In 2002, after suffering severe torture and violence at the hands of rebels, David* and his family fled the Congo and vowed never to return. After a harrowing journey through Rwanda and Uganda, the family arrived in Nairobi. Initially, life in Nairobi was better for David and his family, but they again feared for their safety after receiving threatening phone calls. In 2005, David’s eldest son disappeared and was never heard from again. Believing that his son had been abducted, David feared the safety of his entire family was at enormous risk. In 2009, unknown men brutally attacked David, leaving him with stab wounds and head injuries. Despite these challenges, David began a tailoring business and his wife began teaching French at a local school, enabling them to support their family. With RefugePoint’s support, David’s wife began attending counseling sessions to cope with post-traumatic stress. David attended a RefugePoint business skills training and received a grant enabling him to expand his business. David now has a contract to sew backpacks for refugee school children. Like many refugees, David and his family worked extremely hard to create a stable life for themselves in Nairobi, but for reasons beyond their control, they remained in danger. In the end, resettlement to a safe country was the best option and with RefugePoint’s assistance, David and his family were resettled to Canada where they are far from the persecution that they painfully remember.
*Name changed for anonymity