OUR STORY

I moved to the US as a refugee after surviving the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. I came to the US with my older sister, who was widowed in the genocide, and her three children. Many of our family members had been killed, including our parents, three brothers and my little sister. Twenty-five years later, I have two sons, a 13-year-old and a 6-year-old, that I am raising on my own. I have gone through much in my life but the biggest challenge I have faced thus far is being a single parent.

All my experiences led me to founding Ineza Village. Ineza comes from the Kinyarwanda word which means “kindness” or “an act of generosity.” I started this nonprofit out of a desire to extend to others the same love, generosity, and kindness that God has shown me throughout my life.

My dream is to see Ineza Village become a resource hub for single moms and refugee families in the greater Portland area, and beyond. Our world needs this more than ever, and I am positioned to be an empathetic and capable resource for these families. 

-Anne Marie Mukankusi, Founder