How Dare the Sun Rise

In Rwanda, Sandra’s family struggled, still barely able to feed themselves. Occasionally, a neighbor offered food or money. Still, Rachel maintained faith. Soon, Princesse got a scholarship to go to college in Kigali and a job at the government minister’s office—a rare opportunity for an undocumented immigrant. She helped support the family with her earnings. Shortly thereafter, the family joined a local church. One of the members of the congregation, whom Prudence befriended, was the head of a boarding school. The man helped Sandra and Alex re-enroll in school, which was three hours away by bus in the mountains. Both children made friends quickly and stayed in touch with the family by phone.

At the end of 2005, Prudence heard about a resettlement program organized by the UN. This opportunity would require the family to undergo a series of interviews with the UN in Burundi. Rachel balked; she did not believe that they could ever move to the United States.

The following year, Prudence went to the first two interviews by himself. After he was invited back for another round, he took the family with him. At the UN office, other families who survived the massacre waited to be interviewed by UN workers, all of whom were white.