Refugee Persevered, Blooms in His Adopted Homeland

June 22, 1999
Refugee Assistance

When Kanga Kalisa stepped up to receive his degree from Queens University at the end of May, he had one very proud guest from Manitoba in the audience.

Anna Schroeder made the trek to Kingston, Ontario to see the young man-- who she and her husband Al helped sponsor to Canada-graduate from law school. "It gives us a lot of pleasure," she says.

Kalisa's family is originally from Rwanda. Strife between ethnic groups there forced them to move as refugees to Uganda, where Kalisa was born. When he was 11 he found a hand grenade on the side of the road. "He carried it around in his back pocket for a few days," says Anna Schroeder. It exploded one day, blowing off his left hand and a part of his arm.

With the disability and because he lacked Ugandan citizenship, Kalisa had limited opportunities for employment, says Schroeder. So with the help of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a sponsorship connection was made between him and the Grace Mennonite Church in Brandon, Manitoba.

Kalisa was 19 years old when he arrived in March, 1990. The federal government initially paid his expenses and the church found him a home with the Schroeders. He lived with them for the next 18 months.

"They were very supportive and very kind," said Kalisa in an interview from Kingston. "Anna helped me pick schools. She taught me how to drive, taught me how to dress up for the winter, taught me domestic things I would later find most helpful and so on. Basically everything a mother would teach a son."

"He called us aunt and uncle," says Schroeder with pride. "It was almost like having our own teenagers back."

She says Kalisa had little difficulty adapting to life in Canada. He was popular, played soccer with a number of clubs and did well in school. He finished high school in Brandon where he learned numerous computer skills. He didn't let the loss of a hand slow him down.

Kalisa, who already spoke English in Uganda, says his biggest hurdle was getting used to the weather, and to a lesser extent, learning the ways and customs of Canada. "Only time can take care of that. No one can teach you that," he says.

After finishing high school, Kalisa moved to Winnipeg and got his undergraduate degree from the University of Winnipeg. He worked a year before commencing law school at prestigious Queens University.

Kalisa says he's not sure what the future holds for him with school finally finished. His family members live in both Uganda and Rwanda now and he is drawn to them. But Kalisa, who is a Canadian citizen, says he also belongs in Canada. "Ultimately, they're both my homes."

Schroeder isn't surprised by Kalisa's success. "He's a very smart, extremely determined young man."

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