Born and raised in Burundi, C么me Nziberaga has a gift for languages; he speaks five – French, Swahili, Kirundi, Amharic, and English. In 2005, languages helped him land a job as a translator for a United Nations peacekeeping force sent to Burundi, which for decades has been plagued by conflicts between the nation’s two largest ethnic groups.
By assisting the peacekeeping force, C么me became a target of a rebel group and was forced to flee to escape torture and civil war. He became a refugee in Ethiopia for six years before being invited to permanently resettle in the U.S.
After his experience, C么me shares that he believes refugee camps are the richest places in the world.
“I believe some of the problems the world faces right now, the solution is found in those refugees who do not have the opportunity to achieve the purpose they were created for. What if we saw the refugee crisis going on right now as an opportunity, not as a problem?”
C么me is now an Employment Specialist at World Relief Tri-Cities, welcoming and empowering others. He speaks in public regularly about the role of immigrants in our evolving society, hopeful as he shares his insights in order to create more inclusive communities and societies.
Hear more of his story shared at TEDx Spokane and TEDx Coeur D鈥橝lene.
As the refugee cap hopefully increases to 125,000 in the new fiscal year, we’re entering into a new moment in America, one in which we urgently need your help to rebuild our capacity to welcome, love and support refugees and give them the opportunity to achieve their purpose. Will you join us as we rebuild here in Tri-Cities?
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