For more than 20 years, he lived and worked in Mozambique, but the move would not be Mr. Songolo’s last. Several years ago, he says, the government of Mozambique falsely accused a group of people, including him, of stealing medicine and equipment from a hospital. Despite a court ruling in the group’s favor, the officials unsuccessfully tried to deport them back to Congo. Mr. Songolo says that the United Nations refugee agency heard about the case and got involved, helping him relocate to Arizona this year, along with his wife and five children.
As before, Mr. Songolo had few resources to ease the transition. “I could not even manage paying for a phone,” he said.
But this time, Mr. Songolo didn’t brave it alone. In the United States, the International Rescue Committee works with new refugees to make sure that they have the resources to become self-sufficient soon after their arrival. The United States admits a limited number of people as refugees every year, and nonprofit groups ease their transition.
Rather than face the streets as he had in Tanzania, Mr. Songolo and his family found an apartment with the help of the International Rescue Committee, which paid for the family’s rent and utilities for one month, totaling an estimated $2,000. The I.R.C. is one of the organizations supported this year by The New York Times Communities Fund.
Mr. Songolo quickly regained his footing. Within a few months, he found work at a furniture company as a carpenter, building cupboards, tables and TV stands. The I.R.C. enrolled his three eldest children in school and offered them language support. So far, he said, they have relished the new technology, using a computer for the first time and experiencing the thrill of swiping through an iPad.
Mr. Songolo still gets flashbacks. And he misses the sense of community he often felt back home, where he would drop by friends’ houses unannounced and pick food from farms when he was hungry. But the challenges are well worth it, he said, for the opportunities for his children. Unlike him, they’ll be able to graduate from high school. “They’re starting to enjoy life here, especially because of the education,” Mr. Songolo said. “I’m grateful to God because they’re progressing well and I know their efforts will pay off.”