World Refuge Day Highlight: Eliza Shabire's Story

Eliza Shabire - pictured above at World Refugee Day Boise in 2023 - resettled in Boise five years ago to reunite with her dad after years apart. She was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but her family was displaced to Rwanda when she was 6. Eliza is now raising a young daughter with her husband and going to school to become a clinical social worker.

Eliza shares: 

Resettling here in Idaho gave my family and me our lives back. It gave us peace, safety, and the opportunity to dream big and achieve our dreams.

Before we came here, we couldn’t dream big because we didn't know if we were going to wake up alive the next morning due to war, disasters, hunger, and all other bad things that were against us.

When I came here in 2020, I felt like I was just entering a small paradise, and then the way people welcomed me and helped me to thrive, I realized that it was not just a small paradise, it was actually a big one. From that day forward, I promised myself to work hard so that I could leave Idaho better than I found it.

Now I am fulfilling my promise by going to school to become a clinical social worker. I am proud to say that this May, I earned my bachelor’s in social work, and I am starting my master's in social work this June.
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I believe that a healthier community creates a stronger community and a strong country, which is why I dedicated my life to helping people with mental health challenges as well as connecting them with available resources. 

Currently, I am working at a behavior hospital as an activity therapist and at an early learning center as a preschool teacher. It makes me happy and proud to help people to live better lives as well as raise future generations of this country. Together, we can achieve more.

Thank you to the United States for resettling refugees and giving them a place to call home. Refugees are strong, hardworking, intelligent, resilient, innovative, and so much more. All they need is safety, a home, and opportunity, and they will give back and contribute to the best of our country, if we allow them to. 

World Refugee Day Events in Idaho

• World Refugee Day Boise: 5-9 p.m. Thursday, June 19, at the new West Bench Farmers Market, 3085 N. Cole Road, Boise
• A World of Hope: Refugee Bazaar: 6-9 p.m. Friday, June 20 in Twin Falls
• World Refugee Day in Pocatello: 5:30-8 p.m. Friday, June 20, at Lookout Point

Please find translated materials here to spread the word about the Boise event!