Congolese refugee family finds hope in Denmark after years of hardship
Congolese refugee family finds hope in Denmark after years of hardship
Esther and her children at IOM’s transit centre in Kigali before their departure to Denmark.
It was a life-changing moment for Esther and her children when they were informed that they would be resettled to Denmark in early June 2026.
What once felt like an impossible dream of a better life had finally become a reality for the 44-year-old Congolese refugee woman, after nearly two decades living in Nyabiheke Refugee Camp, eastern Rwanda.
“When I was told that I would be resettled to Denmark, it was as if someone had told me that the gates of heaven had opened and I was invited to enter. I felt that my life was about to change, that I would be able to find work and meet my needs,” she said a day before her departure. “Today, I feel happy because I have hope for a better life.
The mother of five believes that once they arrive in Denmark, her children will continue their education in better schools and have opportunities to work to improve their lives and support themselves.
Like Esther, her third born – Enock – is excited to grow up in a more conducive environment that will help him nurture his sporting talents.
“I plan to continue my studies while also developing my basketball skills because I dream of becoming a professional basketball player one day,” says the 20-year-old boy.
Yet years ago, Esther and her children never imagined that such a life-changing opportunity would be possible one day. Since they fled their country, they have endured years of hardship, struggling each day to survive.
Their ordeal journey started when armed violence ravaged their village in Masisi, eastern DRC, killing people and forcing others to flee.
“When armed men killed my husband, I ran away. They chased us, and wherever we went, they attacked and burned homes. We eventually decided to flee DR Congo and seek refuge in Rwanda,” Esther recounts.
Carrying her three-month baby on her back and another small child on her shoulder, with the oldest walking beside her, Esther had nothing else – only her children – when she arrived in Rwanda.
“When I finally reached safety, finding food became the next challenge because I was solely responsible for providing for my children,” she recalls. “What I will never forget is when my youngest child was about ten months old and had just started walking. He would ask for food when there was none. He would cry for milk, and I had nothing to give him. His older sibling became malnourished and even started losing hair because of poor nutrition. For a parent, nothing is more painful than seeing a child going hungry.”
To get basic needs for her young children, Esther had to work in other people's farms near the camp to earn little income to supplement humanitarian assistance, which was not sufficient.
Esther and her children walking to board a bus to Kigali International Airport.
Esther and her children are among the refugees who have been resettled to Denmark from Rwanda since the beginning of this year. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, works with countries like Denmark that generously open their doors to vulnerable refugees like Esther’s family, giving them an opportunity to rebuild their lives through resettlement and other ways that allow them to relocate to other countries.
UNHCR works closely with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to arrange logistics, do medical clearances and ensure smooth departures for refugees traveling to their new homes.
For 2026, UNHCR Rwanda is expected to submit a total of 1,434 refugees to Canada, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, and New Zealand. Between January and late August 2026, over 430 refugees living in Rwanda have departed for resettlement to third countries including Canada, Denmark, Finland, France and Sweden.
However, the current number of departures represents a tiny fraction of refugees in need. Cases of vulnerable refugees like Esther’s family living in the country that need to be relocated to other countries remain higher than available quotas. UNHCR continues to encourage more countries to open doors for vulnerable refugees by increasing their current quotas or broadening existing quotas to be more flexible.
As Esther starts a new chapter of her life, she is eager to work hard to earn a living in her new hosting country. She also hopes that the chance will bring better opportunities for her children and help them achieve what she could not.
“I am ready to work in whatever job I can find,” she said shortly before taking her flight. “My wish for my children is that they have opportunities, earn an income, build their future, and prosper. If they ever return to their homeland, I do not want them to experience the difficult life that I have lived.”
