Page 60 December 2016 Our Riverview location is just 15 minutes from Arcadia Don’t lose their skills - swim once a week all fall and winter! Heated indoor pool & small class sizes FREE BABY SPLASH ages 8 wks - 5 mos LITTLE SNAPPERS ages 6 - 35 mos GROUP LESSONS ages 3 - 12 yrs HUBBARDSWIM.COM · 602.971.4044 SPLASH, PLAY & LEARN! Redefining Swim Lessons since 1998 By Shaylee Souza Their thick Shona accents are the only sign that barely a year ago, brothers Olivera (18 years old), Cosmas and Eloi Kwete (both 16 years old) lived in the ghetto of Harare, the largest and capital city of Zimbabwe. Beside, of course, the stories of the turmoil they experienced living in a refugee camp during the first few years of their lives. They are now sophomores at Central High School in Phoenix where they play football, a life as different as night and day compared to their life in Africa. “We have so many more opportunities here in America,” Cosmas said. “We have electronics that we can use if we ask and the facilities are much better than in Zimbabwe.” The brothers were born in the Democratic Republic of Congo during a time of intense civil war. The war, which has claimed more than five million lives, forced the brothers and their family to flee to nearby Zimbabwe. Their family was resettled, in part by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a humanitarian effort that aides people whose lives are ravaged by conflict and disaster. However, despite fleeing from the war in Congo, life in Zimbabwe was anything but easy. The Kwetes first moved into a camp, where the family of nine shared two bedrooms. The children had to walk two kilometers to and from school, with no access to electricity and cold water, or sometimes even clean water. Food was distributed among the refugees. “It’s a place where you would never wish to be, but because of political reasons, we had to be,” said Eloi. Using candles and other lights to navigate the dark, the family lived in constant fear of wild animals while living in the camp. Elephants trampled through, killing many people before being shot. The family eventually moved out of the camp and into a ghetto in Harare so their father could work as a teacher for Alliance Française, a non-profit organization that offers French courses. Finally able to afford to buy food and get themselves on their feet, the boys attended Marlborough High School, a more modern school that was closer to their home and afforded them more opportunities to continue their education. However, life still wasn’t easy. “When you are not from the country, they will call you all sorts of names, like foreigner and worse,” said Eloi. “When you are not in your home country, you always feel uncomfortable.” To get a better education, the family left Africa and moved to the United States, again with the assistance of the IRC, which placed them in Phoenix. The three had a passion for rugby in their old home and are keeping that interest alive through football. Olivera, a linebacker, Cosmas, a defensive end and Eloi, a middle linebacker haven’t seen much playing time but are successfully transitioning from rugby to football. Despite all of their hardships, the boys have kept a positive outlook. Olivera wants to major in computer science at an American university. Cosmas wants to play rugby for the Zimbabwean national team. Eloi wants to become a radiologist through a degree from Harvard University. “What really pushes me is when I see the past and then look at the future,” said Eloi. “Looking at what I want to accomplish forces me to work hard and be successful, and I believe that if I work hard, I will get it.” What was once a reminder of the cruel hardships the three endured, their Shona accents now serve as a testament: work hard and you can overcome anything. Even growing up in a refugee camp. An extraordinary journey from refugee camp to football field Left to right: Brothers Eloi,Olivera and Cosmos Kwete. PHOTO BY CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL HEAD COACH JONATHAN CLANTON

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