Paul Mwingwa came to Missoula in 2018 with his wife and three children after spending 18 years in a refugee camp in Rwanda after fleeing the Democratic Republic of Congo. His family now calls Missoula home, and we feel so lucky to have him in our community.

In his Casework Assistant role with the IRC in Missoula, Paul supports the casework team in providing core services to newly arriving refugee families. Paul goes above and beyond by filling interpretation and translation needs in his native language, Swahili, for many of the IRC in Missoula’s programs.

Outside of his work at the IRC, Paul is also a member of Refugee Congress, a nonpartisan organization built and led by former refugees, asylum seekers, and other vulnerable migrants to promote the wellbeing and dignity of migrants in the U.S. He has been the Delegate for the State of Montana since 2020, and was recently recognized as the Refugee Congress Delegate Excellence Award Winner for 2023.

We sat down with Paul last week to learn more about his experience and work with Refugee Congress.

Paul explained that while he didn’t set out in life to be an advocate for his community, he feels he has been called to serve in this way. In the refugee camp in Rwanda, he had his first experiences with advocacy in local election processes for the President of Refugees in the camp. When he arrived in Missoula, he did not know that he would have more opportunities to continue to be a voice for refugees.

In fact, Paul hadn’t heard about Refugee Congress yet. A friend of Paul’s from the refugee camp in Rwanda went to Kansas to be resettled there and eventually became the Delegate for Kansas. The Montana Delegate at the time, Wilmot Collins, had just been elected as Mayor of Helena and his term as Delegate was ending, leaving a vacancy in Montana. Wilmot still serves as an Honorary Delegate. Paul’s friend told him about the opportunity, and once more, Paul felt called to serve.

To become a Refugee Congress Delegate, qualified individuals can apply for a vacant delegate position in the state they reside in. Active Refugee Congress Delegates then hold an election to vote on the candidates for the vacancies. A delegate commits to serving a three-year term and can serve up to two terms. After his friend told him about the Montana vacancy, Paul applied and was voted in as the Delegate for Montana in 2020.

Since then, he has been dedicated to sharing his story and advocating for refugees and immigrants in Montana.

His biggest priority is advocating to keep the door open to refugees and immigrants coming to the U.S., specifically Montana. He wants policymakers and community members to know that keeping the door open to refugees and immigrants saves lives. He said that being in Missoula has changed so much for him and his family, and he wants others to have that chance as well. He also sees many refugees unable to utilize their skills and trades due to limited English speaking skills or unrecognized credentials. He is passionate about advocating for policies and pathways that would allow refugees and immigrants with skilled trades and professions to utilize their skills in the U.S.

Since joining Refugee Congress, Paul has participated in national advocacy efforts, met with state and local representatives, participated in a number of panels, and spoken at many gatherings. In sharing his story, he has also heard the stories of many others who came to the U.S. as refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants. He remarked on the resiliency that these individuals have shown in overcoming common barriers and obstacles once in the U.S., and that many faced the same barriers once here, regardless of their background.

As we wrapped up our conversation, Paul humbly noted that he does not view his award as a personal achievement. He wants our readers to know how the staff at IRC in Missoula, the staff at Soft Landing Missoula, members of Toastmasters Missoula Breakfast Forum, his friends, family, and his community were all part of the support network that helped him get to where he is today.

His call to action was clear: the plight of refugees is a collective responsibility, and everyone, whether you were born here or came here as a refugee or asylum seeker, must do something to help.

We offer our heartfelt congratulations to Paul! You can read more about Paul and this award here.