Espoir was an infant when his family fled for their lives. He is a survivor of the civil war in The Democratic Republic of The Congo (DRC).Today, nearly two decades later, Espoir is a making a new life for himself in Austin, Texas.

We hear about his extraordinary journey and what he has learned about identity and new beginnings. Espoir is interviewed by our host Ahmed Badr, himself a refugee, who also moved with his family to the United States.

This episode also includes an update from Jean-Philippe Chauzy, Chief of Mission in the DRC for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on the worsening situation.  

The spread of local violence has become a great threat to the lives of many millions of people. Malnutrition and unrest, largely caused by regional conflict, especially in the eastern part of this vast country, has forced many to leave their homes. Today, there are more than 4 million internally displaced people in The Democratic Republic of the Congo.