As a student activist in Kenya in the 1980s, Thomas Mwaura opposed the authoritarian government.
With the help of the US Embassy, he was able to obtain a student visa and came to the United States in 1991 to study computer science at Coppin State University. Mwaura’s wife and children joined him two years later, and he washed the dishes and worked as a parking escort to support the family while he and his wife finished their studies.
He was now safe, but he felt isolated. At the time, there were no many Kenyans in Baltimore. As a new arrival, Mwaura had no idea how to find public services, classes, or other resources. “I wouldn’t have known where to go,” says Mwaura. “There’s no one waiting for you at the airport when you arrive.”
Mwaura praises his success for his combination of luck and hard work. He wins a green card through the Diversity Visa program, a lottery ticket that only awards 55,000 visas per year around the world, and can remain in the US after graduation and get a job at a local high-tech company. His wife also received a green card and became a public school teacher. Today he is a city government system analyst. “I knew I couldn’t go back to Kenya, and I wanted to make sure my kids were growing up here as citizens,” says Mwaura, who became a citizen in 2002.
As he has built a stable life in Maryland, Mwaura is trying to help other newcomers achieve the same. He began by establishing the International Christian Community Church, Baltimore’s first Kenyan religious organization. Today, the church has more than 200 congregations. “It gives people a place to connect and support each other,” he explains.
Mwaura has started an organization in Kenya, Maryland. This raises funds to help Kenyan immigrants travel to Africa for funerals, or brings the bodies of loved ones back there for traditional burials. He also launched Hakizetu, an organization that educates immigrants about their rights and encourages political participation, and the Elimu Center, a tutoring organization for children that promotes African heritage through music and dance. “We want people to take pride in who they are and where they come from,” explains Mwaura.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Elimu has partnered with officials from Afrithrive and City and County to distribute food and other support to local families. Mwaura wants to see such government community partnerships all year round. “When you’re an immigrant, it allows you to feel like you’re yourself,” he says. “We need to work together to help people find the support they need.”
