Aimable Mukire: Refugee family in Austin perseveres through war, injury | Season for Caring
Before they moved to Austin, the Mukire family spent 15 years in a refugee camp in Burundi.
Life in the Kinama refugee camp was “very hard,” said the father, Aimable Mukire, 48, speaking through a translator. There wasn’t a lot of food and other resources, like clothes, were scarce.
In 2004, the Mukires fled Congo after brewing ethnic tensions brought violence to Uvira in eastern Congo. Armed combatants targeted members of the Banyamulenge ethnic group, who have endured a long history of persecution.
When violence broke out, Aimable was in class at the University of Bukavu. His wife, Chantal Bisaninka, 44, was at home with their young children, Belle and Valerie. Aimable Mukire was forced to flee separately from his family. On his way to Burundi, he was shot above his right knee.
Against all odds, Aimable, Chantal and the children reunited in the Gutumba refugee camp. But their journey was far from over. On Aug. 13, 2004, armed combatants descended upon Gutumba. Chantal’s uncle and his eight children were killed during the massacre.
The Mukires escaped once again, finding their way to the Kinama refugee camp on the Tanzanian border.
Dorcas and Mediatrice were born in Kinama.
The second and fourth eldest Mukire children — Valerie, 19, and Mediatrice, 12, — have developmental disabilities. Aimable Mukire says that if they had not been raised in the refugee camp, they would have received better medical care.
Their children had limited access to education in the camp.
In 2019, the Mukire family arrived in Austin as refugees. Aimable Mukire said they were lucky to receive refugee status, since they have known people who have lived in refugee camps for more than 20 years. They have since had another child, Israel, 2, who was born in Austin.
At El Shaddai Baptist Church, the Mukires have found other Banyamulenge families. Bisaninka has become a deacon, helping with services and community events.
Everything the family went through, Bisaninka said, they “got through because of God.” Faith has provided the children with a source of stability.
Bisaninka works night shifts on the maintenance staff at Applied Materials.
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Aimable’s gunshot wound left him with chronic pain, and he is unable to work. He is the children’s primary caretaker while Bisaninka is away.
Their apartment in Northeast Austin only has three bedrooms. It can be a tight squeeze, and there are mobility challenges for Valerie.
Valerie and Mediatrice require constant attention, and their siblings also have taken on caregiving roles.
Belle, now 21, graduated from high school in Austin. She began attending community college, but it became too expensive. She decided to drop out in part to help her mother support their family.
Belle still hopes to become a nurse, she said, to help her sisters. She is now a caregiver at a senior citizen’s home.
The Mukire family's wishes:
A gently used car; rent assistance; college tuition for Belle; car insurance; help with internet and phone expenses; dining room set for seven people; living room furniture; drawers; cabinets; Christmas tree and decorations, rugs; TV and TV stand; sewing machine; laptop; cellphone; cookware; body cream; blow dryer; hair extensions; mirror; clogs; air fryer; silverware set; pressure cooker; and gift cards for H-E-B, Walmart, Amazon and Visa.
Their wish list is available on Amazon.
Nominated by: Interfaith Action of Central Texas, Refugee program, 5307 Airport Blvd, Suite B and C, Austin, TX 78751; or P.O. Box 16170, Austin TX 78761. 512-386-9145, interfaithtexas.org
Its mission: Interfaith Action cultivates peace and respect across faith communities through dialogue, service and celebration. Its refugee program provides English classes, youth mentorship and health education services to support new refugee families in Austin.
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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Season for Caring 2023: How refugee family in Austin has persevered
