All of the students in our vocational and arts training programs at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi carry the trauma common to every refugee driven from their homes by violence. They arrive with stories to tell – horrifying stories of pain and loss, abuse and grief. They often share their stories with us and graciously permit us to share them with you – because they want people to know. They want to be visible; they want their names to be spoken. They ask for prayer. Here are a few of their stories.
My name is Esperance Habanawema.
I was born in 1997 in Lemera village of South Kivu District. I am from a family where my father was a teacher at a secondary school but was farming as well.
One day in 2014, there was a massacre in Mtarule where I was staying. My entire family was in the house that night when certain armed people speaking Kinyarwanda started killing people. We started running away and unfortunately were separated from our parents. I found myself in the bush with three other girls from a different family already in the hands of those killers. They took us so that they can kill us, but their leader said not to kill us but instead use us to satisfy their sexual desires. They kept us captive and used us like that for one year. After that, a certain woman working with them had pity on us and helped us escape.
Unfortunately, they were aware of our escape. The captors started following us, shot at us, and managed to kill two among us. The rest of us were badly injured. A certain farmer managed to see us and took two of us to the hospital, where the other girl passed away, and I remained alive by myself.
Then the old farmer man took me from the hospital to Burundi and put me in the hands of the Catholic Church, where I received some assistance. They paid transport for me to go to Tanzania, and from there, I managed to go to Malawi in 2015.
When I arrived at Dzaleka, I did not have a place to stay in the camp. I stayed in a transit building for four months until I met a man who became my husband. But because of everything I went through, I had too many physical problems and had to go through surgery whenever I went into labor. The doctor said I should stop.
I did not have any job, but when I started to learn tailoring at Ancient Path, I started becoming productive automatically, and it helped me become self-reliant. I am grateful to Ancient Path for showing us such love and care. May you continue doing so. Thank you.
My name is Asifiwe Habanawema Antoinette
I was born in 1993 in Lemera Village in the South Kivu district, the Democratic Republic of Congo. We were staying in Mtarule, where the killing happened one day. We fled to another village in Fizi territory, where my husband was taken by a militia trying to force men to join them.
One of the militia soldiers helped him escape, and when my husband came back, he did not hesitate to tell us that we cannot stay there. We had to escape and ran to Malawi in 2018.
When I arrived here in Malawi, we had many troubles. Because of the hardship we were going through, sometimes my husband left me with children, and I started struggling alone. When I heard that Ancient Path is recruiting new people for a sewing program, I did not hesitate to register. I successfully completed the course, passed my exams, and graduated on 10 April 2021! I am now able to buy small expenses and help my family because of the skill that I have learned from Ancient Path.
My name is Furaha Mlasi Sakina.
I was born in 1987 in Mtarule, where I was also living. There was a killing in Mtarule that happened in the night. We were together with family members when we heard gunshots. Everyone started to run into their houses. The killers came towards my house and then stormed my house. They were looking for men, and after finding no man inside, I then called to a neighbor to help me take my child from my house because it was burning. We made it out, but he was badly burned, and we took him to the hospital. The brother to my husband told me that I should not return home as it was unsafe.
We were obliged to say there in Sange village for a while until, one day, government soldiers came and took my sister-in-law and me inside our own houses. They started beating us, saying that we have to reveal where our husbands are because they assumed that every man is a rebel. At that time, my husband was somewhere watching a soccer match on TV. When he came back, approaching my house, those soldiers shot him in the back, and he directly died. The following day we arranged for the funeral, and then my brother-in-law said that we have to leave DRC. We started the long journey and were lucky to arrive in Malawi in 2016.
When I first arrived in Malawi, I was sick almost every day, but now we are familiar with the new environment. I had the dream of learning the skill of sewing for a long time because I believed it would make me productive economically. Now my dream has come true, and I can rely on myself because of this skill that I have.
My name is Washikala Issa.
I was born in 1987 in Fizi center in South Kivu, DRC. My husband was accused as a witness to the massacre that happened in Mtarule. He firstly fled to Burundi for a while, but he returned after hearing that the situation had calmed down. We settled in Uvira but then one night, unknown people carrying guns attacked us and tried to kill my husband. They missed him with the gun, but he was injured on his face. He managed to escape, but I was captured and remained inside with them. They raped me, and then they left. My husband came back from the hospital where he was treated for his injury and decided that we should all leave the country right away. We passed through Burundi and Tanzania until we arrived in Malawi in 2018.
When we arrived at Dzaleka Camp, we did not have anything to survive. We only relied on the insufficient rations that we receive from the UNHCR, but it was not enough. After realizing that we are in a hardship that I cannot manage, I decided to register for the tailoring program at the Ancient Path center here in the camp to be able to buy food for my family.
I am very grateful for the skill that we have received from Ancient Path. Now I am able to make many different types of clothes.
My name is Bunana Rubamba Bijoux.
I was born in 1986 in Uvira at Kiliba South Kivu, DRC. My father was a businessman, and my mother was a farmer. My husband was accused of collaboration with the Mai Mai militia, and I was also hated because my mother was from a Tutsi ethnic group known as Banyamulenge. After my husband was kidnapped, I felt unsafe and decided to run away with my children from my home country. I went to Malawi in 2016, and after one year, my husband managed to escape and joined us in Malawi.
When we arrived in Malawi, life was very tough. We suffered a lot.
For a long time, I desired to learn tailoring skills, but I could not learn due to the lack of financial means, as many training centers are not free. But after I heard that Ancient Path is offering their tailoring program for free, I was able to register! I have gained the skill that I was looking for for a long time, and I am willing to increase it. As we have been trained under Ancient Path, I would like to ask for their care and love. Ancient Path has to carry on and not stop.
My name is Amani Halal Shukuru.
I was born in 1990 in Lusambo Village of South Kivu, DRC. I am from a poor family, relying only on farming. One day in my home country, I was accused of working with the government soldiers, and the militias came and took me into the bush. They beat me and gave me tough work like fetching water and preparing food for them for one month. One evening when they sent me to fetch water, I was lucky to escape. I did not go straight home but hid. After one day, they came again and arrested my father, beating him up so badly to make him show them where I was hiding. But my dad did not do that. They beat him until he vomited blood, and after one week, he passed away. I decided to flee the country, and I arrived in Malawi in 2016.
When I was a new arrival, I was very afraid of living here in Dzaleka Refugee Camp, I did not know any work, but I was fetching water and making bricks as my business. When I heard that at Ancient Path Vocational Training Center, they teach people sewing or tailoring, I started to look for the place where the center is then enrolled directly and started to learn. By the grace of God, I successfully passed and graduated, and I received my certificate on 10th April 2021. Now I am very grateful to Ancient Path for teaching me a skill that will help me in my future life. May God bless Shabani and Ancient Path because I could not know how to sew without them. But now I am a very good tailor. This is a very important work in my life! May God bless you!
