After various fundraising events led by Global Neighborhood residents, the Kwitonda Family, a refugee family originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, left Lakeside conference room with a lifelong change: a desktop computer.
Their gift represents seven months of community fundraising by Global Neighborhood residents who have been visiting the Kwitonda home to help their family acclimate to the U.S. through English and basic computer skills lessons. It was during one visit when Emmanuel Kiwtonda asked Global Neighborhood Service Initiative leaders Omolayo Ojo and Alexander Ball for a computer of their own.
Little did they know, their simple request would galvanize the community to unite in raising funds, awareness and support for the gift throughout the year.
The Kwitonda family spent the past 17 years living in a Rwandan refugee camp prior to their arrival to Greensboro on Aug. 28, 2014. The family was “adopted” by the Global Neighborhood as part of their “First-Friends” service partnership with North Carolina African Services Coalition. The initiative seeks to help the immigrant family adjust to their environment in North Carolina by providing them with support in their settlement process. Every other Saturday, residents have been visiting the family and helping them acclimate to their surroundings by teaching English and basic computer skills through activities and games.
Ojo, the Global Neighborhood’s lead student mentor, said the new computer will play a vital role in their adjustment.
“For a family that is new to the U.S. who are still trying to perfect their English and cultural acquisition, good grades in school can make a big difference,” she said. “Emails, word documents and all the glorious things that computers and the Internet give us access to will be vital to our [their] acclamation.”
She noted that students who currently visit the family every Saturday will further their lessons on basic computer skills while the family members will now be able to practice at their convenience.
While the funds for the gift came from a host of activities, including a crepe fundraiser during National French Week and office donations, the Global Neighborhood Penny War played a significant role in unifying the community. The “Penny War,” an initiative led by first-year student Alexander Ball, challenged students to put spare change in buckets placed in each of the Global Neighborhood houses with one small catch: coins added positive points and bills added negative points. Houses competed against each other by placing bills each others’ buckets. Through simple change, the neighborhood raised around $200.
“It was all down to the Global Neighborhood residents,” Ball said. “It just showed how the community could come together to make a change.”
He stressed that the relationship has been mutually fulfilling.
“I’ve learned so much from them and I always look forward to seeing them again,” he said. “It’s easy to feel like you’re a part of a bigger family.”