Congolese Refugee Helps Others Plan for Their Future in Washtenaw County

Deborah Ngandu
Relationship Banker

In 2011 Deborah Ngandu accompanied her husband, Alain, from the Democratic Republic of Congo to the U.S., where he was pursuing his master’s degree in clinical research at Mayo Clinic Graduate School. They had planned to return home, but in 2012 everything changed. That year, Alain’s father, the world-renowned gynecologist, human rights activist and Nobel Peace laureate, Dr. Denis Mukwege, openly condemned the sexual violence spreading across his country. Soon thereafter, five assassins broke into his home in East Congo, fired multiple shots at Mukwege and killed the family cook. Mukwege survived, but it was clear that Alain and Deborah could not return home. The couple was granted refugee status in 2013 and resettled in Washtenaw County. Alain was a gynecologist like his father and began researching women’s health and public health at the University of Michigan. Deborah turned to Jewish Family Services (JFS) for English classes and job assistance. The organization helped her get hired as a relationship banker at Old National Bank. “I help customers plan for their financial future by offering financial advice or directing them to our services that will help them reach their goals,” she says. She was so grateful for the support she received from JFS that she began volunteering as an interpreter for the organization. She spends up to eight hours a week, helping connect new refugees with housing, transportation, healthcare and job opportunities. “When I see refugees I’ve helped leading successful lives, I feel so proud of them,” she says. “It helps that our city is already so welcoming. When you look around, you see people from all around the world together.” Between her job, her volunteer work and raising three children with Alain, Deborah feels fulfilled in her new home. They’ve discovered a welcoming, diverse environment at the University of Michigan and have built an international circle of friends. “It was sad to give up our old lives in the Congo, but we’ve managed to gain a community and a higher purpose,” she says. “Here we can raise awareness about the injustices Congolese people—especially women— face back home. We hope some international goodwill will be mobilized to help address these atrocities.”