I was born as my mother was hiding in the bushes to stay safe from rebel soldiers. That year, there was a war in our village, South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where kings were fighting one another. It was a miracle that I survived birth and was healthy.

My traditional African name, Mirindi, means “on the run.” As a child, I was embarrassed by that name and did not want to be a reminder of what the name entails. It was a very difficult experience for my mother to have a newborn during war. 

My family was very poor, requiring me to start work very young. At age eight, I worked in the gold mines to collect gold to use for food and other necessities for my family. A few years later, I was able to attend primary school. Every day, I woke up very early in the morning to walk three hours to school. Growing up in my home, there was never enough food, so we often went hungry. We also lacked other necessities like shoes and proper clothing. During class, I sat in the back of the room to avoid being made fun of for having holes in my clothing.

My parents did not have the opportunity to get the education that they wanted. My father always knew the importance of school and wanted a better life for us. Because school was expensive, my dad asked my uncle to raise my older brother, since all he wanted was for my brother to attend school. Without resources and support, it was difficult for my dad to provide the life that he wanted for his children. My mother has always been very spiritual, and she taught us the importance of relying on God.

There were many hard aspects of my childhood, one of which was waking up at 4 a.m. to fetch water to drink. It took an hour to walk down to collect the water and an hour to carry back the water on my head. We also showered in the river and had to look for our own food. My mother emphasized us learning these important skills so that we were ready to become adults. It was very hard, but I also understand that if I hadn’t grown up that way, I wouldn’t be who I am today. 

In 1997, I was kidnapped and forced to join and fight with the rebel soldiers. After six months of training, I escaped, only to be hunted down by individuals who knew I had rebel secrets. After pygmies in the jungle protected me and returned me to my hut, I found that those hunting me had killed my brothers. I left the Congo soon after and lived briefly in a refugee camp in Malawi before being transferred to a camp in Zimbabwe. In 2004, I was able to come to the United States.

My journey to America was not easy, and I arrived in Salt Lake City knowing little English. Without family, money, or education, it was quite the adjustment getting used to life in the United States. I was not used to using appliances or the indoor bathrooms. I missed the village lifestyle that I was used to and asked around where I could find a village-like town, which led me to Payson. I started work on a farm in a town much bigger than I had anticipated. After working in Payson, I moved to Provo and worked as a night guard at the city cemetery. I soon quit because of my native beliefs regarding the dead. 

Without savings, I became homeless and slept outside of the Provo Library at night. One day, however, a man came up to me and offered me a job and place to live on his farm in South Jordan. A year later, I moved in with some friends who also spoke Swahili, and they advised me to go to school. 

Without a high school diploma, I felt discouraged pursuing my education. I was enrolled in high school in South Jordan, and I felt very uncomfortable being 24 years old and knowing less than my classmates. Eventually, I enrolled in Utah Valley University (UVU), which was Utah Valley State College at the time. And I took the GED placement test nine times before passing. I placed into English 890 and felt very motivated to be alongside students from China, Brazil, and Mexico in the class. I also enrolled in a student success class which was very helpful as I adjusted to college. Math was the hardest class for me, and I ended up taking Math 890 four times before passing. My advisor, Robert Williams, told me that I wasn’t struggling because I did not know math, but because I didn’t understand English very well yet. He empowered me to translate the problems into my own language to help me comprehend the subject better.

Although school was hard for me, I persisted toward my degree. It took me seven years to get my bachelor’s degree in public health. I am very grateful for the experience that I had to learn at UVU. Upon graduating, I started to think about ways that I could help solve public health issues. I knew that starting a business would be the best way to collaborate with the community and provide helpful resources to those in need.

The motivation I had to start a business inspired me to pursue a higher degree in business administration. With my low grade point average from my bachelor’s degree, I was not accepted into the program. I reached out to an advisor in the program, and he said if I passed the five prerequisite courses with a B or higher, I would be able to participate in the program. I performed very well in the courses and finished with A’s. Despite not taking any business classes in my bachelor’s degree, I succeeded in the master’s program.

While I was at UVU, I worked to recruit other refugees like me to get their education. I started the UVU African Club, now the African Diaspora Initiative, to bring more diversity to UVU and to help students in the way that I had been helped while starting my degree. I used my leadership skills to teach many students about available resources and financial support. While helping these student refugees, I felt motivated to start a non-profit organization called Utah Valley Refugee to support individuals as they transition from other countries to the United States. Utah Valley Refugee offers housing, school-related financial support, and other resources to help refugees be successful. 

If it wasn’t for UVU, I would not be who I am today. I am very grateful to the professors and advisors who helped me throughout my experience at UVU. My degree led me to marriage, employment, a family, and the chance to be a leader of a nonprofit devoted to refugee allyship and serve others.