Mother flees war to keep her family safe

Like many refugees before her, Aline came to the United States because of war.

Aline was a young mother of 5 children. Her husband was one of the first killed when war broke out in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She hesitated to leave her homeland and stayed, hoping that things would calm down. Unfortunately, that hope ended late one night when terrorists set fire to her house, forcing Aline and her children to flee.

“We ran into the bush in the middle of the night and walked and walked until we reached Uganda.” Aline quickly realized the situation in Uganda was not much better. There were many refugees already in Uganda, with limited resources to help them. Aline also lived in fear that someone would recognize them and report their location to those seeking to harm them.

“I knew we would not be safe until we left Africa,” Aline said.

Because the refugee-process moves so slowly, Aline and her children lived in constant fear for 10 years. Once they finally obtained legal refugee status, they moved to the United States to start a new life.

Aline’s family embraced their new country as home. During the first three months in the United States, Catholic Charities staff helped her secure safe and stable housing, clothing, and food, and enrolled her youngest child in school. Aline and her older daughters enrolled in ESL classes and participated in employment services. They found jobs very quickly.  A year and a half after fleeing her homeland, and spending more than a decade in a refugee camp, Aline and her children work as well as attend school, with her two oldest now working their way through college.