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“When I fled, I was two years old,” says Kenyatta.
It was also the last time he saw his father in person. It’s been 16 years since, and he still waits for the day he’ll meet his father again.
War broke out in his homeland of DR Congo while he was visiting his grandmother with his mother and 10-month-old sister, and they had to choose between staying and surviving. The young family fled DR Congo, then moved from one country to another in search of safety. In search of stability or any semblance of the life they had left behind.
Eventually, they made their way to Malawi, where Kenyatta and his younger sister grew up in Dzaleka Refugee Camp. As early evidence of his resourcefulness, he studied agriculture, among other subjects at school, because the food they received from an international organization was not enough. As a child, Kenyatta had to grow much of the food he ate.
But in the tilling, in the sweat and toil, he was growing more than crops. Kenyatta was growing his resilience, his belief in more.
His belief not just in survival, but in flourishing.
He’s been flexing that muscle ever since. And supporters like you have stood by him.
A New Beginning
In 2022, Kenyatta and his family were welcomed by another organization to Western Washington after they were invited by the U.S. government to rebuild their lives in the country.
While navigating the new country and culture, Kenyatta learned about World Relief Western Washington’s Paradise Parking Plots Community Garden. Developed from land reclaimed from the parking lot of Hillside Church, the garden offers plots that can be leased by refugees and other immigrants. They come together to grow food and share gardening tips, developing a sense of belonging in the process. Many have been in the U.S. for longer than the initial 90 days, and are looking for a greater sense of belonging, of flourishing.
And it was in our community garden in Western Washington that Kenyatta felt something he wasn’t expecting – a connection to the land
“I grew cowpeas and pigeon peas, which were the peas that I would grow back home as we wanted beans and the beans that we would get [from the aid group] were not sufficient,” says Kenyatta. He grew tomatoes and lettuce in his plot as well, strengthening his gardening skills.
And then, a door opened for a deeper sense of belonging. He applied for World Relief Western Washington’s Resiliency Specialist position to support the operations of the garden he had been farming in for the past three years. Kenyatta was well qualified for the position, thanks to his experience at the garden and work on community activation with another nonprofit organization.
So today, he’s helping others like him deepen their resilience as they navigate a new country.
“We represent more than 30 something countries, with each plot belonging to a different nation. I’ve seen a few plants that I’ve recognized, such as corn, the African maize … So we do see members growing something that they represent from back home that gives me a sense of joy,” says Kenyatta,
And he’s preparing for more.
A Pathway to Flourishing
“My first advocate is Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior, although I’m not Jesus, but I still want to advocate for a lot of injustice that’s in the world. I want to be an attorney primarily to work with the U.N. and also the ICC, which is the International Criminal Courts, to hold accountable a lot of warlords who forced many kids like me to go abroad in countries where they never get to belong, in these refugee places where they would not even grant you citizenship because you are a refugee,” says Kenyatta.
Kenyatta is believing for more: for a hope-filled future where he sees his God-given potential fulfilled as a force for positive change in the world.
And we believe for more, too. For every child torn from their mother’s arms. For every parent who’s had to leave their home to find safety.
We walk alongside refugees like Kenyatta and other immigrants on their journey to feeling like they belong in their new country. Alongside the church, volunteers and local community, we provide English language classes, job readiness training, immigration legal services and more.
Changes to U.S. immigration policies and drastic cuts to foreign aid are compounding the largest displacement crisis the world has ever seen. Your support is needed now more than ever.
Join us in believing for more for Kenyatta and for thousands of others like him.
Shreya Shukla Thornton is the Senior Content Manager at World Relief. With over 15 years of experience in communication and a Ph.D. in the field, she enjoys forging a connection through storytelling.