World Refugee Day 2026: The God Who Sees Me

On World Refugee Day, we honor the courage, resilience, and dignity of the women who make up the Amani family—many of whom have experienced displacement, loss, and the difficult journey of rebuilding a life far from home.

Today, we're sharing Ingrid and Safi's stories.

Ingrid

"My name is Ingrid, and I am from Rwanda. When war broke out in 1994, I was only 12 years old. My family fled into the Congo forest, walking for weeks in search of safety. Along the way, many people died from hunger and exhaustion. Eventually, we reached a refugee camp where we lived for more than two years. But even there, we were not safe.

In 1998, the camp was attacked and bombed. My family was separated, and we each ran in different directions. Once again, we found ourselves walking and searching for safety."

Years later, Ingrid married and became the mother of five children. Then tragedy struck again.

"One day my husband stepped out to visit a friend. I didn't know it would be the last time I would see him. There was an explosion outside. Many people were kidnapped. Some were taken alive, others were killed. I was left alone with four children and pregnant with my fifth."

Fearing for their lives, Ingrid and her children fled to Kenya.

"It was not easy for me to leave my country. God had placed me in Rwanda as a heritage, and losing it felt like losing a paradise chosen for me and my children. The name of God, El Roi—The God Who Sees Me—became my strength. God sees me at my lowest point and watches over me with love and compassion."

Years later, another miracle unfolded.

One of Ingrid's daughters had been separated from the family amid the violence. For years they had no contact and did not know if she was alive. In 2020, Ingrid learned that her daughter had survived. After years of waiting, planning, and learning sign language to prepare for her arrival, the family was finally reunited in 2025.

"It was such a great joy to see her and finally have all my children together again."

When Ingrid arrived in Nairobi, she worked wherever she could—cleaning homes and washing clothes to provide for her children.

Then, in 2015, another woman invited her to Amani.

"I didn't have any sewing skills, but I came anyway. I was received very warmly. I felt loved for the first time."

At Amani, Ingrid learned to sew and discovered something she had not experienced in many years: belonging.

"I enjoy doing honest work and earning from the labor of my hands. My children have been able to attend school through the Watoto sponsorship program and have grown in their faith through camps and friendships.

I had gone through so much rejection from my own country. I never thought I would find such joy in my life. Amani has taught us to love one another. I see my sisters at Amani as family—not as this tribe or that tribe."

Safi

"My name is Safi, and I am from Congo. My hometown is Bukavu, where I lived with my parents and my two brothers. As war continued, we held onto hope that things would get better. The Banyamulenge, a subtribe that lived among us, had long been considered part of our community. But one day they came to our home and killed my two brothers as we watched. That was when I realized that life would never be the same. My parents asked me to flee so that they would not lose me and my daughter too.

I had a six-year-old daughter whom I needed to protect. In 2007, we left Congo. We traveled through Rwanda and then to Uganda. While in Uganda, I met a Kenyan woman who was returning home from a business trip. I told her that I was fleeing Congo and that our lives were in danger, and I asked if she could host us. She agreed, and together we boarded a bus to Kenya.

When we arrived, she took me to her local church, where my daughter and I were given food and a place to stay. We lived on the church compound, and one year later the church helped me register with UNHCR and receive refugee documentation. Through the church, I was also given the opportunity to train as a stitcher with a Catholic priest who taught refugees free of charge so they could learn a skill.

During that time, I met other Congolese women who helped me find a house near the training center. My daughter was now old enough to begin school, but because of our circumstances, enrolling her was not easy. I first took her to a private daycare center, where she learned to read and write. She later joined primary school, sat for the local examinations, and eventually went on to college.

In 2013, after completing my training, I met a woman who was stitching at Amani. I asked her to bring me so I could inquire about work. When I came, I was accepted and began earning an income.

Amani gave me renewed hope. For the first time, I was able to pay rent and provide food for my daughter and me. Amani has truly become my family—my home away from Congo.

I do not have any relatives in Kenya besides my daughter, but I feel welcomed and loved by my Amani sisters and by the many people God has brought into my life along the way.

May God bless Amani and continue giving us work that supports our lives and families.

Thank you."

Today, more than 120 million people around the world have been forcibly displaced from their homes. Yet stories like Ingrid's remind us that even in the midst of loss, God continues to provide refuge, community, and hope.

On this World Refugee Day, thank you for helping create places where women can find belonging, dignity, meaningful work, and peace.