Interview with Beatrice Mbayo, October 25, 2016

Interview Summary

Beatrice Mbayo grew up in Democratic Republic of Congo, one of 17 children, most of whom graduated from secondary school in Lubumbashi, Katanga. She escaped from war in 1996 by walking and by truck into Zambia and Zimbabwe where she and her two children lived in a refugee camp for four years. She describes coming to the U.S. in 2006, including hard times and good experiences. Beginning as a dishwasher in University of Kentucky Food Service, she then was a case worker with Kentucky Refugee Ministries for three and a half years. After completing her nursing assistant certification at University of Kentucky in 2001, she has been on the Kentucky nurse registry. Beatrice has founded her own organization, Dreams of My Homeland, to help people back in Lubumbashi and has made annual trips since 2012. One of her eight stories in a book published by Bluegrass Community and Technical College ESL students provided its title, 'Slowly is the Journey.'

Interview Keyword

Dreams of My Homeland Katanga Kongolo Linge Leebeembashi Tongogana refugee camp Chipinge (Zimbabwe) Family War Schooling Adaptation

Interview LC Subject

Childhood Families Education Refugees Emigration & immigration Immigrants--Kentucky

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.