Song written by Lewis Bucumi
“Refugees”
I have something in my heart that I am missing.
My friend, are you all right?
Are you still fine?
Although I am a refugee,
it is not I who decided to be one.
Now I sleep in a tent,
yet once I had a beautiful house.
Please God, help Burundians find peace in their land.
Let your holy spirit come and judge people who do the killings.
I am not a street boy, as we Burundians say.
I did not come here because of hunger, as the leaders say.
I left behind plantations ripe for harvest.
I left maize ready but now eaten by bugs.
I abandoned cattle and sheep on the farm.
I left milk in the milk pots.
I left potato and cassava, now consumed by insects.
I left all at home.
I came with nothing.
Now I feed on maize, oil, beans.
At home I ate whatever I wanted.
I am here not because I wanted to come here. No!
I wanted to save my life!
I left the girl I love crying alone on the hills.
I thank Rwanda for welcoming us.
I thought I would never return to school and write.
I thank UNHCR and ADRA for the help they give.
You built a school so we can study as we once did.
We study math, English, French.
Parents, come together! Put our children in school.
In a refugee camp, nothing can be higher priority
than educating our children.
May God bless you.
Page 10 of 15
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Rwanda, a Home Away from Home: Families Open Doors to Refugee Children
16 Jun 2020Every child needs to be cared for in a family.
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The rights and health of refugees, migrants and stateless must be protected in COVID-19 response
1 Apr 2020Joint press release from OHCHR, IOM, UNHCR and WHO
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Rwanda: The first large group of refugees evacuated from Libya resettled to Sweden
2 Mar 2020UNHCR sincerely expresses gratitude to Sweden and Canada for kick starting the first resettlement departures of ETM evacuees.
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Life-saving evacuations from Libya supported by Danish funding
2 Jan 2020Hundreds of refugees have already been moved out of harm’s way in Libya, and to safety in Rwanda’s new transit center, which is supported by funding from countries like Denmark.
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‘Hello Mum … It’s me, Mohamed’
24 Dec 2019Asylum-seekers flown from detention in Libya to safety in Rwanda call home to reassure relatives who feared the worst.
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International community must do more for world’s refugees, says UN chief
17 Dec 2019‘Bold and concrete pledges needed’ to ensure more equitable support for refugees, UN Secretary-General tells first-ever Global Refugee Forum.
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Third group of refugees evacuated to Rwanda from Libya with UNHCR support
25 Nov 2019Around two-thirds of the group are under 18 years old, the vast majority of whom have been separated from their parents and wider family. Among the group are two one month-old babies.
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Rwanda: the EU provides €10.3 million for life-saving refugee support measures
19 Nov 2019“The Emergency Transit Mechanism in Rwanda is a vital life-saving measure to bring people in need of international protection out of Libya.”
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UN High Commissioner for Refugees warns of risks to the fight against statelessness
7 Oct 2019“Solutions are urgently needed for millions without citizenship or at risk of statelessness around the world.” – UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi
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For refugees trapped in Libya, a flight out of danger
27 Sep 2019Evacuation flight takes 66 vulnerable refugees to Rwanda, where they receive shelter, medical checks and options for a safe future.