Komla Sam Ewu was born in Yokele, which is located in West Africa. After growing up with several hardships that many children in West Africa face such as hunger and physical abuse, he attained his high school diploma and then went on to achieve his Masters’ Degree in Linguistics from the University of Lome-Togo. Sam came to the United States on December 3rd, 2011, leaving behind his wife, Kafui, and two children. Currently, Sam is living in Beardstown Illinois and he is the President of Immigrant Families United and also a Board Member of an affiliate of Gamaliel called the Faith Coalition for the Common Good (FCCG).
How did you get involved with Gamaliel?
Sam became involved with Gamaliel through his involvement in the Immigrant Families United organization in Beardstown. He attended weeklong training and then was elected into his position and quickly became a leader in the organization. Sam is a volunteer leader for Immigrant Families United and the Faith Coalition for the past three years.
What are some of your recent accomplishments?
Sam has been making progress with many victories recently in FCCG, which include an Immigration Taskforce and other activities. With the Immigration Taskforce, FCCG’s goal is to provide a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented people living in the United States. FCCG also hosted a public meeting with special guest, Senator Dick Durbin in May 2013 to show the need for a Senate Immigration Reform. There were 150 Latino and African immigrant people who attended the meeting. Sam also played a role in hosting a public hearing on National Immigrant Reform for 25 leaders with Senator Andy Manar at the Katherine Drexel Parish. To strengthen a parent-teach-student relationship for immigrant families, Sam has also been meeting with parents and teachers in Beardstown High school.
What are you currently working on?
Sam has also visited House and Senate Representatives in Washington, D.C. to discuss the “Dream for ALL” campaign for Comprehensive Immigration Reform along with meeting with Congressman Aaron Schock and Rodney Davis about the reform as well. He helped organize an immigration legal aid clinic in Beardstown, IL and he helped organize the annual African Day Celebration in Rushville, IL. Currently, Sam is working hard to meet the requirements to register in Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) in UIS at Springfield.
How has your faith inspired your leadership within the Gamaliel Network?
As a leader, Sam wants to be viewed as a driven man in the achievement for the common good for all. Since he was elected as president of Immigration Families United and elected as a board member of FCCG, he has worked hard to achieve these different victories to help as many immigrants as he can to be considered equal in the United States. Sam acknowledges that his faith has inspired his leadership position in the way that he always fetches his force, his humility, his belief, and his understanding of others from the Holy Scriptures.