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Morning Edition
Cathy Wurzer, Gracie Stockton and Lukas Levin

Congolese refugee helps other refugees in Minnesota, but nonprofit’s future uncertain under Trump

Congo Fighting Photo Gallery
People displaced by the fighting with M23 rebels make their way to the center of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jan. 26.
Moses Sawasawa | AP

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In 2012, Congolese refugee Kiloloma Kisongo founded a Minneapolis nonprofit to help other East Congolese refugees find solace in Minnesota.

Since arriving, he’s seen an uptick in asylum-seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Now, the Rwandan-backed rebel takeover of the city of Goma — home to two million people — means help is more urgent than ever, but his organization’s future is uncertain due to the Trump administration.

Eastern Congo is extremely impoverished but rich in rare earth minerals used in technology, making it a target for decades. Kisongo fled the DRC and spent six years in a refugee camp in Tanzania before coming to Minnesota in his teens. The violence that drove his family out is the same as what’s going on today.

“A lot of people have lost lives due to this kind of conflict, due to these issues that we believe [have] been caused by the Kigali government. Things just might be changing names from now and then, but it’s all about minerals and resources,” Kisongo said. He has family still in Goma and the DRC. “I have not been able to talk to two of my sisters are there, and they’re stranded in this whole chaos. So to me, it runs really close to home.”

Kisongo spent several years working with nonprofits like Catholic Charities and Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota but saw the need for culturally competent services for refugees. That prompted him to start Voice in the Wilderness Organization. But the nonprofit’s future is foggy, as President Donald Trump cracks down on immigration and moves to cut USAID.

“We were told by the Minnesota Refugee Office that this year we're expecting up to 6,000 refugees. But now that is not clear anymore, because we have heard cases that people were already ready to board the plane to come to the United States, they will cancel their flights, and nobody’s sure when that's going to reopen again,” Kisongo explained.

In the meantime, more funding is key to his nonprofit’s survival.

Listen to Kisongo’s full conversation with Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer by clicking the player button.