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Placide’s journey has made a full circle. Sitting in her shop in Cape Town – where she makes clothes, eats and sleeps – she speaks of the life she has established here. Meanwhile, she is preparing to go back to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – a process that has been assisted by Scalabrini’s Welfare Programme. 

Memories of a life once known

Placide fled her home in DRC 11 years ago. Sitting in Brooklyn, Cape Town with her life’s possessions packed into suitcases behind her- ready to take back to DRC- Placide speaks of her journey to South Africa. 

DRC is still facing ongoing conflict, which has claimed over five million lives. Placide was a nurse working in an army hospital where she came face to face with brutality. “They were killing people. That’s why I ran away to South Africa. They were looking for me to arrest me because I said the truth.” 

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“When I made 100 bags, I’d put them on my back and go straight to Muizenberg. I’d start on the road, selling one by one until Fishhoek or Simonstown, every Sunday. I walked, no train, no bus. I walked.”

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Placide traveled from Kinshasa to Lubumbashi.  Then to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Johannesburg and finally Cape Town. “Cape Town was very hard for me. You had to go to Langa to apply for asylum. You must go during the day and sleep there until tomorrow…. It took me one year to get my asylum permit.” To add to the stress of documentation, Placide’s living situation was uncomfortable. “I was living with one of my friend’s sons, but he made it very difficult for me to stay with him. I was sleeping on the floor.” When Placide suffered from a stroke, her church helped her find a room of her own. She still struggles with her health to this day. 

Rebuilding a life in South Africa

A strong and persevering woman, Placide got money together to buy a sewing machine. “When I made 100 bags, I’d put them on my back and go straight to Muizenberg. I’d start on the road, selling one by one until Fishhoek or Simonstown, every Sunday. I walked, no train, no bus. I walked.” 

The Welfare Programme was Placide’s first point of contact, where she received social assistance. Scalabrini then approached her to run sewing workshops for Women’s Platform. This helped bring in a more steady, less strenuous income. 

“The biggest help from Scalabrini was meeting lots of people and getting work. I get more people and more customers coming to me. Then when they’re helping me like that, I opened my own small shop. When I opened my small shop here, I trained the Scalabrini ladies here.” 

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“I am scared to go home –  it’s not peaceful. But I want to go… I have my house, I have my family. I miss them and they miss me. I am here alone, like I don’t have people. That can make me sick again.” 

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Making the journey home

With regards to her health, getting help in South Africa has proved difficult. This was a major factor in her decision to go home. “I decided to go home because I my health is not good – my blood pressure is high and my heart is not beating nicely.” Without family nearby, Placide worries what would happen to her if she were to fall sick. With this in mind, Placide has decided to return to her family.  

The Welfare Programme was able to assist Placide with returning home. Going home does not come without reservations and fear. [It involved complex processes including the cancellation of her asylum claim in South Africa, which had to undergo careful consultation.] “I am scared to go home –  it’s not peaceful. But I want to go… I have my house, I have my family. I miss them and they miss me. I am here alone, like I don’t have people. That can make me sick again.” 

Arriving in DRC

Placide took off from the Cape Town International Airport on 25 November 2019. She arrived safely in DRC and was received by her family. She keeps in contact with the Welfare Team and says she has resettled happily in DRC.

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Nzenze, 17, is currently enrolled in the eleventh grade at Vista High School and is an active member of UNITE, where learning about diversity has taught him to celebrate his unique identity.

Growing Up a Second Generation Immigrant

 Nzenze is the youngest of four children. He was born and raised in South Africa, but his parents both migrated from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Growing up in South Africa has been a struggle for him because he recognises the detachment between his parents’ experiences and his own. He does not feel that he connects with his Congolese mother tongue, for example, due to his South African accent. “Sometimes, the difference can be hard. It can feel like you don’t belong,” he reflects. However, Nzenze goes on to say that growing up surrounded by such cultural diversity has made him more open to difference than he would have been if he was raised in the Congo.

