Support for Murenzi's children

Murenzi was our friend. He passed away on December 10, after living with cancer for almost a year.

 

In 2015, Murenzi arrived in the United States as a Rwandan refugee. He applied for reunification with his children, Lucky and Kenny. After five years of waiting - ten years of separation - just days before his passing, the reunification paperwork was approved. But it was too late. We have since learned that Murenzi’s passing has invalidated their visa application to immigrate to the US from Rwanda. Kenny is 15, and Kevin is 20. Their dad was their sole provider and their north star. Their dream of living in the United States with their father is shattered. We are collecting funds to help them stay in school until they are old enough to provide for themselves fully.

 

Murenzi‘s journey was never easy and certainly never involved a straight path. He was left in a refugee camp at the age of two and raised by a village of loving people. He survived the genocide of 1994 and went on to be a loving, single father to two young boys. Sadly, his work as a political journalist led to his arrest in 2010. Amnesty International arranged for his release, and he lived for five years in a safe house in Uganda. From there, he arrived here in New Haven via the refugee resettlement program.

 

We are grateful to have known him, learned from him and witnessed his love and commitment to his children. He asked us to do what we could to help his sons if he passed before seeing them again. Please be a part of their village.

*Photo is of Alastier Murenzi, creating a flower bed.