I decided to come by myself and work to gain the money to allow my two children to join me. However, my children could not join me at first because we couldn’t afford to buy plane tickets for all of us. It took over a year for everything to be finalized, and I was so excited to be heading to a place where I would be able to provide for my family without judgment and without being treated unfairly. ![]() It took me ten years to accomplish my dream. From the left, Shelly Pitterman, UNHCR Regional Representative, Samba Halkose, and Abdalhamid Ali, fellow Academy participant. I started dreaming of coming to the United States of America because I thought I would be able to give myself and my children a better life here. single mothers were able to make a good living by working hard. I used to read stories about single mothers in the U.S. I couldn’t accept that label I worked hard to preserve my dignity and to support my family. We were disrespected and called prostitutes. Back home single mothers are stigmatized. On top of my economic hardships there were also social problems. I was single mother and after my father died, I was also responsible for taking care of my twelve younger siblings and my mother – life was not simple. Sometimes I went two to three months without pay. ![]() I loved my job, but the economy was very unstable. In Congo, I used to work as an Administrative Assistant for Customs Services in the Kivu region doing all the support work for the director. I am from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Academy convenes migrants and refugees from across the country in order to train and prepare them to return as stronger leaders and advocates in their communities. ![]() Guest blogger Samba Halkose participated in the 2016 LIRS Migrant and Refugee Leadership Academy. Samba Halkose speaks at a meeting with White House staff during the 2016 LIRS Migrant and Refugee Leadership Academy.
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