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“At first, I was afraid to join because they told us that everyone at school would look at us as leaders. I thought, what if confident people look up to me and realise I am shy; it will mess up the dynamic!”

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UNITE As a Tool to Promote Personal Growth

“UNITE made me see how much we can learn from different people instead of judging and criticising,” Nzenze says. UNITE aims to promote acceptance and critical thinking in youth living in South Africa by facilitating programs which explore the themes of identity, integration and diversity. Students participate in activities which encourage them to think critically about their contribution to communities and effective ways to enact change. Initially, though enticed by the promise of building leadership skills and a strong community, Nzenze was rather apprehensive to join UNITE. “I used to be very shy,” he begins, “but I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I had to jump at the opportunity, because if I let it go, I’d continue to be shy forever.”

“At first, I was afraid to join because they told us that everyone at school would look at us as leaders. I thought, what if confident people look up to me and realise I am shy; it will mess up the dynamic!” Nzenze credits the shift in his confidence to his experience at UNITE camp, which was the first time he gathered the courage to actively participate in debate. Now, students recognise Nzenze for how articulate he is. “People say ‘let him go’ when it’s time to present because they like the way I speak,” he mentions.

 Discovering the Value of Diversity

Aside from debate, UNITE has introduced Nzenze to the inclusive worldview he now possesses. “The biggest topic I learned through UNITE was about diversity. Diversity brings new ideas. For me, it’s the best thing that happens to people. You can learn dances and styles of dress and even see that your lifestyles are not that different.”

Nzenze appreciates the fact that his mixed identity allows him to relate to multiple groups. “It’s nice to have different accents and be able to adapt. I am comfortable with people of different races. One of my best friends is Xhosa. Sometimes he tries to speak my language and asks me what things mean in my language. Jade [UNITE programme leader] defines the term of us uniting. I looked around and realised we are united.”

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“The biggest topic I learned through UNITE was about diversity. Diversity brings new ideas. For me, it’s the best thing that happens to people. You can learn dances and styles of dress and even see that your lifestyles are not that different.”

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<br?Stella, 21, arrived in South Africa in 2008 after migrating from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with her uncle. After adjusting to life in Cape Town, Stella was ready to resume her education; she and her uncle looked to Lawrence house, a child and youth care center registered with the Department of Social Development, for support. Lawrence house specializes in the care and protection of unaccompanied foreign minors and refugee children, as well as children who have experienced trauma.</br?

A Family Reunion

The transition from living with her uncle to moving into Lawrence house was eased by the fact that two of her brothers (one older, one younger), were already there. Stella had been disconnected from her brothers for almost two years. Eager to pick up where they left off, Stella believes that the time they spent apart made their relationship stronger.

Stella describes having positive, and even familial relationships with other children in the house. She believes that their similar backgrounds prevented feelings of isolation, and allowed themselves to better relate to one another. “Half of us came from the same place, from the DRC, some Angolans, so I didn’t feel insecure of my background; we had the same struggles, same challenges,” she says.

Developing Skills and Meaningful Relationships

Lawrence House invests in the personal development of its children. Growing up, Stella regularly attended dance classes, and the program facilitated a multitude of other activities like karate, cooking classes, weekend picnics, trips to the movies, in addition to providing emotional support resources like counseling and therapy. “Every week, we had something to do,” Stella reminisces. “We did not watch TV on a regular basis because there were so many other things taking place at the house, good activities.”

Leadership and staff at Lawrence house played a crucial role in shaping Stella’s experience, and she describes the depth and significance of these relationships fondly. “I bonded with Auntie K and Uncle Jeff the most. They taught me that life is about challenges, and that overcoming challenge is what gives you strength. They also provided comfort for me when I was missing my family.”

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They taught me that life is about challenges, and that overcoming challenge is what gives you strength. They also provided comfort for me when I was missing my family.”

