Congolese refugee scoops woman of the year award
Ten years ago, Marie Jeani Angeya's life was terribly disrupted and changed forever when her husband and one of their children were killed. Originally running a restaurant in Kasenyi in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angeya felt her life was insecure.
She had to seek safety, and so she escaped into Uganda with her six other children, ending up at Kyaka II Refugee Settlement.
Although the circumstances of her life have been difficult, the 50-year-old has not let them weigh her down, and her work and goodwill in the refugee camp have paid off – winning her the 2013 Refugee Woman of the Year award.
Angeya, known for her kindness, perseverance and helping others, especially the most vulnerable, has stood out among other women.
It is her outstanding campaign to promote safe deliveries and dealing with other health issues such as HIV and family planning that have earned her praise in Kyaka II refugee camp in Kamwenge District.
"If there is someone in need, I have to help her/him. I cannot turn them away. I leave all my duties and start helping them," Angeya says.
When she settled in Uganda, she was given a piece of land, where she dealt in charcoal to educate her children.
It was around that time that she discovered her talent in making crafts, so she started making table cloths for sale.
Because Angeya wanted to start teaching other refugees how to make crafts as well, she invested her profits in supporting small businesses.
"Marie is an exemplary woman who encourages refugees to help each other," Tarja-Saarela Kaonga, Resident Representative of FRC, says.
The award, which is part of celebrations to mark World Refugee Day, is a brainchild of the Finnish Refugee Council (FRC) in co-operation with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).
Accompanying the award is Shs3 million.
This is the second time the Refugee Woman of the Year Award has been awarded to a Ugandan. In Finland, a corresponding award has been granted to a refugee woman annually since 1997.
With the award, FRC, UNHCR and the OPM want to increase awareness on refugee issues, encourage refugee women to go forward and promote a positive image of skilled, resourceful women in Uganda.
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