One day, youngster Enock Wa Kabewende came home from school in his native Democratic Republic of Congo, and everything seemed fine.
Minutes later, he, his five siblings and parents were fleeing on foot to Zambia with just a few possessions and the clothes on their backs.
“It was a Thursday, I remember that, and some officers came to our house, and my dad said, ‘Let’s go,’” and we left everything behind.”
Congo has had, for decades, a history of political unrest that has resulted in the deaths of more than six million people and the displacement of more than seven million residents, according to Global Conflict Tracker website.
After years of living in a Zambian village, the Wa Kabewende family was relocated to the Tucker area where Enock attended and graduated from Tucker High School. He continued his education, obtaining a degree from Georgia State University.
During his journey, he connected with Inspiritus, a non-profit organization with local offices in Atlanta, Decatur and Clarkston that delivers programs and services to help individuals and families whose lives have been derailed by trauma with basic needs, stability, and community integration.
Wa Kabwende is now a Micro-Enterprise Development coach who helps documented immigrants and refugees get started on their own business ventures by teaching them how to earn credit and obtain loans.
“America is truly the land of opportunity,” he said. “I wanted to do something more than just go to work and go home.”
Participants in the Inspiritus MED program must have been in the U.S. less than five years and have a certain U.S. immigration status including “refugee, asylee, Special Immigrant Visa holder, victim of trafficking, or Afghan and Ukrainian humanitarian parolee, among others.”
Wa Kabewende said he believes he has found his passion in assisting fellow refugees to find fulfilling careers in the United States. His clients, among other endeavors, have opened their own businesses or have been trained in skills that result in gainful employment.
“The fun part of the job is helping immigrants who are planted in the U.S. with their new life,” he said.
