Refugee Resettlement

Manzi Icyaliho is apartment-hunting this week. As a caseworker for LSI's refugee services program, he is in charge of coordinating housing for refugee families who arrive in Des Moines.

This week he has the challenge of locating apartments for three families that are arriving within the next two days.

"You have to balance if it is secure enough, and if the clients will be able to pay the rent on their own in the future," he said. "Or, will the landlord rent for you when someone has no credit history and no job yet?"

Manzi understands what these families will face when they step off the plane this week and begin rebuilding their lives in the U.S.

He understands because he has also traveled a refugee's journey, from his homeland in Rwanda.

"In 1994, we had the war, the genocide, when close to a million people were killed in 100 days," he said. "I lost 14 members of my family, and my younger sister."

He paused.

"It is almost like yesterday."

Manzi fled the genocide to the neighboring country of Tanzania, and then to Zambia, but he still was not safe.

He traveled further south to Botswana. There, because he was a refugee without papers, he was jailed for six months.

He and other refugees from the Congo and Burundi wrote to human rights officials, pleading their case without success. They decided to write to Nelson Mandela, then president of South Africa. His government agreed to admit them as refugees into South Africa.

"I stayed in South Africa for five years," Manzi continued. "There was no refugee camp or program to help. They tell you to find a job, but even the local population did not have jobs."

Manzi was eventually resettled to the U.S. and made his way to Des Moines, planning a temporary visit to a friend. Instead, he got a job at Wal-Mart, became head of his department and made Des Moines his new home.

One day he read in the newspaper that LSI was looking for volunteers for its refugee program.

"I came to the office, and said 'This is my schedule. I want to help refugees who are coming, help those who speak my language or anything they want me to do."

He took clients to appointments and served as a translator – he speaks seven languages. Later, LSI staff encouraged him to apply for an open staff position, and today Manzi's job involves coordinating housing, providing bus training, helping with grocery shopping and other needs.

"What I like most about this job is you are helping," Manzi said. "That's what you do for a living, but you are helping too. I know how it works when you come to a new country and don't speak the language. It's too hard. You need someone to help you. I like helping people start their new life in America. Seeing someone start his new job and pay his bills, that makes me happy and proud."

Most of all, Manzi wants the community to know refugees are human beings, he said.

"They have to leave their country because of trouble, war, other problems," he said. "I never want to leave my country, but I had no choice. You have to save your life."

Any help the community can give to refugees starting new lives is deeply appreciated.

"I tell my friends from America, 'Just close your eyes, and imagine that right now they pick you up and take you to Rwanda. You get a small house or apartment. You don't speak the language. How will you get a job?' Imagine if someone doesn't tell you, 'This is where we shop, where we get water for drinking."

"Refugees left their countries, and some didn't want to, but they appreciate being in the U.S.," Manzi said. "I appreciate it. They are missing their homes, but they want to be integrated into the community."