[caption id="attachment_22503" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Friends gather around the casket of Aziza Kikuze after her death earlier this year; she is one of 6 Congolese immigrants to die on three-mile stretch of Highway 30 in Benton County since 2016.[/caption]
Few lives have known as much tragedy as that of Aziza Nikuze, the 40-year-0ld Congolese immigrant who died in a traffic accident in January, on Highway 30 south of Keystone in Benton County.
Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 1977, Nikuze grew up between warring factions. Violence, hunger and sexual abuse -- from soldiers on both sides of the conflict as well as from the U.N. Peacekeepers who had been sent to help -- were a way of life for Nikuze and thousands of others there for years.
She had spent 17 years in a refugee camp in Rwanda, a country which was itself known for years of unimaginable violence. Several of her six children were born in that camp. Her husband, however, died there, leaving her responsible for providing for her children. Some of her children have since joined her in America.
Jobs, money and food was often scarce, and funding for aid is not sufficient.
One relief web site offered this description this year: "Full rations for refugees provide 2,100 calories per person per day, the minimum for a healthy life. Until November 2017, WFP (World Food Program) provided 16.95 kilograms (37 pounds) of food to each refugee each month, mainly maize, beans, vegetable oil and salt. Other refugees received 7,600 Rwandan Francs (US$9) to buy food in local markets. However, funding shortages forced WFP to trim assistance to 90 percent in November and December. The funding situation is now so bad that from January WFP reduced the ration sizes even further – to 75 percent."
A few years ago, Nikuze left her children behind and immigrated to Houston as a refugee, hoping to earn enough money to send home so they could buy food. In August of 2017, she moved to Cedar Rapids. Like many of the members of her African community, she found a job at Iowa Premium Beef in Tama. On Jan. 4, 2018, she was riding to work early in the morning with several other Congolese women. The driver made a mistake, attempting to pass another car on the two-lane portion of Highway 30 as a semi approached; she swerved and the minivan rolled in the ditch. Nikuze, ejected, was pronounced dead at the scene.
A friend posted this tribute: "Aziza was a courageous and generous woman who left 6 children including 5 girls and a boy, aged 2, 10, 14, 17,19, and 21 years old who still back in the D. R. Congo. Her life was guided by her strong faith and her commitment to her children and family. She presented a loving home environment where she was always present, offering physical and emotional care, support and guidance based on her wisdom and life experience. Aziza enjoyed cooking, singing and shopping."
Her children added these words: "Mom, we know you are listening from the heavens above. There’s nothing we value more than your love. No matter where we are or what we are doing, losing you is a pain that cannot be described in words. It is impossible to move on from the memory of losing the woman who sacrificed happiness in her own life so that we could have a better one. Memories will always keep us smiling. We will miss you. Things will never be the same without you, Mom, and your leaving us has left a deep void in our hearts. We all miss you and wish you did not have to leave us so soon."
As tragic as it was for the family of Aziza Nikuze to lose their mother, her death is not the only one the Congolese community has mourned after an accident in Benton County. Between Feb. 4, 2016, and June 25, 2018, a total of six Congolese immigrants have died on the three-mile stretch of Highway 30, between 16th and 19th Avenue, south of the towns of Keystone and Van Horne.
And along with the six fatalities, a dozen of the immigrants suffered serious injuries in those three accidents; some of them will have life-long health and mobility problems because of those injuries.
"When they crash, it tends to be epic," said one public safety official who responded to the first of the three accidents.
On Feb 4, 2016, three Congolese died in an accident after the minivan, in which nine passengers were riding to the Iowa Premium Beef plant in Tama, rolled in a snowy
four-vehicle crash. The victims in that crash included:
1. Michka Kabeya, age 34. He was married and has a daughter who is 7. His wife is one of the survivors. She's spent much time at UIHC in critical condition. Kabeya had arrived in the USA, with a lottery visa, less than four months before the crash.
2. Dickson Mandiki, age 36, also married with one child. His wife lived in Illinois. He had moved to Cedar Rapids recently for job opportunity, and had been in the USA for less than 6 months. He also came with the lottery visa.
3. Platini Namputu, age 30. He was single and arrived in the USA in November 2015 with a lottery visa.
Then on June 25, 2018, less than six months after losing Nikuze, that Congolese community lost two more members, Jeremie Mvemba, 21, and Michou Mayola, 39, on Highway 30 near 19th Avenue. Again, a car loaded with Congolese was headed west toward Tama. Again, a driver made a mistake, crossed the center line and this time, collided head on with another vehicle. Mvemba and Mayola were pronounced dead at the scene.
Friends say Mayola was known for being very sweet and kind and always having a smile on her face. She will be buried this weekend in Milwaukee, where there is another community of French-speaking African immigrants.
Mvemba's funeral has been scheduled for Aug. 4, in Iowa City. No obituary information is yet available for Mvemba, who, according to Nkumu, also recently moved to Iowa. I can't tell you anything more about him; Congolese rarely publish obituaries for members of the community, funeral director who is working with the community on Mvemba's funeral.
