The DreamHour Migrant Series 2020

DreamWeek Speaker Series 2020: series of 21 presentations that focus on the migrant experience in America. It will showcase diversity, challenges, struggles, and successes through each individual’s participation highlighting the navigation of the cultural intersection between one’s home country and one’s new home. Today’s Series will consist of three migrants from three different countries:

5:30 PM Doors open

6:00 – 6:45 PM, Waldinei (Wally) Lafaiete, (Brazil) – “From Brazil to Texas through the Lens of Wally Lafaiete”

7:00 – 7:45 PM,  Lily Guindy (Egypt) – “The Journey of My Dreams”

8:00 – 8:45 PM, Uchenna L Umeh (Nigeria) – “Ije Oma (He -alone- knows the journey’s destination)”

Speakers’ Bios:

Waldinei (Wally) Lafaiete

When photographer, Waldinei “Wally” Lafaiete snaps an image, it is more than just capturing a moment. He likens photography to conceptual art, enhanced by his subjects’ beauty and symmetry, simplicity, and colors. Through his lenses, he freezes time in the visual world his imagination inhabits. Living in San Antonio since 2009, the city’s cultural and ethnic diversity stimulates his South American soul.Wally is a San Antonio photographer and Editor-in-Chief of Maestro Magazine. Wally has photographed fashion shows, models, socialites, influencers, artists and TV personalities. His images have graced covers of magazines and his work has also been seen in international periodicals. Wally loves traveling and he has captured through his lens people and landscapes in more than 30 countries! He is constantly amazed to find beautiful photography settings from humble villages to palaces.

Lily Guindy

Lily Guindy is the Program Coordinator for DreamWeek 2020. Born and raised in Cairo, Egypt. As a Life Coach and a volunteer, she pursues her passion to help others. And she utilized this fully at the time of the Revolution of January 2011 and the rise up of the Arab Spring in Egypt. She volunteered in the KDEC Field hospital in the Tahrir Square for 3 years where, for the first time in her life time, she witnessed the Political unrest of the country. Lily moved to the U.S in 2017 and worked as Event Manager at Vance Airforce base in Oklahoma from 2017 to 2019. She holds a Bachelor Degree in English Literature and Translations from Cairo University, and Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management from the American University in Cairo. Before moving to the U.S., Lily worked at the Public Affairs office of the Embassy of the United States of America in Cairo and was charged with coordinating many of the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership programs and Public Affairs initiatives for over 7 years. She also has a passion for diversity, cultures, and international Relations. Lily received many awards from U.S. Department of State for surpassing her regular duties

Uchenna L Umeh

Dr. Lulu was born in Nigeria. She graduated from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in Kaduna State. After completing medical school in 1991, she moved to the US for her Pediatric Residency training at Howard University Hospital, Washington DC which she completed in 1998. She immediately started her own private practice in South Carolina, which she operated successfully for nearly 15 years. Following a divorce, she sold her practice, joined the United States Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel and moved to Texas where she was stationed at Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland. She received an honorable discharge after her service time ended in 2016, then she worked briefly at Communicare Health Centers, a large multi specialty outpatient clinic in San Antonio until 2018.Over the years, Dr. Lulu noticed a steady increase in the number of patients presenting to see her with depressive illness, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, suicidal attempts, and other challenging mental health disorders. Sadly, one of her beloved patients completed his suicide attempt in 2008, but it was after a visit by an 8 year old patient in 2018, who had attempted suicide twice, that she decided to pivot into the nonclinical arena and start speaking publicly about depression, suicide and mental health challenges in children, teens and young adults. She is continuing to follow her calling to help these special at-risk youth by starting a Youth Health Center.