Sophomore Iptisam Nzovu, Bassam’s  younger sister, has lived through many of the same experiences Bassam has.

She remembers having to flee Congo at the age of 8 with little notice. She remembers Siradji, her father, as a hardworking factory owner, and remembers the devastation of his death at the hands of Congolese rebels. She remembers seeing people moving, huge hordes of residents of Goma trying to escape across the border to Uganda.

“We just moved, just like that,” she said.

Unlike Bassam, Iptisam attended school while in Uganda. The school she attended had much fewer resources than Algonquin. She remembers a crowded classroom, where one teacher taught several subjects.

“It’s just so different,” she said.

The interviews regarding refugee status that Bassam alluded to with the Ugandan government and American embassy frequently interrupted Iptisam’s schooling.

“It’s complicated to come here,” she said. “The interviewers ask why you want to come here, why you want to leave your country. It takes a long time. It took us five years, and we were lucky.”

Iptisam says that her brother and cousins often provided for her, for which she is still thankful. While she said that many in Uganda did not have enough food or water, her family made sure she never felt hungry. Now, Iptisam returns the favor by helping Bassam when she can. The two look out for each other.

“We help each other,” Iptisam said. “He’s a nice guy. I really like him.”

Iptisam says her life in Africa was totally different than the one she has now in the United States. She sees how wealthy people are here compared to those in Africa. She also points out how, at her school in Uganda, the social scene was much more reserved, and people were a lot less open about their feelings. Here, Iptisam feels connected not only to the students at Algonquin but also to her foster parents, whom she calls Mom and Dad. Although the transition from Africa has been hard, these comforts have helped her get through it.

“I miss it, of course,” she said. “There, life is hard. But here it is good.”