Announcement
“Who is the Governor again? Does he live in a huge mansion? Is he rich? Are we there yet?”
Erik, 12, was full of questions during an early morning drive to Helena from Missoula a few weeks ago. Erik is a Congolese refugee who spent most of his life in a Ugandan refugee camp and whose family was resettled by the IRC in 2016 to Missoula, MT. Now he, his Dad, IRC staff and 10 other refugees were on their way to Helena to meet the Governor and state legislators who were all gathered in the capitol building for the biennial legislative session.
After a quick tour of the historic building, the group was shown into the Governor’s reception room and seated at a large table. “Hi, I’m Steve. Welcome to Helena.” Governor Steve Bullock went around the table shaking hands and greeting each person. After introductions the Governor was most interested in hearing from the refugees themselves, where they were from and what their experiences have been.
Erik was the first one to speak, sharing his memories of the first few weeks in Missoula when he didn’t know a word of English. Despite this, he went to school where his teacher had taught the class how to say "hello" and "welcome" in Swahili. Then refugees from Iraq, Eritrea and Congo shared their impressions of coming to Montana. Not one of them had heard of Montana before they were told this was to be their new home. Chanda, a Congolese refugee living in Malawi, worried there would be no other African people here and was so relieved to see Lisa, a fellow Congolese refugee, greeting her at the airport.
After enduring a particularly cold February, the weather was on everyone’s mind and the single biggest shock for people who have lived their lives near the equator. While their kids had adjusted to leaving jackets at home, it had been a little harder for their parents. Everyone talked about how warm and welcoming Montanans are, their gratitude to IRC for all the assistance provided and what an honor it was to meet the Governor.
Up next was a presentation for legislators highlighting the work of the IRC and the positive impact refugee resettlement has had on Missoula. IRC interpreter Joel Kambale and his son Wakati spoke to the assembled group about what this chance for rebuilding their lives has meant to them. Wakati, 11 and speaking fluent English, talked about how much he loves his school, his teacher and how lucky he is to be in Montana. Then Joel described his transition from refugee to Missoulian. Upon arrival in Missoula Joel and his family worked closely with IRC staff, getting settled in a new house, school and jobs for him and his wife. Then it was with the help of neighbors, IRC volunteers, and new friends that Missoula started to feel like a place they could call home. Last year when IRC resettled a large number of Congolese refugees it was Joel’s turn to help. He was now the expert and a lifeline for the new arrivals trying to navigate their new home. He was hired as an IRC interpreter and casework assistant and has been with the office ever since.
After taking a short driving tour of the Helena mansion district and historic downtown, the group made their way back to Missoula in relative quiet. Erik had new stories and experiences to share with his classmates and all his questions had been answered.