Staff Spotlight: Kubuya

In September 2019, Kubuya spoke passionately about the importance of the refugee resettlement program, sharing his own story at a press conference advocating for an increase in the Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions.

In our Columbus office, 73% of our staff are refugees or immigrants themselves. One of our case managers, Kubuya, was a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In the Congo, there are many dialects and four national languages, and Kubuya can speak more than thirteen languages. His native language is Swahili, and some of the other languages he speaks include Swahili, French, Linguala, Kinyarwanda, and English. When US Together resettles individuals and families from the DRC, interpreters often aren’t necessary as Kubuya is able to use his multi-lingual talents to communicate. It is an advantage for the individual as they have someone who speaks their language and calls the same country home.

Kubuya advises everyone who has the chance to expand their language skills to do so. He claims it is the best thing that a person can learn. It is a kind of love and conveys a deep understanding. As Nelson Mandela said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to a man in his language, that goes to his heart.” Kubuya can find home in so many places because they share a language in common. If you took him to France, he would still feel in his own element. When he was in school, he liked his English class a lot. Back home in the DRC, he created an English center to help more people learn the language. Now, a lot of those people are working with the United Nations. Many have thanked him, saying, “With the little English you taught me, I had more opportunities.” Kubuya is proud to have assisted some of his neighbors in this way.

Kubuya also shared the time his English skills allowed him the chance to meet Cindy McCain, the wife of late Senator John McCain. After fleeing the civil war in the DRC, Kubuya spent some time at a refugee camp in Uganda. As a refugee himself, he helped those around him by serving as a refugee representative for the UNHCR. In that role, he listened to over one thousand people from eleven different nationalities and found ways to meet their needs. In 2009, Ms. McCain visited Uganda, and Kubuya was the only person who got the chance to talk to her. She asked him many questions, and he deeply appreciated their conversation throughout her time there.

At US Together, we could not be prouder to have Kubuya on our team. Thank you for all you do, Kubuya!