Accompanying Photos
Ndahimana
"My eyes fell on Ruberiti, Rupyisi and Ndahimana. Who were these boys? They had done me a favor I could never repay..."( Walk With Me P. 76)
Ndahimana was the strong young man who pushed Argentine on the chukudu and carried her through the swamp to leave her village of Shahalia. Without his help Argentine might never have made it to Goma.
Today Ndahimana lives with his wife and children "in the pori" (in the bush) outside of Shahalia. They live in the trees, without even a hut, moving from day to day and night to night, so that they are not killed. As part of the writing of this book Argentine spoke to relatives who were able to locate Ndahimana, and Argentine hopes to be able to send a gift of thanks to a man who once carried her on his back through a swamp..and to repay a kindness she thought she'd never have a chance to repay.
Aunt Kampire
"Aunt Kampire was generous too. She knew how to make everyone feel welcome." (Walk With Me P. 9)
As a child, young Argentine loved to crawl to her aunt's house where she plucked cassava leaves and played with her cousin, Sifa. Later, after Argentine has been treated at the Centre, she returned to visit Mweso with her choir, and Aunt Kampire walked all the way from the village of Shahalia just to see Argentine again.
Aunt Kampire remained in the village of Shahalia until 2023 when fighting escalated again. She fled Shahalia and went to live in Kitchanga with her daughter Sifa. Later she heard that her son had also fled Shahalia with his family, and she went to join his family. They live in a hut made from leaves, without salt or oil for food. Argentine hopes to be able to send more help to Aunt Kampire, and her children and grandchildren.
As part of writing, WALK WITH ME, Argentine got into contact with her Aunt Kampire again, sending money for her to travel to Kitchanga so that they could speak on the phone for the first time after many years. This is part of a recording of that conversation, with Argentine in Canada and her aunt still in the hills of Masisi.
Ma Mukubwa
"One of my mother's sisters, Ma Mukubwa, lived in Goma. Her husband worked on a Fuso (truck) that traveled from Goma through Mweso to a village called Kashuga. That Fuso was our only chance." (Walk With Me P. 81)
On her journey from Shahlia to Goma Argentine carried a thatch mat that she wove for Ma Mukubwa. Her home was the first place Argentine visited upon arriving in Goma.
During the writing of WALK WITH ME, Argentine sent a friend to visit Ma Mukubwa in Goma and bring her a little money. When she arrived, the friend found that Ma Mukubwa was gravely ill. Her husband no longer worked on the truck, and the family had no means to buy medicine. Argentine and her family arranged for her aunt to travel to Uganda, so she could be with Argentine's mother. Here is a picture of the two sisters in Uganda. (Argentine's mother on right, and her aunt, Ma Mukubwa, on left)
Mother Thérèse
This is one of the earliest pictures we have of Argentine. She is learning to walk at the Centre. Mother Thérèse is holding her arm.
At the Centre
Argentine is on crutches in the center of this photo. To the left is Mother Thérèse with her wooden crucifix. Behind Argentine is Mama Vero, who also helped Argentine learn to walk. In front is Doctor Lungel.
It would be hard to overstate how much the Centre changed Argentine's life. She is thankful to every member of the staff who helped her along the way.
The Centre continues to operate in Goma today, despite the ongoing conflict and minimal resources.
"That’s when I noticed something strange rolling toward us. There was a beautiful woman sitting on top of a device that I had never seen before. It looked like a bicycle with three oversized wheels. The woman perched on top was pedaling her arms instead of her legs. It was the most wonderful thing I had ever seen." (Walk With Me P. 100)
Argentine in her kinga in the streets of Goma.
"You saw me the other day. I was at the grocery store on my motorized scooter, near the avocados that sell for two dollars each. My daughter was pushing the grocery cart... "(Walk With Me, Prologue)
Argentine and her daughter in a grocery store in Canada, as described in the prologue.
This video was taken a few years after Argentine and her daughter arrived in Canada. Mother and daughter's energy and determination to navigate a world of new challenges never cease to amaze.
“Mungu wetu wa ajabu, ajabu, ajabu.” People passing our van stopped to listen to the singing. “Our God of wonders, wonders, wonders.” They ran their fingers across the lettering on the side of our vehicle." (Walk With Me, P. 180)
Argentine sang this song when the van driven by Papa Katenge crossed the border as the volcano erupted.
“Girls, don’t you understand? The volcano is erupting. Look outside the gate! Everyone is running!” (Walk With Me, P. 171)
“Girls, don’t you understand? The volcano is erupting. Look outside the gate! Everyone is running!”
The 2002 eruption of Mt. Nyiragongo was "the world's most dramatic example of lava flow through a major town...
Tens of thousands of people were made homeless and 400,000 people evacuated...
Two of the city's four hospitals, three out of the 11 health centers and 80 out of Goma's 150 pharmacies were simply buried under two meters of lava." (Nyiragongo.com)
See more photos of the city of Goma in the guide to our first book.