Meet Nicole
When Nicole Tshibangu first came to the United States, she felt lonely and isolated. Despite the ability of Kentucky Refugee Ministries to help with the physical needs of her family, she says, “there was a time when I wanted to go …
When Nicole Tshibangu first came to the United States, she felt lonely and isolated. Despite the ability of Kentucky Refugee Ministries to help with the physical needs of her family, she says, “there was a time when I wanted to go …
[Above photo: Helal Sousi, right, pictured with her husband Maher at a KRM staff member’s home for a food tasting. Photo by Pedro Santiago, 2016.] Helal Sousi started cooking 26 years ago when she was married to Maher. She had success …
When did you start playing music? “I started writing music 7 years ago and taught myself guitar in 2013.” What inspires you to write? “I write about interactions with people, real stories, self-expression. Plus, I can’t help it, I have …
“Cooking is my hobby. I could do it all day. For everything in cooking my teacher was my elder sister. She taught me everything. Even when I did not know how to cook, she appreciated me on the weekends, she …
When Ghilain Masudi arrived in Lexington in July with his family, all Congolese refugees who had been living in Burundi, he faced an extra hurdle to adjusting to life in the United States: he is deaf. With only some literacy …
English as a Second Language (ESL) classes are a fundamental building block of the services that Kentucky Refugee Ministries provides to refugees in the Lexington area. These classes are provided to entering refugees during the first ninety days (or until …
Learning how to use Lexington’s public transportation system is one of the first steps refugees can take towards self-sufficiency, and the bus system is integral to our clients’ resettlement and employment processes. When you’re new to a country, things like learning the bus …
When Agnes walks into the room, the first thing you notice is her acute awareness of her surroundings. She doesn’t seem nervous, but instead very aware of what objects and people are around her, like a security camera that never …
Twenty-three year old Riziki Nzibonera, married and living in the Democratic Republic of Congo, faced a difficult situation. Spurred on by the rages of war, her husband’s family (members of the Mai-Mai tribe) had begun to abuse her; she belonged …