Brian Ombonga
18
WBM may 2011
Laney High School
Brian Ombonga was born in Kenya, although he doesn’t really remember much of his
native land since he moved to Michigan at a young age.
But coming from a place halfway across the globe has lent itself to a laidback attitude
and the proper zeal to help others overcome their barriers.
While residing in East Lansing, Brian says he grew concerned about something he
noticed.
“We had a lot of immigrants in the community there from a lot of different countries,”
he explains. Not being catered to by the school system, Brian, along with other members
of the Multicultural Club, founded International Storytime, a program he helped facilitate
through the local library.
“One thing that was notable was the language barrier,” he says of the immigrant children.
“So we got people who were fluent in different languages—Spanish or French or
Arabic—and just read to the children to show them the value of learning and the importance
of education and hopefully set them on the right track.”
Though Brian has since moved to the Wilmington area, he continues his volunteer