Forty models and dancers representing 30 countries from around the world celebrated the vibrant ethnic and cultural diversity of Maine women March 8 at the Italian Heritage Center in Portland.

The 200-person gala, organized by local nonprofit Women United Around the World, raised $25,000 for Maine Stitching Academy’s nine-month tuition-free professional sewing program for immigrant women.

“The Academy is a place where women can learn a skill that preserves our heritage and empowers us,” said current student Joelle Mikobi, who immigrated from the Democratic Republic of Congo. “It’s not just about stitches and seams; it’s about independence and creativity. Nothing quite connects me with my roots like the fabrics, the patterns and the styles that remind me of home.”

Mikobi and nine other current Maine Stitching Academy students walked the runway in high-fashion gowns they designed and sewed themselves. Their instructors, Adele Masengo Ngoy and Bijou Luseke, are both immigrants from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where they trained in haute culture at Institut Supérieur des Arts et Métiers.

Ngoy had been a professor there, and in Maine she established herself as owner of Antoine’s Tailor Shop and Formal Wear on Congress Street. In 2015, she founded Women United Around the World as a local nonprofit to celebrate cultural diversity through fashion and fundraise to teach immigrant women to sew. What started as informal lessons was formalized with the launch of Maine Stitching Academy on Congress Street in Portland in September 2024. Twenty-one women have enrolled.

“Our fifth class of students has completed to the beginning level and is moving to the intermediate level,” Ngoy said, adding that continued fundraising is needed to keep the program going.

In addition to the student showcase and a runway show of Ngoy’s work, guests enjoyed a sampler of dance from Azerbaijan, Brazil, Turkey and Ireland and an international fashion show with local women representing the colors, traditions and traditions of their countries of origin—from Angola to Vietnam.

An awards presentation honored four local leaders who — like Ngoy — have invested the time and energy to make a difference here in Maine:

• Sue Roche, executive director of Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, a statewide nonprofit that provides pro bono legal services
• Jenn McAdoo, executive director of Furniture Friends, which delivers donated furniture to people in need throughout Greater Portland
• Marcia Minter, co-founder of Indigo Arts Alliance, which cultivates the artistic development of people of Black and Brown descent
• Dr. Grace Valenzuela, founder of Make It Happen!, a Portland Public Schools program that provides academic support for multilingual students and helps them create competitive academic profiles for college admission and scholarships.

“As an immigrant to this country, I feel genuinely proud to receive this award from an organization led by immigrant women,” Valenzuela said. “Women who, like me, appreciate the courage it takes to leave behind the familiar and start anew. Who understand the resilience required to overcome barriers. And who are aware of the importance of summoning the collective power we hold to shape our communities for the better.”

Amy Paradysz is a freelance writer and photographer based in Scarborough. She can be reached at amyparadysz@gmail.com.