From lonely to leader: How Chantal Muhumure built a haven for women seeking skills and sisterhood in Albuquerque

She came to this country from Rwanda with her husband and three children, facing an unfamiliar language, limited access to the essentials of life — and even the question of where to find a friend.

“Life as a woman who comes to a new country without the language, without the navigation of resources — life was challenging,” says Chantal Muhumure. “I felt lonely.”

From that beginning, Muhumure went on to found Umoja Abq, a nonprofit that started out as an African women’s fellowship but has grown into much more.

The 6-year-old organization, dedicated to empowering refugee women, now offers English as a Second Language classes, driving lessons, financial literacy education, women’s health workshops, interpretation services and child care support.

The programs serve a diverse clientele, encompassing immigrants from various African nations, Afghanistan, Syria and elsewhere.

In fact, Umoja — “unity” in Swahili — last year served 300 people, impacting about 1,800 of their children and other family members. It operates from a second-floor space at Saint Timothy’s Lutheran Church near Nob Hill.

Muhumure’s goal is to help refugee women acquire the education and skills needed to get jobs and become self-sufficient. But it’s also all about creating a sense of community and holding on to the traditions of home.

“While teaching them to live in a new country, they’re still respecting their cultures,” says Muhumure, who holds a master’s degree in computer science and information technology and teaches part time at Central New Mexico Community College.

“I feel as if my culture is my roots. If I were to forget my culture, I wouldn’t have grown to the position I hold today. That’s why at Umoja Abq, we ensure women can preserve their cultural heritage while achieving self-sufficiency.”

Why do you think education is so important?

I was lucky. I was an educated woman back home (in Rwanda). When we arrived from Rwanda to Greensboro, I went to English as a Second Language (classes) at a community college. Every day when my kids went to school, I went to school. When my English went higher, I was able to access Bible studies for women at the neighborhood church. I made a friend. My language helped me to be able to apply for work. My language helped me to know how to support my kids at school. The language helped me to get alive again.

How did Umoja first get its start?

When I moved to Albuquerque, I started navigating where I should go to church. I heard that this church (Saint Timothy’s) welcomes refugees. So that’s when my husband and I and three kids started coming. In the second week, one of the women from my community came to me and she told me (a personal problem) and said, “I don’t know where to buy the (sanitary) pads.” Because I can speak the language, she feels (she can) come to me. I cried. I said, “I will help you.”

What was the impetus for expanding into driver’s education?

I started Umoja to help African women because I speak (their) language. I would call the women in Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi and say, “Can we meet?” So we meet here on Sunday afternoons at the church. When I asked, “What do we need?,” women started saying, “We need transportation. It’s hard to get to work.” One woman said, “I never had a mammogram.” Another said, “How can I get a woman doctor?” That’s how women’s health classes arrived. We started seeing women from Afghanistan, from Pakistan, from Syria, from Iraq, from Central America. Women want to learn. When you come to our class, you will see nations and nations.

When you started Umoja, did you think it would grow so much?

Because the need was there, I was thinking it would grow. The need in the African community or in the Swahili community is the same need in Kenya, in Rwanda’s community of women, is the same need (for) Arabic women. The need is growing, but the capacity is not. We want to serve as many women as we can as much as we can to extend our services, but we are limited.

In what ways would you like to expand?

My goal is to extend the women’s education — not just teaching English but using English in their long-term lives. My goal is … also vocational training, where women will come to do the GED. If they finish the English class, they will have enough so they can access vocational training classes that will give them jobs. But we have a small child care place. When there’s five women and they bring their children, they fill the room.

What are you proud of?

I have many impact stories. I have a woman who is a single mother from Uganda. She was working, but all the time, she’d be late. They (the employer) called me and said, “Chantal, you have to explain that she has to come on time to work.” I said, “I will, but can you give us a few months?” So she came to driver’s education every Saturday to take the class here with the support of a translator and the support of a volunteer who would pick her up from home. She was able to complete the materials, the test. She was able to drive to work on time, and guess what? She has been driving four other women to work. Women she met here. They come to school for English class and after 11:30 (a.m.), they go to work.

How are your clients doing under the current crackdown on refugees?

I view … fear in the community. Some people have … family back home — single mothers who were waiting for the men to come and help. Now they don’t know when they will meet with their husbands. It’s affecting (us) because they have fear going out. We want women to come to school and feel at home, relaxed and come to learn, not to fear. These are women and men who have been in refugee camps for 20 years, 25 years. I see trauma over the trauma. It’s a lot on this community.

What do you do to relax?

I love cooking. That’s my hobby. I love to cook mandazi. It’s like a donut. Also, I enjoy yoga.

Why have you focused your energy on helping primarily women?

Women in my country, Middle East countries and African countries, they did not value women for so long. Women stay home, have a baby, cook and be the mother of the house. But when you get to this country, it’s different. The single mom has to come to this country and do the work, apply for jobs, do everything they can without education. How can they do this? That’s why … my passion is to grow my fellow women to be self-sufficient. It will take long. It will take a village to get one woman to be self-sufficient, but we can get there if we put our resources together. And when mama is educated, it means the kids will be educated because it’s a role model. So I feel (by) educating women, we are educating generations.