Nkumu says funds are needed to help pay for both Mayola's and Mvemba's funeral expenses. A Go Fund Me page has been set up for Mayola. See that page
HERE. The community also needs money to pay for Mvemba's funeral, says Nkumu.
"We need help"
Along with mourning the death of the six who have died on Highway 30, and preparing for the upcoming funerals for Mvemba and Mayola, the Congolese community is seeking the public's help to both cover the cost of burial expenses for the two, as well as find ways to help teach the immigrants to become better, safer drivers, says Peter Nkumu, one of the leaders of the Congolese Community.
Currently a Johnson County employee, Nkumu has lived in Iowa since 1991. He has owned a restaurant, and has earned degrees from Kirkwood and the U of Iowa.
After a quarter-century in Iowa, Nkumu is among the leaders of the Congolese community in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area. He estimates that there could be a total of 3,000 immigrants from Central African nations like the Democratic Republic of the Congo living in Iowa.
The Congolese arrive in the U.S. willing to work, learn English, improve their education and help each other and their families, says Nkumu.
But one very big area in which they need help, he adds, is driving. Most have never driven before coming to the U.S. International reports on their home country indicate that while city streets are paved in the DRC, few roads in between the cities have concrete. So, those who arrive in the U.S. come with virtually no highway driving experience. Yet, to get to work in places with few public transportation options requires vehicle driving.
Driver error has been a big factor in the crashes, Nkumu says. He is planning to organize a meeting for community members to discuss driving safety. He also hopes to work with public safety officials, perhaps the DOT or Iowa State Patrol, to help educate the immigrants on safe driving practices.
One challenge facing Nkumu and others calling for changes is that Iowa law (like most other U.S. states) does not require driver's education for any adult over age 18. If a person eligible to apply for a driver's license can pass a written exam and driving test, they can receive a full license.
[caption id="attachment_22530" align="alignleft" width="300"]
This map shows the approximate Highway 30 locations of the three fatal accidents involving Congoles immigrants since 2016.[/caption]
Nkumu says he is aware of other African immigrants who have died in crashes in other parts of Iowa. The Iowa DOT, however, does not keep statistics on the native homes of drivers involved in accidents; the only information recorded is the city of residence listed on a driver's license.
Nkumu says he would like to see a change in law that would created a graduated license system for immigrants, similar to the one used for young drivers. He also hopes that more driver's education opportunities will become available for new arrivals to the U.S.
For more information about the Congolese community, or how to help with funeral expenses for Mayola and Mvemba, call Nkumu at 319-400-1283.
Friends gather around the casket of Aziza Kikuze after her death earlier this year; she is one of 6 Congolese immigrants to die on three-mile stretch of Highway 30 in Benton County since 2016.[/caption]
Few lives have known as much tragedy as that of Aziza Nikuze, the 40-year-0ld Congolese immigrant who died in a traffic accident in January, on Highway 30 south of Keystone in Benton County.
Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 1977, Nikuze grew up between warring factions. Violence, hunger and sexual abuse -- from soldiers on both sides of the conflict as well as from the U.N. Peacekeepers who had been sent to help -- were a way of life for Nikuze and thousands of others there for years.
She had spent 17 years in a refugee camp in Rwanda, a country which was itself known for years of unimaginable violence. Several of her six children were born in that camp. Her husband, however, died there, leaving her responsible for providing for her children. Some of her children have since joined her in America.
Jobs, money and food was often scarce, and funding for aid is not sufficient.
One relief web site offered this description this year: "Full rations for refugees provide 2,100 calories per person per day, the minimum for a healthy life. Until November 2017, WFP (World Food Program) provided 16.95 kilograms (37 pounds) of food to each refugee each month, mainly maize, beans, vegetable oil and salt. Other refugees received 7,600 Rwandan Francs (US$9) to buy food in local markets. However, funding shortages forced WFP to trim assistance to 90 percent in November and December. The funding situation is now so bad that from January WFP reduced the ration sizes even further – to 75 percent."
A few years ago, Nikuze left her children behind and immigrated to Houston as a refugee, hoping to earn enough money to send home so they could buy food. In August of 2017, she moved to Cedar Rapids. Like many of the members of her African community, she found a job at Iowa Premium Beef in Tama. On Jan. 4, 2018, she was riding to work early in the morning with several other Congolese women. The driver made a mistake, attempting to pass another car on the two-lane portion of Highway 30 as a semi approached; she swerved and the minivan rolled in the ditch. Nikuze, ejected, was pronounced dead at the scene.
A friend posted this tribute: "Aziza was a courageous and generous woman who left 6 children including 5 girls and a boy, aged 2, 10, 14, 17,19, and 21 years old who still back in the D. R. Congo. Her life was guided by her strong faith and her commitment to her children and family. She presented a loving home environment where she was always present, offering physical and emotional care, support and guidance based on her wisdom and life experience. Aziza enjoyed cooking, singing and shopping."
