Norah Bagirinka

State: Ohio
Country of origin: Rwanda
Arrival in the U.S.: 2005

Norah Bagirinka is the Refugee Congress Delegate in Ohio. She is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide and was resettled to the United States in 2005.

In Rwanda, she directed a program with the International Rescue Committee that aided female victims of violence. Now in the United States, Bagirinka has continued her humanitarian work by advocating for refugees and immigrants in Ohio, collaborating with organizations such as CRIS Ohio, US Together, World Relief, and the Women’s Federation for World Peace Ohio Women’s Fund.

In 2007, she founded Refugee Women In Action, a nonprofit organization based in Columbus, Ohio, that assists refugee women and their families to establish social and economic independence.

She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare Management from Ohio Christina University and currently works as the Community Outreach Specialist and Program Director for Refugee Women In Action. She also serves as a board member for the National Justice for Our Neighbors.

Word for U.S.: Safety