My name is Nathalie and I am a former resident of Carty House. I am married and blessed to be a mother and a grandmother. I want to share with you a bit of my journey, so that you can understand that your ongoing commitment to women like me means more than you will ever know.
I am from Rwanda, a country located in East – Central Africa, known as the “Land of a thousand hills” because of its mountainous landscape. As beautiful as that sounds, Rwanda is also known for the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis in which more than a million men, women, and children, including many of my family members, were tragically killed. The Rwandan genocide and subsequent civil wars forced more than two million Rwandans to flee my country.
My journey as a refugee in Canada started in a shelter for men and women in which I spent six months and was eventually offered a space at Carty House. I had my own room, fresh food to cook and the amazing support by staff and volunteers. My life was forever changed. Carty House covered my dental bills, paid for my eye glasses, as well as other medical costs that were not covered by my health insurance and that I couldn’t afford on my own. I remain eternally grateful.
Every refugee faces profound heartbreak when leaving their home and everything they love. For me, that heartbreak continues. I’ve missed significant moments—my child’s wedding, the birth of my first grandchild, and the loss of my beloved sister. Yet, through all these challenges, Carty House has been a constant source of support. Together, we cry, we laugh, and we find ways to live. The community has been essential to my survival.
What Carty House did for me is bigger than any letter can express. They gave me a home. A purpose. A new beginning.
I was the oldest woman living at Carty House at the time, but my identity and “Mama” energy never ended. I was able to support the younger residents as they, too, began rebuilding their lives, one step at a time.
I am now living on my own and working as a support worker in a shelter. I interact daily with those struggling with addiction, homelessness, and so many other of life’s challenges. At first I was afraid of such people. But I have come to love them. They are just like you and me. They are in search of a better life, support to get there, and encouragement to take the next step.
Carty House provided me with all of this and more.
I am forever thankful to Carty House and to each and every one of you who have supported its mission. For you to care for women like me, women that you will most likely never meet, is beyond me. My heart overflows with gratitude.
Please continue to support Carty House. Lives of women, like me, literally depend on it.