Her children added these words: "Mom, we know you are listening from the heavens above. There’s nothing we value more than your love. No matter where we are or what we are doing, losing you is a pain that cannot be described in words. It is impossible to move on from the memory of losing the woman who sacrificed happiness in her own life so that we could have a better one. Memories will always keep us smiling. We will miss you. Things will never be the same without you, Mom, and your leaving us has left a deep void in our hearts. We all miss you and wish you did not have to leave us so soon."
As tragic as it was for the family of Aziza Nikuze to lose their mother, her death is not the only one the Congolese community has mourned after an accident in Benton County. Between Feb. 4, 2016, and June 25, 2018, a total of six Congolese immigrants have died on the three-mile stretch of Highway 30, between 16th and 19th Avenue, south of the towns of Keystone and Van Horne.
And along with the six fatalities, a dozen of the immigrants suffered serious injuries in those three accidents; some of them will have life-long health and mobility problems because of those injuries.
"When they crash, it tends to be epic," said one public safety official who responded to the first of the three accidents.
On Feb 4, 2016, three Congolese died in an accident after the minivan, in which nine passengers were riding to the Iowa Premium Beef plant in Tama, rolled in a snowy four-vehicle crash. The victims in that crash included:
1. Michka Kabeya, age 34. He was married and has a daughter who is 7. His wife is one of the survivors. She's spent much time at UIHC in critical condition. Kabeya had arrived in the USA, with a lottery visa, less than four months before the crash.
2. Dickson Mandiki, age 36, also married with one child. His wife lived in Illinois. He had moved to Cedar Rapids recently for job opportunity, and had been in the USA for less than 6 months. He also came with the lottery visa.
3. Platini Namputu, age 30. He was single and arrived in the USA in November 2015 with a lottery visa.
Then on June 25, 2018, less than six months after losing Nikuze, that Congolese community lost two more members, Jeremie Mvemba, 21, and Michou Mayola, 39, on Highway 30 near 19th Avenue. Again, a car loaded with Congolese was headed west toward Tama. Again, a driver made a mistake, crossed the center line and this time, collided head on with another vehicle. Mvemba and Mayola were pronounced dead at the scene.
Friends say Mayola was known for being very sweet and kind and always having a smile on her face. She will be buried this weekend in Milwaukee, where there is another community of French-speaking African immigrants.
Mvemba's funeral has been scheduled for Aug. 4, in Iowa City. No obituary information is yet available for Mvemba, who, according to Nkumu, also recently moved to Iowa. I can't tell you anything more about him; Congolese rarely publish obituaries for members of the community, funeral director who is working with the community on Mvemba's funeral.
Nkumu says funds are needed to help pay for both Mayola's and Mvemba's funeral expenses. A Go Fund Me page has been set up for Mayola. See that page HERE. The community also needs money to pay for Mvemba's funeral, says Nkumu.
"We need help"
Along with mourning the death of the six who have died on Highway 30, and preparing for the upcoming funerals for Mvemba and Mayola, the Congolese community is seeking the public's help to both cover the cost of burial expenses for the two, as well as find ways to help teach the immigrants to become better, safer drivers, says Peter Nkumu, one of the leaders of the Congolese Community.
Currently a Johnson County employee, Nkumu has lived in Iowa since 1991. He has owned a restaurant, and has earned degrees from Kirkwood and the U of Iowa.
After a quarter-century in Iowa, Nkumu is among the leaders of the Congolese community in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area. He estimates that there could be a total of 3,000 immigrants from Central African nations like the Democratic Republic of the Congo living in Iowa.
The Congolese arrive in the U.S. willing to work, learn English, improve their education and help each other and their families, says Nkumu.
But one very big area in which they need help, he adds, is driving. Most have never driven before coming to the U.S. International reports on their home country indicate that while city streets are paved in the DRC, few roads in between the cities have concrete. So, those who arrive in the U.S. come with virtually no highway driving experience. Yet, to get to work in places with few public transportation options requires vehicle driving.
Driver error has been a big factor in the crashes, Nkumu says. He is planning to organize a meeting for community members to discuss driving safety. He also hopes to work with public safety officials, perhaps the DOT or Iowa State Patrol, to help educate the immigrants on safe driving practices.
One challenge facing Nkumu and others calling for changes is that Iowa law (like most other U.S. states) does not require driver's education for any adult over age 18. If a person eligible to apply for a driver's license can pass a written exam and driving test, they can receive a full license.
[caption id="attachment_22530" align="alignleft" width="300"]
This map shows the approximate Highway 30 locations of the three fatal accidents involving Congoles immigrants since 2016.[/caption]
Nkumu says he is aware of other African immigrants who have died in crashes in other parts of Iowa. The Iowa DOT, however, does not keep statistics on the native homes of drivers involved in accidents; the only information recorded is the city of residence listed on a driver's license.
Nkumu says he would like to see a change in law that would created a graduated license system for immigrants, similar to the one used for young drivers. He also hopes that more driver's education opportunities will become available for new arrivals to the U.S.
For more information about the Congolese community, or how to help with funeral expenses for Mayola and Mvemba, call Nkumu at 319-400-1283.
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