This Father's Day, Congolese refugee Patrick knows his children are finally safe

Growing up in the Democratic Republic of Congo, war and terror darkened each waking hour.

In 2009, he fled to the refugee camps of Nairobi, Kenya, where he met his wife Muisha Zawadi Sarah, and they started a family.

But every day, they were still looking over their shoulders, alert for when danger would next strike.

And always there was the fear that their children would be the ones harmed.

Until finally, in 2019, they were approved for refuge in Australia.

Patrick still struggles to express the sheer relief that washed over him as his family stepped off the plane and arrived in their safe new home.

“We're not afraid of anything any more,” he said.

“In Nairobi, we were always afraid. But here, we are free.”

Patrick grew up in South Kivu, a province in Congo.

From 1998 to 2003, the country was torn apart by the Second Congo War.

It was a bitter clash between Congolese government forces (supported by Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe) and rebels backed by Rwanda and Uganda.

Although a peace treaty was signed in 2002, violence and human rights atrocities perpetrated by armed groups against civilians have continued.

As a young man, Patrick was constantly worried armed groups would take him by force, pressuring him to fight for them.

“I had to leave because of the war,” Patrick said.

“It was very, very scary.”

He fled by lorry to Nairobi where, two years later, he met Congolese refugee Muisha.

She'd had her own traumatising experiences back home.

Working as a nurse at a hospital in Congo, she was on shift one night when an armed group burst into the facility.

“They killed one of our doctors,” she said.

“I hid under a bed until they left.”

Fleeing to Nairobi in 2011, she met Patrick at church and, two years later, the pair married.

While their new home was safer than what they'd left in Congo, Patrick said there was still significant suffering at the Kenyan refugee camps.

“We were grateful they had taken us in, but there was no support,” he said.

“If you had money, it was easy. But we had nothing.”

For 10 years Patrick struggled to make ends meet, handcrafting masks and decorations for hotels and homes to bring in money.

“At that time, we had three children,” he said.

“There was never enough money. If the kids wanted anything or to go anywhere, we couldn't do it.

“As a dad, I couldn't provide for my kids — I felt like I wasn't a good parent.”

In 2016, Patrick and Muisha applied for refuge in Australia. It was a long process, but three years later they were approved.

And in 2019, they arrived at their new home in Shepparton.

Patrick now works at Gouge Dry Cleaning — and while his hours have reduced due to COVID-19, he feels he can finally provide for his family.

In addition to studying English at Shepparton GOTAFE, Patrick and Muisha are raising their four children — Lorene, 6, Laurence, 4, Lauris, 2, and their latest addition, one-month-old Loragan.

Looking around at his new life in Australia, Patrick said it was more than he could have ever imagined for his family.

“I'm very happy, my kids are finally safe,” he said.

“We have a new life.”

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