Firmin Ntakimazi was born in Burundi, where he grew up, received his education, and made a living teaching elementary school. When civil war broke out in 1993, he fled to Tanzania, where he spent the next 15 years in a refugee camp before being accepted to go to the U.S. and begin a new life.  

Today, Firmin works as a community resource navigator for the LSI Global Greens program. He coaches farmers, assists with interpretation, works to find land for farmers, and teaches classes. But this isn’t Firmin’s first time teaching others about farming.  

“I was an elementary teacher in Burundi when the secretary of education appointed me to go work at a school in a rural area where the kids didn’t like school and the teachers didn’t really teach,” said Firmin. “When I went there, I introduced the kids to games so they could love going to school.”  

Unfortunately, the school didn’t have money to purchase balls or sports equipment, so Firmin came up with a different solution: farming.  

“We’d get the land ready, and the parents would provide the seeds. The students grew soybeans, corn, cabbages, and other vegetables.”  

After learning to grow and sell their crops, the students raised enough money to purchase many balls and sports equipment. Additionally, Firmin kept some of the crops to cook at school so he could teach his students new recipes. 

“About 40 percent of the kids who had stopped going to school came back because of the fun we were having at school. I will never forget that.”  

With a passion for teaching and coaching others, Firmin teaches refugee and immigrant farmers in agriculture education classes at LSI. Topics, among others, include land access, risk management, record keeping, and the differences in American farm practices versus farming culture from other countries.  

Due to a lack of education and experience resulting from years spent in refugee camps, many new arrivals struggle to find a well-suited job in Iowa, unable to work long and laborious hours in factories. Firmin enjoys sharing the joy of farming with others and helping former refugees provide food for their families or turn farming into a small business.  

Firmin’s work helps pave a path for refugees in the United States. The skills they learn not only help them feed their families but also provide them with confidence and knowledge in their farming businesses. You can ensure more refugees learn the joys and knowledge of farming by supporting LSI Immigrant and Refugee Community Services. Please consider giving today. 

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