Read Around the World: Democratic Republic of the Congo

For the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I read How Dare The Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child by Sandra Uwiringiyiman with Abigail Pesta. The story begins in a refugee camp in Burundi the night it is attacked by rebels who are brutally murdering the members of minority tribes. The rebels set fire to the refugees’ tents and shoot Sandra’s mother and six-year-old sister. While she’s trying to escape, a rebel points a gun at Sandra’s head–and that’s just the first chapter.

The writing style is conversational, almost like meeting a beloved friend for coffee, and I was sucked right in despite being apprehensive about the subject material. It’s not easy to read about a ten-year-old escaping a burning refugee camp with dead bodies everywhere when your own children are in the next room playing Minecraft, but thanks to Sandra and her co-author Abigail, I did not want to stop reading and inhaled this one in just a few days.

Sandra describes her childhood in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the harsh realities of living in a war-torn country. Her family belongs to a minority tribe, the Banyamulenge, who were first driven out of Rwanda and then had to flee the DRC. After the massacre at the refugee camp in Burundi, Sandra’s family, along with the other survivors, are invited to immigrate to the United States. Sandra’s family is resettled in Rochester, New York where Sandra begins middle school knowing barely any English. (In other words, they layered trauma upon trauma.)

Despite such a dark beginning, How Dare the Sun Rise is ultimately a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and our ability to overcome traumatic experiences. In high school, Sandra became an activist and a voice for her people and all refugees. Along with several of her siblings, she now runs the Jimbere Fund, a nonprofit that works to empower female entrepreneurs who live in the Congo. I was so moved by Sandra’s story, I donated $100 to the Jimbere Fund as soon as I finished her memoir, and as my social audience builds, I hope I can inspire more people to donate to causes inspired by my Read Around the World quest.

There were so many parts of Sandra’s story that made me cry or sent shivers down my spine, but this one quote keeps echoing in my mind:

[A]s I watched the people in the church cry, I had a realization: They cared. I had assumed that people in America did not care. But in that instant, I realized they did. They just didn’t know our story. They didn’t know what life was like in a refugee camp, or how it felt to endure a massacre. In America, we live in a world where Kim Kardashian dominates the news, not massacres in Africa.

how dare the sun rise, by sandra uwiringiyimana with abigail pesta, pg. 189.

Sandra is right. People care about people, but the news is a business focused on making money, so the media will always feature the content that brings in viewers. I personally could not listen to stories about massacres all day, every day, but I believe that bearing witness to other peoples’ stories of grief, anguish, and trauma makes me a better person and enriches my life. Sometimes we need the distraction of some Kardashian drama, but our hearts are also vast enough to bear witness to the atrocities of the world and as we bear witness, we change ourselves, and as we change ourselves, we change humanity.

This is definitely a book I plan to give to my children when they are a little older. Anyone who takes the time to read this memoir will want to donate to the Jimbere Fund so Sandra’s family can continue their important work.

If you are interested in reading this book, or any others from my Read Around the World quest, you can check out my Amazon shop. I receive a tiny percentage of any books purchased through the shop at no extra cost to you.