Espes and Gentile

By Diana Karua , Communications Manager

In 2016, when war broke out in their home country, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Espes and Gentile fled for safety, not sure if they would ever see each other again. “On that day, gunshots were fired, which is why we escaped. Some people were in their houses, some were cooking, others were about to eat; they left everything and escaped. You know, when the war broke out, school was in session, and we just fled without knowing where our parents were. We had just joined primary school, but that’s how we stopped schooling,” Espes shared.

Reflecting on their lives before the war, Espes shared, “Though I was young, I still remember life was really good, stress-free, and school fees were not an issue. When one didn’t have, the community would always support. Another good thing was the food, which was always available and cheap. You were free to eat whatever you wished to eat. Something good about our home is that we used to take a lot of milk from our cows. Our father was a farmer. He had a big herd of cows. Life was stress-free. The only time I experienced stress was when I came to Kenya, because of the war.”

In early 2017, after nearly a year of separation, Espes and Gentile unexpectedly reunited in Kenya at a church. “As Congolese in Kenya, we have a day when all the Congolese churches gather at one church to pray for Congo. She [Gentile] saw me at the altar, that’s how we met,” Espes shared.

“I saw her at the altar dancing, and I immediately recognized her and said to myself, ‘That’s my sister.’

After the church service, I waited for her outside. That’s how we met. That day, I did not go back to my home; we went to her home, and we decided to live together. I was happy and still am,” Gentile told us. Sadly, Gentile and Espes are still unsure of the whereabouts of their parents, grandparents, and eight other siblings.

Determined to rebuild their lives, Espes began learning business skills from other women in her community. “When I arrived in Kenya, I met women from my tribe who were selling fruits,” she shared. “I asked them to teach me how to do the same business. They taught me for two days, then I started. Once I started, God helped me to get customers who became good friends; that’s how I was able to pay rent.”

In 2019, the sisters were introduced to RefugePoint through a friend and began receiving support as they worked towards self-reliance. “We were well received. We received counseling services, food, and they helped pay our rent,” Espes shared.

“When I remember the days of the coronavirus pandemic, I am happy because we were not working, but RefugePoint supported us with food and paid our rent. We were given food for a whole year,” Gentile added.

Following this period of stabilization, Espes completed RefugePoint’s Business Development Skills training and used her grant to build a fruit and vegetable kiosk with Gentile. “My business was hawking bananas and melons. With the capital I received from RefugePoint, we built a kiosk and sold fruits and vegetables,” she explained. She also joined a weekly savings group, strengthening her financial resilience.

In March 2026, the sisters were resettled to Canada, where they hope to rebuild their lives. “We would like our lives to improve, to become knowledgeable, and to go back to school. You know we fled Congo with no education. We cannot say we are educated; we used to go to school for two days, then the war broke out, and we ran for safety. We have no education. We have people who are almost 30 years old, and they have no education; it’s painful. When we get an opportunity to study, we will take it. So that when we return to our country, we will be educated. My desire is to help the poor. When I see beggars by the roadside, I am always moved. I always pray to God to help me so that I can, in the future, help them, especially those who sleep outside,” Gentile shared.

Espes, on the other hand, hopes to become a doctor. “I believe I will,” she said. “I want to become a pediatrician or an obstetrician; I am interested in both. When I have internet bundles on my phone, or I’m in an area with Wi-Fi, or a friend hotspots me, I always read about it.”