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Share A moving career chat with the inspiring Camille Kamanzi, the executive director of Burundi We Want, supporting the Burundian diaspora in Ottawa.
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A moving career chat with the inspiring Camille Kamanzi, the executive director of Burundi We Want, supporting the Burundian diaspora in Ottawa.
Thank you for sharing your incredibly moving story with us on the playground today Camille. He was born in Burundi and after a stint in France returned to Burundi where his father fought against the rebel group and imprisoned and tortured. When the rebel group took power they took revenge on those who had fought against them. Camille, his mom and his siblings fled to Kenya as refugees.
Mom fell sick and while they were trying to leave Kenya to get to the USA, their mom was fighting for her life and the American officials denied their claim. Afterwards the boys had to start the entire process over again. What they were originally told was going to take 2 weeks was now taking significantly longer.
They had friends in Ottawa, and even though they knew it was the coldest place in the world, they wanted to give it a try.
After they came to Canada, Camille enrolled in a French high school, and then was overwhelmed by the options he had after he graduated. When he was younger, he wanted to be a journalist. He had a passion for telling stories. He graduated from the University of Ottawa with a degree in social sciences, and a desire to be the change he wished to see in the world.
He created Burundi We Want, and as it says on their website – which was inspired by the theme “The Africa We Want” of the 2014 African Development Bank Annual meeting which reflected a vison for Africa based on the aspirations of African countries and their people in 2063. BMW wants to be an international movement of Burundian youth aware that the future of their country lies in their hands.
His next step is to branch out to bigger Canadian metropolitan cities like Toronto and Montreal. Eventually he would like to work and live back in Africa – at least during our freezing Canadian winters.
His favourite quote – when someone shows you who they are, believe them.
And believe me, Camille is a caring, kind, thoughtful, warm and committed person, dedicated to making world a better place, and focused on welcoming and supporting the Burundian community reach their potential as they make Ottawa their new home.
A big huge thanks to Camille for sharing his story, and shedding a spotlight on the very human reality that so many refugees are facing in our world today.
Please join me and my fabulous mystery guest on the playground next week for another insightful career chat.
Remember to follow me on Instagram at puddlejumpcoaching001 and please check out the wonderful rescue organization Paws Across the Water to learn more about sweet Chencha and their other adorable adoptables!
Thank you so much for spending your time with me on the playground, and until next time, please be good to yourself, your community, the animals and the world. Looking forward to seeing you next week when we will jump into the future together!
Links:
Camille on LinkedIn
https://www.burundiwewant.org/
Burundi We Want on Facebook
Camille Kamanzi Foundation
Burundi
Paws Across the Water
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By Tonya PomerantzThank you for sharing your incredibly moving story with us on the playground today Camille. He was born in Burundi and after a stint in France returned to Burundi where his father fought against the rebel group and imprisoned and tortured. When the rebel group took power they took revenge on those who had fought against them. Camille, his mom and his siblings fled to Kenya as refugees.
Mom fell sick and while they were trying to leave Kenya to get to the USA, their mom was fighting for her life and the American officials denied their claim. Afterwards the boys had to start the entire process over again. What they were originally told was going to take 2 weeks was now taking significantly longer.
They had friends in Ottawa, and even though they knew it was the coldest place in the world, they wanted to give it a try.
After they came to Canada, Camille enrolled in a French high school, and then was overwhelmed by the options he had after he graduated. When he was younger, he wanted to be a journalist. He had a passion for telling stories. He graduated from the University of Ottawa with a degree in social sciences, and a desire to be the change he wished to see in the world.
He created Burundi We Want, and as it says on their website – which was inspired by the theme “The Africa We Want” of the 2014 African Development Bank Annual meeting which reflected a vison for Africa based on the aspirations of African countries and their people in 2063. BMW wants to be an international movement of Burundian youth aware that the future of their country lies in their hands.
His next step is to branch out to bigger Canadian metropolitan cities like Toronto and Montreal. Eventually he would like to work and live back in Africa – at least during our freezing Canadian winters.
His favourite quote – when someone shows you who they are, believe them.
And believe me, Camille is a caring, kind, thoughtful, warm and committed person, dedicated to making world a better place, and focused on welcoming and supporting the Burundian community reach their potential as they make Ottawa their new home.
A big huge thanks to Camille for sharing his story, and shedding a spotlight on the very human reality that so many refugees are facing in our world today.
Please join me and my fabulous mystery guest on the playground next week for another insightful career chat.
Remember to follow me on Instagram at puddlejumpcoaching001 and please check out the wonderful rescue organization Paws Across the Water to learn more about sweet Chencha and their other adorable adoptables!
Thank you so much for spending your time with me on the playground, and until next time, please be good to yourself, your community, the animals and the world. Looking forward to seeing you next week when we will jump into the future together!
Links:
Camille on LinkedIn
https://www.burundiwewant.org/
Burundi We Want on Facebook
Camille Kamanzi Foundation
Burundi
Paws Across the Water