After being separated 12 years ago the night their parents were killed in the Congo, Flory Bagaya has reunited with his brother in Winkler.

The reunion took place February 14 together with his brother Binwa Mulume and his wife Rita and their five children Byamungu, Murhula, Salama, Sifa and Esthere after a lengthy refugee sponsorship process together with MCC and the Grace Mennonite Church in Winkler.

"It was a happy day, I was so excited to see them," Bagaya says, adding they stayed up all night talking and sharing stories after their long separation.

The brothers were initially separated the night their parents were killed in front of their eyes by rebels in 1997. The boys fled into the jungle, running for their lives. Bagaya was 15 at the time.

"Since that moment I've been running, looking for somewhere to find peace," Bagaya says, adding he spent many years living in the jungle before travelling to Uganda as a refugee in 2007, where he was eventually allowed to immigrate to Canada.

"Life was very difficult, it was not easy for me... I thank God because today I'm in Canada," he says.

Seeing his nephews go to school in safety is gratifying, "the life they lived was so difficult, to go to school, to eat, I'm just so thankful for MCC and Grace Mennonite Church," he says.

The Mulume family tries curling for the first time

He adds the family has already made connections and friendships at the Grace Mennonite Church and are looking forward to getting outside this spring and begin exploring the community after a bitterly cold winter. "It was very difficult for them, it was very cold to them," he explains.

The Mennonite Central Committee became the first agency to set up the private sponsorship of refugees into Canada 40 years ago.

"The MCC is doing a very good job helping refugees, I'm so happy for that," Bagaya says. "I say keep going, there are many people suffering as refugees around the world."

Flory and his wife Aline