” said Mfuranzima . “You want to discover. It’s a lot of fun and it feels empowering, even though we are far apart you feel like ‘OK, I just gained something.'”
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