Mukeshimana Family
“In the refugee camp, you never dream. You are waiting for nothing.”
Originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Mukeshimana family fled to Rwanda as refugees in 1996 amidst the civil unrest and war in DRC that put their lives at risk.
They stayed in the refugee camp in Rwanda for an eternity—26 years. All their children were born in the camp. Part of the reason for their lengthy stay was that Bora’s father passed away during their stay. All the family’s documentation and files were under her father’s name, and upon his death, they had to start from scratch.
After a great deal of formalities and paperwork, they were granted refugee status by Canada last year. After a lifetime of waiting, they undertook the journey from Kigali International Airport in Rwanda to Lethbridge.
They forgot all about the challenging journey once they realized how happy they would be in Lethbridge. They have been here for 8 months.
“Since we came to Canada, everything is good. LFS has been taking care of us properly the whole time.” Bora said through an LFS interpreter.
When asked what they would want their community to understand about the refugee experience, they said that the biggest factor is the feeling of safety—people take for granted their security and safety.
The Mukeshimana family with LFS Settlement Practitioners.
“In the refugee camp, we had nothing. We were restricted. Even the help we did receive was insignificant.”
But now, the Mukeshimana family has access to medical services, they are learning English, their children can go to school, and they have the freedom to improve their lives. They can dream and envision a future for themselves.
Alexis (pronounced ah-lek-see) will look for employment once he has a good grasp of English, while Bora takes care of the young children. The children will go to school and daycare in September, at which point Bora can also take English classes. Their biggest priority right now is learning English, and they are devoting a great deal of effort to this.
Accommodation is becoming a challenge for newcomers in Lethbridge, as with the rest of the country. LFS and our newcomers are limited by the availability of rental units. The Mukeshimana family's current accommodations are much too small for a family of 8.
Renting homes to newcomers is very reliable, as they typically receive financial assistance for a set term. If you have a rental property and are looking for tenants, please get in touch with mabushaban@lfsfamily.ca.
On behalf of Lethbridge and southern Alberta, we are happy to have the Mukeshimana family as part of our community.
