Imagine you, your parents and your 4 siblings are trying to escape your country in terror, as your dictator is on a killing spree and you have to manage to escape before it is too late. This is the struggles a family of seven went through to escape their own country, and how a mother and father had to act quickly to save the lives of their children and themselves.

Escaping from anywhere is difficult, but just imagine having to do it secretly, and during the night. Especially when you can’t trust anyone and can’t tell if they are good from the looks of them. Florgie Nabeya, Christina Nabeya, Hugor B., their cousin, as well as both of the children’s parents were attempting to flee the Congo, in search of a better life.

They were only young children when this happened, and as much as it confused them, they needed to move out of the Congo. They knew it would not be easy but they still had to do it.
“We could not all go at the same time,” Florgie said. “My little brother was crying and didn’t know where me and my mom were going and he was too little to explain it to.” The families had to escape the Congo overnight in a small airplane, but to them it seemed huge. There was ton of security around them so the families had to be careful escaping.

“I saw my homes and people’s home getting destroyed and set on fire,” Hugor said. “I had to run to escape, but I was just a boy and could not run fast. I could hear them coming. They killed 5,000 men women and children and had no remorse for anyone they killed.” Hugor thinks about this a lot as it was very traumatic for him.

The families both were relieved when they arrived in Egypt, even though they didn’t have anything besides the shoes on their feet and the clothes on their backs. The kids were happy to be in a place that they did not have to hide, and with people that they trust. From there, they traveled to Dubai, and eventually to the United States. The kids had never been in a country that was so welcoming, and civil.“It was great just walking onto the land knowing we were free,” Christina said. “My parents were crying and we knew we were finally home.”