I am raising funds to help cover expenses to assist the Ebengo family with funeral and burial costs for their beloved wife and mother. Last January, I became friends with this family through an organization in Akron, Ohio that reaches out to refugee families to help them become assimilated to life in America. When I first met the family, they spoke Swahili and a bit of French and we relied on Google translate to speak to one another. They shared with me how challenging it was to live for over a year in a refugee camp in the Congo and how much they missed the friends and family they left behind. Nyange spoke about how they had been driven from their home and his job as a teacher. Since that time, the family has worked hard to learn English, the 3 school-aged sons have enrolled in Akron public schools, one adult son has found work, and Nyange, has worked hard to secure a factory job. The family is proud to be able to pay rent, afford food and save $7,000. Meanwhile, Biangwa, the mom, stayed home to care for their severely disabled 26 year old son. Despite all of the challenges they faced as a refugee family, Biangwa always wore a smile on her face that truly lit up the room as she talked about her new home in America. This past weekend, I was devastated to learn of the sudden, unexpected death of Biangwa. I am hoping that we can raise enough money to help this family with funeral and burial expenses which are estimated to be $11,000. I am hopeful that this family will be able to find peace as they grieve for Biangwa, but also that they are able to continue on their positive path to becoming Americans.