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African refugees find strength in numbers

IN ONE LEXINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD, IMMIGRANTS ESTABLISH A VILLAGE OF SORTS

By Jenisha Watts

jwatts@herald-leader.com
Shumbusho Munanira, 10, moved from Kenya with his mother, Nkobwa Odetta, last month to Lexington. Photo by Emily Spence | Staff
Emily Spence | Staff
Shumbusho Munanira, 10, moved from Kenya with his mother, Nkobwa Odetta, last month to Lexington. Photo by Emily Spence | Staff
Nerson Irakiza gazed back at her one-year-old, Delfia Terateka, as they walked Monday at the Henry Clay Apartments, near Richmond Road. Kentucky Refugee Ministries has helped about two dozen families from Africa settle in the neighborhood. Photo by Emily Spence | Staff Nkobwa Odetta moved to Lexington with her children two weeks ago from Kenya. At least 310 African families have moved into the Lexington area since 2002, said Barbara Kleine of Kentucky Refugee Ministries. Photo by Emily Spence | Staff Jaqoueline Lingoma gives neighborhood children ice cream, but recently bought the wrong cones as she tries to learn English. Photo by Emily Spence | Staff

The leafy trees around the apartment complex are only used for shade and social gatherings. There are no terrified civilians cowering behind them, dodging gunfire. Teenage girls can walk down the street during the day and not fret about being raped. Mothers can send their sons to school without fear that they will be kidnapped and trained to be soldiers.

And so, on this peaceful street near downtown Lexington, a careful optimistic spirit seems to be spreading among African refugees from places far less safe.

They come from various parts ofAfrica, carrying well-worn pain and mistrust. The bitter war and ethnic cleansing in their countries gave them no choice but to plead for refuge in America. And with care, the Kentucky Refugee Ministries, which helps refugees adapt to the United States, has placed them in a neighborhood with people who have similar backgrounds, hoping they will find strength and solace in each other.

Audio slide show: Africa in the Bluegrass

It appears to be working, as the two dozen or so families placed at The Heritage, Henry Clay and Lakeshore apartments have formed their own small village of sorts, a slice of Africa in the Bluegrass.

The community can be easy to miss. Passersby may notice mothers dressed in African garb, toting their little ones on their backs. Or they may overhear conversations in broken English with heavy French accents. But a more watchful observation of the community’s residents reveals a taste of the countries from which they seek refuge.

There’s Didier Salemani, 33, a cafeteria worker at the University of Kentucky who is married to Martha Mambwe, 25, a housekeeper at Embassy Suites. He recently shared a meal of fufu, a popular African food that reputedly “makes you smart,” with his friend Richard Kayembe, 35, who works at ACS, a Lexington call center. The two spent an afternoon sitting at Salemani’s kitchen table, laughing while speaking in their native language.

Meanwhile, Salemani’s next-door neighbor, Dezanje Kaboo, 24, sat outside watching her son ride a faded red tricycle up the driveway. He’s safe, unlike the kids in her native country, Congo, where bullets fly through the streets. The only danger here is cars — and soon enough, she and Martha rushed to retrieve a mini fire truck that rolled into the street.

Across the way, there is Jaqoueline Lingoma, fondly called “Mama Jaqoueline,” who is known for handing out hugs and ice cream to the kids. She’s determined to learn English and has a rule that guests may only speak English in her home — not Swahili or French, the native languages of most of the refugees. Her 14-year-old son, Moies Kalama, plays soccer at Henry Clay High School and is fluent in English, Spanish, Arabic, Lunga and French.

“Moies intelligent,” she says proudly.

Top goal: self-sufficiency

The number of African refugees seeking peace in Kentucky has increased over the past six years as conflicts there have escalated, said Lucy Raine of KRM. At least 310 African families have moved into the Lexington area since 2002, said Barbara Kleine, a director of KRM.

When refugees first arrive, the organization assigns them housing, furnishes their homes, helps them get legal documents for employment, signs them up for English classes and shows them around the city. They also assist them with food, medical attention and enrolling their children in school. KRM also provides financial assistance for initial expenses, including rent, using donations from individuals, churches and grants.

KRM’s goal is for the families to be self-sufficient within 120 days or no longer than 180 days, said Raine, a grant coordinator, but “clearly if you don’t meet the goal you don’t fold up your tents and leave.”

In the case of the African refugees, KRM selected the three Lexington apartment complexes because they were affordable and close to shopping centers, bus stops and schools. Rent runs from $500 to $750, depending on the number of rooms in the apartments.