Yesterday, we raised nearly $3,000 for the fund to help Devota Nyiraneza pay off a $10,000 loan for her son’s college studies that she mistakenly thought was a financial aid package (this, according to consumer groups, is a very common mistake  by American students as well, it is easier to do that it should be).

Devota accepts trouble with grace, she has been through much worse. She walked across Central Africa in 1994 to escape the Rwandan genocide. She walked about 2,500 miles and it took her nearly a year to get to the U.N. Refugee camp in Cameroon. She carried her 3 month old daughter on her back all the way.

She works two jobs, one helping the disabled for Catholic Charities, the other mopping floors at the Albany Medical Center.

All along the route refugees were pursued, slaughtered and  raped,  Devota was assaulted four times and gave birth to four children as a result, she kept and raised each of them in the refugee camps and  her in America. She is a U.S.Citizen working two jobs to pay off her loan and care for her children.

I’m going to count the money over the next day or two, but I believe we are past the $5,000 mark. I hope to reach $10,000 before we are done, but whatever we raise will be a great help.

There was a check for $1,000 yesterday and one for $500 today – thank you – and envelopes with $2, $5, $10 and checks for $25 and $50. The small donations matter, they are inspiring and wonderful. Thank you. People are affected by her story, and are just giving what they can give. That’s what makes the Army of Good so beautiful.

Yesterday was the biggest total of donations for Devota for any single day, if this keeps up for a few days, we’ll either hit the goal or be close. I’m going to see  Devota on Thursday, I’ll ask her if she wants to wait for the full amount or get what we have raised until then. I will keep the fund going for a week or so, we’ll see what we see.

Her story has touched many people deeply, as it touched me.

I’ll also be seeing Mawulidi Diodone Majaliwa, who is from Congo Kinshasa, on Thursday.He spent 20 years in a refugee camp. He was a wood-carver but he had to leave his tools from his grandfather back in Africa when he came to America last November. I’m bringing him  a small wood carving kit and enough money – at least $400 – to buy the larger tools that he needs. I have enough money on hand for that.

I hope to encourage him to explore putting up a blog so he can sell his beautiful carvings. He will need some help for that, but that’s a ways off.

If you wish to donate to   the refugee/Mansion fund, you can send a donation to my post office box, Jon Katz, P.O.  Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 212816 or send a donation via Paypal, ID [email protected]. And thank you.