Emmanuel Eletere and Ebenezer Murengezi

00:00 Hey, my name is Ebenezer. Murengezi. I'm actually turning 35 in July. So that school today is Thursday, June 10th, 2021. And I am right now in Virginia hercenberg. And my name is the name of my conversation partner is a Emmanuel and now he's been my minty for quite some time now. I think probably three at least three years.

00:37 My name is Emmanuel. Eletere. Today is Thursday, June 10th, 2021. I mean, Harrisonburg, Virginia.

00:49 And my partner's name is Ebenezer murengezi and he's a mentor to me. It's been about like, 3 years.

01:00 So we going to have a conversation. So I think her you want to just to talk about our experiences. So, you know, I've been a refugee, been a refugee. We've been chilling in the same two countries. So, I think you experience at Mike's and probably different. So, yeah, so, where are you from? And how did you get in Kenya?

01:30 Are some I'm from I'm from Congo. So I can sleep to Kenya when I was very young. I was about

01:42 I can't read what I think there was like seven years old or something or younger. Yeah, and how do I get to Canyon? So way before that, I was leaving the parents and

01:58 My brother died and through that, my grandma came to stay for the funeral home. When she came on war broke out and she sleep with me and I was living living with that. I like about 2 years ago. Think, yeah, and then wolves came again and how to play with my Uncle and Cousin cuz they were the ones that were around and go to Nairobi. And before that. I was in Concord, be free and then went to Tanzania and the refugee camps and at some point of the refugee camps, God dismantle, because some things

02:58 Then understand, I was eight years old when that time or maybe 9 and got lost in Tanzania, and my mom went home and a Good Samaritan. Pick me up. As a young kid. We stayed took shelter in some Brooklyn comes disguising ourselves, cuz it could have been deported again in the this gentleman. He was probably at that time. May be 27 in a way out to smuggle ourselves from the 10th Annual camps and through Kenya and the hope my dad that time when this dismantled the time he was in Kenya in the Hope was to reunite with my dad in in can remember the first time arriving in Kenya in Nairobi.

03:58 I've never seen a huge City cuz I don't use it to get a building that has like one floor and that's it. So you probably know a bus station. It's like to the album and I'm seeing kids in the uniforms, walking at 6 a.m. They're having life, they're going to be. But when we got there, we didn't have a phone number. Nothing. So we like, how do we think about New York, small New York? Like, how are we going to find much in Kenya, but then we went to a yogurt, which is actually you probably familiar.

04:58 My tongue is so weak. I can, you know, so we went to Coyote to the Catholic church, and then I'll take you to know, no food nothing. So we went there, we start asking, does anybody know? Cuz my daddy was known quite known anybody? That they was wrong there because there was no food given to Refugee that time. So there was nobody at the church. So we asked, do you know any around?

05:58 All we know is a run by there, so we can go there. And the gentleman is Eric. They took today with Carly and made it and he's like, the gentleman. You are describing. Maybe. Maybe I know who you're talking about because they used to go like, like, once a month, but they used to go there,. I probably met this gentleman. This is really way, guessing, not too long before we finish our lunch. One gentleman.

06:58 And he's like, wait a minute. Your dad is the one who received us and helped us a lot of a lot of rest. So he's sold by 8 p.m. I'm in my dad's house and he's not even there. It comes in. I'm sitting on the stool and then he's like, you don't weak right now. It was crazy like you try and it's so that's why is my father. So how I don't know that time. I was nine years old, and then I was actually traumatized. I didn't have meaning. I remember they tried to touch put me back into school. I didn't want to go back to school.

07:58 I just, you know, a lot of hopping in and it was so when you got in Kenya, how was your first experience or so? My first experience as a cuz we arrived in Kenya and turns out, one of my aunts was already in Kenya and my grandma went to sleep and skids. Yes, sir. I can't really remember how we got to love, but we ended up like meeting and we stayed there for like 2 months before, like they came here cuz they're singing and then they can here afterwards. We,

08:58 La Quinta and wind up staying with my grandma or after we left. Yeah, cuz she was already used to dare. You was working, you know, and her husband was working to your soul and things were good. Yeah, but why she left than 11 just started hitting different. Then like when we arrived, they were living in life. I think it was a three bedroom house in a bathroom inside the ninth grade right now, but then when they left,

09:58 Using 2009. You guys are in the right time things shifted. It was in there. When I got a 97 woman, you know, we went, you went to ask for papers and they only give you like a letter, you know, that has a picture. And basically, I think that's the one the week. We got to live in, in the world to go to Cancun, which is extremely hot, like people who went there. They were like, escape, and come back and tell you, you don't want to go there.

