Celebrate Refugee Week with an inspiring conversation with Delphine, whose life story spans survival, displacement and the search for meaning.

Delphine was born in Rwanda. She was a young child when her life was shattered by the 1994 Rwandan Genocide and the civil wars that followed in the Great Lakes region of Africa. She and her family were forced to flee their home, becoming refugees and spending time displaced across the Great Lakes region of Africa. She lived in refugee camps in the Eastern part of Democratic Republic of the Congo, where conditions were harsh and uncertainty was constant. Access to food, water, shelter and healthcare was limited, and the psychological toll of trauma and loss was immense. Despite this, Delphine says that this experience taught her the importance of resilience, community and survival from a young age.

She immersed herself in community work, helping others who were also rebuilding their lives post-conflict. In 2007, Delphine flew to Australia to reunite with her husband, who had arrived earlier as a humanitarian refugee. Settling in Australia brought new challenges, including cultural adjustment and starting again in unfamiliar systems. However, Delphine saw this new chapter as an opportunity to transform her lived experience into meaningful contribution and growth.

After the bombing of the refugee camps where she lived, Delphine and her family returned to Rwanda. “Though physically back home,” she says, “the emotional and societal scars remained. Growing up, I was determined to find meaning and purpose beyond survival.”

Brought to you by Waverley Library, Waverley Community Programs and presented by Refugee Council of Australia