“Resettlement means so much to me. It will change my life, and my focus is on providing my children a better life and education,” shared Ndakize when he visited RefugePoint’s office in Nairobi, Kenya.
Ndakize, a father of four, was forced to flee from his home in Congo in 2015 due to the civil war. The family sought refuge in Nairobi, where Ndakize launched a business selling phone accessories. Despite setting up a successful business, Ndakize encountered challenges caring for his second-born daughter, Sandrine, who was born with rickets and experienced delayed developmental milestones, including loss of speech. Ndakize and his wife sought medical attention for Sandrine in many different hospitals. “All our savings and business capital went into her care.We spent every waking moment taking her to different hospitals, so we had no income,” Ndakize shared.
In 2018, Ndakize met RefugePoint through a Community Navigator. After enrolling in the Urban Refugee Protection Program (URPP), RefugePoint supported Ndakize and his family with rent, food, education, medical support, and a small grant to restart his business.
“RefugePoint came to our aid and covered the physical therapy sessions for our daughter,” Ndakize shared. “They also paid for the scans we did at Kenyatta Hospital and the treatments at Kijabe and the German Medical Centre. It felt like Sandrine and I visited almost every hospital in Nairobi, but RefugePoint was with us through it all.”
Over time, Sandrine regained the use of her legs and could move with no support. Unfortunately, despite the medical interventions, Sandrine could still not speak. In 2023, with support from RefugePoint and a well-wisher from Switzerland, Ndakize received hearing aids for Sandrine. However, after trying them out for some time, a medical doctor determined that the hearing aids were ineffective and that Sandrine required specialized medical attention, which she could only receive outside of Kenya.
In early September 2024, Ndakize received news that his family was being resettled to Canada to get the much-needed medical attention for Sandrine. “I am hopeful that my daughter will receive the best medical attention in Canada. Here in Kenya, the surgery she needs was estimated to cost about 5 million shillings, which I could never afford. But once we get to Canada, I believe she will receive the surgery as an emergency case, and I hope it will happen in a month or two,” Ndakize shared with us.
Many refugees worldwide face similar difficulties accessing critical medical support for themselves and their families. RefugePoint supports refugees in accessing basic medical care through its Urban Refugee Protection Program (URPP) in Nairobi, Kenya.