10:58 You know, this government was like why nothing was what is Nairobi, you know, in 2009 was different in the morning or neighbors would tell the police are coming and it will jump off the fence and go hide because they thought they were just simply ask for money and if you didn't have money or sleeping and just because

11:58 That was late. Like it was 10:00. Will you guys? Be blessed change, right? Or so? After my aunt left? I can hear you are single.

12:12 You and University, right? Just a single box room, something like that.

12:25 Oh, five people living in the living room. And then we have two other offerings kids though that lives with us. And we lived in a two-bedroom house. Like, you know, we were well better than most people, but even that are, those are nine people in a two-bedroom, a member in one of their only had two bunk beds in met somebody slept in in the ceiling, and then Mom and Dad had their own anyways, so yeah, so we had a time we had like a sleeping, small kitchen, something. I'm starting a song. The the house we had one bunk bed in there and

13:25 I think you would like to go to the post a pain down there in like two other people up here and everybody is need my grandma. One of my aunts. The one that I live with my uncle and see if ya feel like we lived there for a while and then

13:55 Either one of my aunt came from, and the little baby. I mean, knowing she was pregnant. Did you go to school? How was your day?

14:28 I didn't cuz I hadn't started going to school in packing Congo. I don't know. My grandma took me once and you feel this old fashioned to have to like text when I my ear with my hand, but you so yeah, so I really didn't mean like know how to read or write or anyting so they took me to register me once you don't have you heard of it so I can start school yet. Yeah.

15:28 In hundreds and hundreds of messages, like people didn't like her because their housing increase value, it was expensive for them, didn't like it. And then I remember that the Catholic Church give us a place and then people like school. So I did my schooling in French and then now, so every time will come from school people. Wait for us. So now that there was a real short with so many kids and never, there's a time. I went home bleeding cuz when I was given and then there was something nasty words on the streets.

16:26 Walk like that. Like an hour. I mean at the time when when is still there, if it was normal, but I didn't know, you know, Isaac and things got better because the government's that was way better because that you could actually, you know, you know, to the placement and no problem, which it was that it's probably

17:26 Kenya was very hopeful everything like everything changed. The policeman stopped really stopping you from getting question. I'll get to it when I get in it which is, you know, it's Swahili mixed with a bunch of

18:26 I would definitely, you know, if some of my friends are also it's good to say that, you know, people there was also a phenomenal that time because you are so many in is starting to organize themselves. So, sorry to say that.

19:26 We are here stories of people who act like you got lost like you don't know people get kidnapped from the Kenyan government, but also not from the men. So my dad kept going to you and kept asking that time. There was a lady who had chosen American to do like projects with women. I learn how to sew like using a sewing machine to create those like a production in the house and come and midnight. You know, you are not doing

20:26 1020. I don't know how many things like my brothers won't do this. So we will We Will Rock You by like a sack of potatoes? Okay, and then stop and then you use Russian it until you get out of it was anyhow, so, can you please stop? And finally, so I don't know what time we have to. Give my sister's. Got my ready. Gone a long time.

21:26 2012, that's when we were told by something is happening. How did you surviving and getting to the point of you coming to it?

21:46 When we are thinking. So how's the kids? So a lot of pressure wasn't on me? Yeah, but it definitely wasn't great condition. And yeah, cuz I got time we weren't really used to the area after my mom left cuz we had, we had to just like being there for like two or three months. So we wasn't even used to the area. Yeah, we we didn't really know anyting cultural differences. So like yeah, I also like the the language, you know, like from Canyon is very different. You know, you you be like saying something in there.

22:46 The WWE is really tough adjusting to that.

22:56 My aunt had to like, find a job. She shoes, she, she became a mermaid and you know how that goes. Oh my goodness. I remember people walking the streets, like you go house-to-house smoking. Do you have that? Can watch for you? Oh my goodness. You know, I mean leaving today when I have had time. I just have privilege to allow my mind to go to get this with your hands. And, you know, I would read

23:56 I hope you don't have to fight for water. You have liked to have asked you. How do you win, finally? You know, how you feel when you sleep with my shoes on?

24:47 Yeah, yeah, the time they told us we have a interview we went to like meaning believe this. I don't know how to answer Lil devil. Disqualified me. It was very nerve-wracking, at least, it wasn't super scared and then came about when we did my dad failed because he had I think he had a scar on his face.

