Donate
If you've watched the film, you understand the role that Mugeni's friend Esperance played in saving her life. Now, Mugeni would like to lend a hand to Esperance. She is living in Kenya, supporting 4 children, one of whom is a child fleeing from war, much like Mugeni.
Please donate if you would like to help fund the education of these young people, so that Esperance may continue to care for those with nowhere else to go.
Volunteer
Refugees thrive when their communities welcome them and are involved in their integration. Find opportunities to volunteer, and learn about resources in your area: Refugee Council USA
Learn More
Mugeni was resettled in the U.S. by Bethany Christian Services through the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor Program (URM), a partnership between the UN Refugee Agency, the U.S. government, and refugee resettlement agencies.
The URM was developed in 1980s to address the needs of children in SE Asia without a parent or guardian to care for them. Today, the State Department identifies refugee minors overseas who are eligible for resettlement in the U.S. but do not have a caregiver. Upon arrival to the U.S., these refugee children receive refugee foster care services and benefits. Since 1980, almost 13,000 minors have entered the URM program.
In FY21, five unaccompanied refugee minors were resettled- a record low for the program. The Covid pandemic and anti-immigration policies have decimated the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
Learn more about the URM:
Learn More about URM partners:
The Banyamulenge Community
The Banyamulenge people have lived in the Great Lakes region of Africa since the 17th Century. Their villages are located in southeastern Congo (DRC), bordering Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania. The Banyamulenge are treated as foreigners in their own country, largely due to lingering ethnic stereotyping promoted during the colonial era.
In 2013 the village of Murambya was burned to the ground by the Mai Mai, a local militia. The Mai Mai believe that the Banyamulenge are intruders in their own country and have vowed to exterminate them. Murambya is one of 300 Banyamulenge villages destroyed in the region over the past five years. Two hundred thousand people have been forced to flee their homes.