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Pursuing a Passion for Fashion

In addition to emotional support, staff at Lawrence House assist youth to pursue fields of work and study that are suitable for their skills and interests. The manager of Lawrence house, known to Stella as Aunt Gulia, guided her through the process of applying to university. “She explained what certain things were, helped me with processing papers- they don’t let you leave Lawrence house without having something to do. Even if it’s not university, they will help you find a short-term job and get on your feet before letting you go,” says Stella.

Stella is currently a textile engineering student at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. She recalls growing up with a passion for clothing design, and feels challenged and fulfilled by her studies. “My courses come along with a lot of theories. It isn’t just about drawing designs; there’s a lot more to the field, and I have learned so much.”

Stella plans to finish university this year, and her long-term goal is to work until she can afford to bring the rest of her family from the DRC to South Africa. “In terms of my decisions and choices, I can say that I wouldn’t be the person that I am today without Lawrence house. I’m a stronger person because of my experience there. I always think back to the lessons staff members gave me. Before, I wasn’t as strong as I am now, but I can make decisions that I’m sure will work in my way,” she reflects.

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“In terms of my decisions and choices, I can say that I wouldn’t be the person that I am today without Lawrence house. I’m a stronger person because of my experience there.

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Zam Zam, an active member of Scalabrini’s Women’s Platform, has found her calling as an advocate for integration. Her leadership skills, coupled with a strong sense of identity, have served as an impactful combination.

Journey to South Africa

Political instability drove Zam Zam Hirsi out of her home in Somalia and into a Kenyan refugee camp, where she spent her much of her childhood and early adolescence. After a period of sustained peace in Somalia, Zam Zam returned home in 2002, hopeful to resume the life she once knew. Shortly after her arrival, however, the political instability that drove her away resumed. Equipped with enough money for only one of them to escape, her mother insisted she go.

Zam Zam sought refuge back in Kenya, but was turned away at the border and threatened with arrest. After a long and dangerous journey, she arrived in South Africa in 2003. At the time, the process of seeking official refugee status was considerably different than it is today. “Things were not so bad then,” she begins. “Refugees were few and home affairs was an easy process, so I got refugee status very quickly.”

Getting Right to Work

Shortly after her arrival, Zam Zam served as a translator and facilitator for other refugee women seeking stability. She describes her first experience advocating on behalf of a group of widowed women. “I went with them to the cemetery, undertakers, and set up meetings with UCT between these very traumatized women who had to go to counseling. UCT saw that I was the only facilitator and I ended up seeing that these women needed a voice. I started to think, this is where I belong.”

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“I started to think, this is where I belong.”

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Zam Zam was then introduced to Scalabrini, where she began as a member of the Women’s Platform in 2008. She became one of the group leaders among the women’s leadership program, and found fulfillment in this role because it allowed her to meet and connect with other refugee women. Zam Zam went on to help Scalabrini establish credibility within her community. “They [Scalabrini] played a big role in fighting xenophobia in 2008, and because I am in the center of the refugee community, I helped Scalabrini develop a reputation of trust.”

Impactful Education

Today, Zam Zam leads integration workshops for members of the Women’s Platform. She advocates for the importance of active community involvement. Following her own advice, she is the first non-South African woman to be part of the Community Policing Forum where she lives. “In my area, there are no Somalis. I spoke for the foreign, the Somali shop owners. Sometimes in meetings, the police would blame Somalis, so I represented the good business owners and non-South Africans. I am a spokesperson not just for Somalis, but for the whole community.”

Zam Zam believes the future of integration lies in educating young women. “I only have one vision, and that is to work for my community, and also to achieve more by educating young girls and women, empowering them with information. If you give money today, the money might end next week. But with information, they can empower themselves…I see myself working more and more until it’s the new norm that women can be active in the community.”

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“In my area, there are no Somalis. I spoke for the foreign, the Somali shop owners. Sometimes in meetings, the police would blame Somalis, so I represented the good business owners and non-South Africans. I am a spokesperson not just for Somalis, but for the whole community.”

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