25:47 So we had to do like,, so we were scared of not going to be able to do that. So finally, you have, told you the plane ticket has been covered everything. So anyways, so tell so many people cuz we had we leave here because people would, you know, Ada, I talked to you or even, you know, we have heard many stories of people whose duck in the sky. Are like, you don't fail because of I don't know what happened. So we were holding our breath until you go. Like, you see the plane taking off.

26:47 She is so that if my process, you know, goes quicker because, you know, so anyway, so he was very, very good. I didn't know what, I don't know. How can you tell me when you are in the plane it when you landed.

27:29 That's quite interesting when you know, my uncle uncle has a mental problems are so we had problems with him a couple times a year. Does a time where I sometimes used to like to go help other people were supposed to give your mom a little something, go and help them like such water. You know, you're so like this one day. She like went to wash clothes for this one woman.

28:19 And she give you money to go buy a soap and that day he wasn't very very well. So he can just got lost and was wondering around like old day until we got dark and, you know, and can you howl like, they do two things, right? If they catch you, they'll Stone you when burning in a tire. Yeah. Are so, like they found him at night when the bar soap, destroyed long bar soap.

29:19 Yeah, they almost like but this one guy like that stepped in and and esm where he'll use his money. Wasn't like. I think it was 1 in the morning. Yeah. And my grandma. I'm shooting up when win in the 90s.

30:19 Try to hit you with a policeman. When you say that is the kind of picture that I was not are still a couple years ago, Uncle Yu's going on his medical checkups and my cousin just thinking here, ya are. So, somebody stepped on a Philips came off. So she like, bent down to, to fix your shoe and just going to let you know how like the demon congas and Kenya like the conductors.

31:19 Call Kenny stage. Many people around. You can even think of the other person going to need today, into the bus and bus. Went in went in one thing. He didn't know where he was. I think he was lost for like about 2 or 3 days. Feel like that. They were looking all day-use, hot sunny outside in the working all day to do stuff and

32:05 Like the third day, he came home on the motorcycle. Somebody brought him. Then he he said how I went like whenever he came off.

32:25 He, he just like somebody recognized him cuz, you know, you know, how to help out with stuff like that. So a lot of people knew him cuz that's where he spends most of his time at church. I am by recognizing and stuff like that, just like steady crying saying, something like that. I don't even know what to do. So they raise money for him to get him some food and pay for him for a motorcycle. And so, like the motorcycle guy, ask for the directions.

33:15 You know, he doesn't know directions. It doesn't have a villa, and busy amassing, bust a, you know, you just nobody like that place. That's known for its number to take you to the end. London. Just ask this. And I even though I lived on the other side of the city.

34:15 American house.

34:17 Yeah, all right. So the motorcycle guy on directions. Give me directions to. He said, take me to Norma symbol combined.

34:32 Baby Noah.

34:34 Yes, he just gave he won't stay on there and

34:40 Feels like I said, if you take me to Catholic.

34:52 Optimum. Yeah, yeah, you was like could like he was maybe this is if you have somebody on the this year and it's time to go there can't be found like that's going to destroy the whole. Yeah, I can. Imagine how scared you guys were going. Well for us. Except like you. I think he was the first one to get. You want to reschedule his medical check-up and

35:45 ET didn't and Wellington hours.

35:50 So, he's medical check-up expired and a couple. Like, I think it was a month or two before we left, if I turned 18.

36:01 And you know what that means. So she had to have an Ellen card to be able to come.

36:13 To get an Ellen card. You have to go to to become. I think I'm called the dark, you had to go there and then I don't like there are some some girls. We're leaving. Kyle it through the winter and one of them gets bitten by scorpion scorpion. She liked by the grace of God.

36:46 Hard place to go.

36:49 So, we

36:54 We will build this guy actually helped us a lot getting the other cut for her. And without it. Cuz we have a wee when we're coming on the airport Washington, or like someone a family that like

37:15 We're there on the airport, but they got sent back cuz they they like aliens were expired. So I really do it when you get when I got to the United States for me. I remember it was a long journey. So excited. I got a new jersey, which is now, and then everything was fine, couple times, my experience obviously, were still having goals. From keep asking me where you from, and I'll tell them from Camp immediately. And then one time you believed him to be amazing.

38:15 My story is very excited. Everyone asked me where you from? And then I started to tell me. Okay. See you. I don't want to do anything with you are, okay, if you wanted to exclude me, I tell you what, that became a healing for me. When I know you been today with nice people. I am no longer like in and she just like, I wasn't. Can I see if this is from 1 or I can say, I felt like the show that you don't like all that weight.

