EVERGREEN, Colo. (AP) – Boy Scouts Jean Tuyishime and Moise Tuyikunde sit around a crackling campfire under a canopy of stars in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, joking and teasing each other as adolescent brothers tend to do. Only two and a half years ago, they were a world away living at the crowded Gihembe refugee camp, built on a sprawling and dusty expanse of land in northern Rwanda.
The brothers were born in the camp after their parents fled violence in 1996 in what was then known as Zaire. They relocated with their family to the Denver area in 2014, and they gradually assimilated into their new surroundings, learning to speak enough English to get by and signing up for a quintessential American experience – Boy Scouts.
But the troop Jean, 15, and Moise, 12, joined is not like many others in the United States. Troop 1532 is composed almost entirely of refugees who hail from far-flung places like Burma, Rwanda and Nepal.
At campouts, traditional American food like hot dogs and trail burgers is replaced by fish head stew, fire-roasted corn and Chatpate, a popular Nepalese street snack. S’mores are still a staple.
While the troop deals with challenges and problems unique to the refugee population, its leaders say it also helps kids adjust to American culture while providing an additional refuge.