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“Blessed is he whose
help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the
LORD his God.”
Psalm 146:5
LIFE AS A REFUGEE
Nathalie Mulumeoderwa February 2019, Issue 82
Everyone longs for a place to call home but sometimes circumstances force us to me. I thank God that Uganda is a peaceful country where everyone is given an
take refuge in foreign land. In the Key Ring this month, Nathalie shares what opportunity to do whatever they want. In other countries, refugees are not
allowed to live freely like we do here in Uganda. Here we are allowed to live like
life’s been like for her, living far away from home.
nationals. And I thank God I am a Christian. I understand that God can change
1. What circumstances made you leave your home country? things. Today I may be in this situation but tomorrow will be better.
A refugee is known as a person who is forced to leave their country because of 3. In this season of your life, have you seen God at work?
war or persecution but mine is a different story. I come from a rich family. My Yes, I have seen God work in my life many times, in many things and in many
father was a business man and used to sell commodities from villages to town ways. I was in senior five when I stopped school in Congo. So, when we came to
and vice versa. My mother was also a business woman dealing in shoes. One day, Uganda, I told my mother that I wanted to start school right away but she didn’t
while on one of his business trips with my elder brother, my father have enough money. But God is wonderful. He helped her and she got a good job
encountered rebels who beat him and my brother up, and also took his cars. We thanks to her ability to speak Swahili. And so my siblings and I joined school. It
only got to know about this after they had been taken to hospital. was an answered prayer because I used to pray to God all the time, asking Him to
During the 2012/2013 rebellion in Congo, government soldiers went around help me go back to school.
asking for information about people supporting rebels. Because my father’s cars One day, while at the UNCHR offices, I thought I saw one of soldiers who came to
had been taken by the rebels, the soldiers came to our home and asked if my our house in Congo. I don’t know if I was simply imagining things but I was really
father had given out his cars to facilitate rebel movement and transportation of afraid. I told my mum because I thought the soldiers had followed us to Uganda.
guns. My father denied the We started thinking about how to leave

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allegations and told them what had the country. I went to God in prayer and
really happened to the cars. But on
nd
2 May 2015 the soldiers returned to
God took the fear away and gave us asked Him why He gave us new life and
still allowed those people to follow us. I
our home and took my father away. peace wasn’t ready to move to another country.
We tried to follow-up on his My mother reported what I had told her to
detention but we were denied access UNHCR but they assured us that no one would harm us here. But because of fear,
to him. we kept shifting to different places in Kampala till we ended up in Nakulabye
One day, my brother went to one of the radio stations that was talking about the where we have lived for twelve months.
illegal detention of innocent people. He narrated everything that had happened God has been faithful and has protected us. No one has ever come to our house
to my father and the following day, soldiers returned to our home. They asked for or neighborhood looking for us. God took the fear away and gave us peace. He
my brother but my mother knew if she surrendered him, we’d never see him assured us that He is with us and there is no need for us to worry about anything.
again, just like my father. My mother switched off the lights in the house and run No one in the family has fallen sick since we got here. Coming to Uganda exposed
away with my brother. We stayed alone for some time because we didn’t know us to a new environment, food and water but God has kept us healthy. We have
where our parents and brother had gone. remained alive to this day and only God knows why he has kept us safe.
One year later, my aunt started communicating with my mother who told her 4. Life away from home can be tough. What gives you hope for the day?
that she was in Uganda. She requested my Knowing for a fact that my family and I are still alive to this day, in spite of what
aunt to bring us to Uganda so we could we went through, gives
join her and live in a peaceful and safe me hope. My elder
environment. My aunt got my mother’s brother was shot and a
address and looked for ways to take us out metal was inserted in his
of Congo. I remember it was a Sunday leg. Seeing him alive and
when my aunt asked me to visit her with looking back at what he
my siblings and she took us up to Kisoro. has passed through
That is how we ended up in Uganda and gives me hope that God
got reunited with our mother. But to this is still preparing
day, we have no idea whether our father is something good for my
alive or not. family. Even if they still
2. For the time you have lived in Uganda, have my father, dead or
what has life been like for you? alive, I have hope that
I have lived in Uganda for 2 years now. Life one day I will see my fa-
in Uganda is amazing. I can’t complain. I’ve ther again. I have hope
got friends who are now like family to me. that we will be like we
When I first came to Kampala Baptist were before. I believe
Church (KBC) in December 2017, I was a God has good plans for
person filled with fear because of what me and my family.
happened to my family. I feared everyone Nathalie with her sister, Esther
and everything. So, I spent six months
Nathalie after attending a
coming in and out of church to worship  Nathalie is from Congo and currently lives in Nakulabye with her
worship service at KBC without talking to anyone. mother and siblings.
I was afraid of sharing my life with anyone  She has 5 brothers and 2 sisters and is in her senior six vacation.
or saying anything to strangers. But after those six months, I realized that the
The KEY RING is a monthly publication by the Kampala Baptist Church Media Team
people here are good. And because my sister had expressed interest in joining the
that seeks to provide an avenue where men and women can share knowledge and
choir, I had to talk to someone to get the information she wanted. The first
understanding of the word of God, experiences and encourage one another as the
person I spoke to was a gentleman who I thought was Congolese and then after
older perform the act of ‘paralambano’ to the younger.
that I started talking to other people who turned out to be loving and friendly.
Now I am not as afraid as I used to be because people at KBC are like family to Our prayer is that the Lord will speak to you through this publication.
Drop us an email at kbcmediateam@gmail.com | Visit the church website at www.kbcuganda.org