39:15 Make it is like compositions were talking about rest and white and black and you don't mind my husband incorrectly, amazing. Like, maybe it's because of the people also, I am around or so, you know how much I have friends in charge of different people? Really do have brothers. Like, you know, people who like this time that we can go through that, but I just want to mention that, that I experience that happened, like, maybe this past week or so, women America feeling like I don't have to be undercover animal. I don't have to to hide anymore. I felt like anyway, I have been including my home country. This is the home like,

40:15 Arrived because this is the destination every time, you know, you know, I know. But when you think about going back to Home Country, remember it was genocide. And then people that I like, so I'm nowhere. I got to know where I can't. Obviously I can't go back home where I am in here even though cuz I've tried different language. After 5. I just look even some features. Sometimes look like some of the tribes there so I tried but it never was about here in America.

41:08 Amazing. This is my home. So the way I see, America started working. It was taking a bus to go, to New York and coming back for you. How did you feel compared to when you are in Kenya in deeply emotionally that way, or even just,

41:44 Psychologically, how did you feel? I just

41:50 I just I just I just felt great according to like, how I was living in Kenya and has a really really good place. Yeah.

42:08 Yeah, I also like the the school here. Is it? Just great. Very different from right there. I remember I'll be ugly. Sometimes I'll be bullied in school because I'm a refugee.

42:33 So the other thing I just come come to understand cuz I'm not the first time I've been running Civic stuff. Show me some in love with it American System, you know, because I can see that, this is what you do. This is what you do, even whatever, you you're entitled, all like the same. I I am entitled would work. Thank you. You can't get service any service.

43:22 Has he shown any like I really mean it even anywhere without you having to offer something additional. I remember we will put you in for the processing, the guards on the Oscars. Can you give me something like in Americus. We are so busy working that we don't participate in the treasures of this country in terms of Social and Civic duties. About if we could be able to participate. This is a wonderful system. I love the fact that I can call anywhere, like, in the bank. In case you didn't call any way. You can call and say, hey, I was going to come, are you open know you can call you go there. Sometimes we use we will go and find with those clothes.

44:22 Got to go back those things for me as an adult. I started appreciating and perhaps maybe people I talk to that have not been where have you been? I told him how wonderful this country is how incredible maybe from the deep discrimination out of lived. I don't see it. Maybe I'm not, I'm not sure if there is anybody who discriminate against me. I give you not. Like I walk in the supermarket. I'm the happiest person. You can find it. I don't care. I just go to the teller, you know, not met somebody who, who discriminates me as a black person or anything like that. Because I haven't lived in Kenya where it was supposed injury, pounding on your head like that. Oh my goodness.

45:22 People have, there's nowhere to go to get for the hear your house, you know, the food bank so we can hear, we lost eight, you know, I'm believable. So I tried to tell people that those small things that make a tell them stories, like, you don't know. How big is a mission. Also, like, you know,

46:22 Experiences close to mine. You having lived in in Kenya, but I don't have my inviting you to come to church in life. Like sometimes you tell me if she's the one that way I feel like, you know, how, you know, when I tell you like you're my son, like, I'm not that old. Did, you know, there's a connection where I care deeply about you and

47:19 You don't want to be there giving you advice as when you whenever you need it. So, you know, just so you have somebody, you know, somebody who listen to me, you know, and I know, I appreciate you asking me questions. Sometimes. So tell the Americans really help people from places like coming here to make sure that they can transition this life because it's a miracle by culture. Was there a lot of things different when you come here and some errands

48:09 They even end up getting a good knowing that you're there and helping people out.

48:28 I feel so bad for like older generation because I, I mean, I had moments where I always almost lost it. You don't like when I tell you that I was waking up in the morning. I'm walking to the train station in.

48:45 Manhattan. Running to catch my my shift in the so anyway, so and then getting to a point where I have my first baby and I can you make it like I was like I'm going to die cuz I felt the pressure but it's like a queen of England into electric socket. I'd like to hear you're running everything from scratch. Even the most, most basic things. I want as a clean. I'm in the hotel. Don't tell you or what is a dude that you don't even know what to wash clothes. You don't even know. What is that you put things, right? And it got to a point where I was getting depressed, you know, so I can see that in the faces of many refugees. Come here when they don't know how to open the email, they receive junk mail in the world record all of them. They bring them for me to read for them.

49:45 Is tough here for the second time, maybe we can. Thank you so much.