Rwandan Family Leaves Zimbabwe Refugee Camp After 20 Years for New Life in the U.S , says there is no life at Tongogara Camp

By Agencies

HARARE – A family that has spent the last two decades in one of Zimbabwe’s refugee camps has finally been resettled in the United States, marking the end of a long wait for a chance at a new life, according to The New England Media.

The family of eight, originally from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), had been living in Tongogara Refugee Camp in Chipinge District since the early 2000s.

They fled political persecution and conflict in their home countries before meeting in Zimbabwe, where all of their children were born and raised.

After 20 years of waiting, the family recently arrived in Springfield, Massachusetts, where they were welcomed with celebrations organised by the Jewish Family Service (JFS) of Western Massachusetts, one of the resettlement agencies assisting refugees in the United States. The community hosted a potluck to mark the family’s arrival and to help them settle into their new apartment.

Speaking in Swahili, the father expressed both joy and sadness, saying the opportunity felt like “happiness” after decades of uncertainty, but he also worried about those still left behind at the camp.

“There is no life in the camp,” he said. “You don’t work, you just wait for aid organisations to bring food and medicines, and often it is not enough. Having a small garden gave me some independence, but it was never enough to sustain a family.”

The family’s departure comes after a turbulent period for refugee resettlement in the U.S. Under former President Donald Trump, more than 125,000 approved refugee cases were cancelled following an executive order pausing the programme. Legal challenges later reopened the door for a limited number of families — including this one — to travel.

According to U.S. officials, the family entered with federal assistance covering rent and basic needs. JFS is also supporting them through English classes, school enrolment for the children, and job placement services for the parents.

The father said his dream is for his children to access quality education and to contribute positively to American society. “This new life is our chance to survive,” he said, adding that his long-term hope is for the family to become U.S. citizens.

Zimbabwe currently hosts more than 15,000 refugees and asylum seekers, mostly from the DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, and Mozambique. Most are housed at Tongogara Refugee Camp, which has operated since the Mozambican civil war in the 1980s. Conditions there remain difficult, with limited opportunities for employment or higher education.

Humanitarian groups say while the departure of one family is a success story, many others continue to wait, uncertain of their future.

The father left behind one final appeal:

“I ask the U.S. government to give the same opportunity to others still in the camp. Everyone deserves a chance at a new life.”