A dedicated public servant says his life proves that anything is possible.
Fidele Sebahizi grew up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1996, at just 14 years old, he was forced to flee from his home village following an attack.
“My home village has been destroyed to ashes,” said Sebahizi.
His ethnic group was facing persecution and when another war tore apart Congo in 2004, more people packed their belongings and left.
They escaped across the border into Burundi to seek safety at a United Nations refugee camp.
“In that refugee camp, we got attacked by several heavily armed groups and we lost 166 people in a matter of two hours,” Sebahizi said. “Seeing my friends, my family members set on fire, alive, it was like a movie, but it was real.”
With few belongings and nowhere to belong, Sebahizi said he’s not even sure how he ended up on a plane bound for the U.S.
“It was my first time flying,” he said. “So, it was crazy. So, I didn’t know where I was going.”
Building a new life
Far from Congo, Sebahizi began to build a new life in southern California. He started taking English classes alongside his father. Those classes turned into college courses, all while he was welcoming a new child into the world.
In 2015, Sebahizi followed a brother to Abilene, Texas, and found inspiration in a community that is almost 70% white.
Sebahizi found work in a prison, where the idea for his next career move came from some of the people incarcerated.
“They started calling me a cop,” Sebahizi said. “They were like, ‘Go outside, and be a real cop.'”
Creating change
Sebahizi became the first-ever foreign-born police officer hired in Abilene.
“Given where he came from, I think he gives a broader perspective, a lot of resilience and a strong, strong work ethic,” said Assistant Chief Joel Harris.
Sebahizi’s ability to speak five different languages is a huge asset to the city, Harris added.
“Not only translate for us, but actually help us to communicate and bridge that gap with the cultures, and I think it helped us build trust quite a bit with the refugee community here,” Harris said.
While working 10-hour shifts as a police officer and raising a family, Sebahizi went on to earn a master’s degree and then got a PhD, but he didn’t stop there. Sebahizi, who arrived in the U.S. without speaking much English, has now written a book, called “Creating a Life from the Ashes.”
“I believe that anybody in this country, regardless of their status, they can achieve whatever they want to achieve. If I did it as an immigrant, as an immigrant, or as a refugee, anybody else can do it too,” said Sebahizi.
He shares that lesson with his American-born daughters, Fifa, 14 and Faith, 7.
After achieving his American dream and becoming an inspiration to others, Sebahizi now wants to return home to help create more change.
But before he moves back, Sebahizi said he wants to teach college.
He added that he would only move with his daughters’ blessings first. They told him they would go with him when they get older.
“My plan is to go back sometime and rebuild my village, not only my village, but the country, make it a better place and make a difference,” Sebahizi said.