He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.
– Psalm 91:1-2
The following is an extract from the message send to all staff at RC by Ms Donna Covey Chief Executive of Refugee Council on 3 Jan 2011
Our colleague Alain Munyangabe suffered a fatal heart attack on 24thDecember. Alain was originally from Rwanda and came to the UK in 2004. In his home country he had been a civil servant with the Ministry of Labour and then later worked for the United Nations Tribunal for Rwanda for three years before coming to Britain.
Alain first starting working with the Refugee Council in 2006 at our Ipswich office as the Network Support Worker for the Voluntary Sector Refugee Network, East of England. He joined BASIS in April 2008 as their Training and Development Support Officer, based in London and has worked with the BASIS team ever since. He played a key role in our highly successful national BASIS conference for RCOs in the June of this year. Alain’s close colleagues are of course particularly shocked by his unexpected death and we will be doing everything we can to support them.
It is not yet clear what or when funeral arrangements will be taking place since understandably much of Alain’s family are not in the UK. I very much appreciate that colleagues will want to express their sympathies and will write further to let you know what can be put in place to do this.
With his passion for his work and for supporting refugees and RCOs, we will miss him greatly.
Best wishes
Donna Covey
Chief Executive
Refugee Council
Why did you leave me in such a condition?
ReplyDeleteYou have always been around whenever I need you. You never say NO.
You are very supportive and a friend of everybody.
I can’t believe you have decided to take that journey.
We miss you dearly
I'm writing this at the Refugee Council and it seems impossible to believe that Alain won't be popping over to my desk to talk about work or football - his passion for Arsenal in particular and the game in general was boundless. He was someone who could light up a room with his humour and was a pleasure to work with. We took some train journeys together to various training events and I got to learn something about his past experiences in Africa and England. He was a remarkable person and I count myself lucky to have known him.
ReplyDeleteWords escape me to describe the shock that I have felt when I learned of Alains passing. There is nothing that can be said about how tragic this loss is to us that new him, let alone his family.
ReplyDeleteI just hope that they realise that Alain made people smile, brought joy and happiness to those that didnt have any.
Alain is someone who I considered to be the best at working with dissadvantaged people. But to me he was more than a colleague. He became my friend and even though there were 200 miles separating us, I always had Alain on the phone when his beloved Arsenal did well, or just to say hello.
I hope that the Lord will open the doors for me when my time comes, the way he has for you and that we will meet again my friend.
Rest in peace brother,
Lorik
This is very sad news indeed. Alain's good work will surely live on after him. May he rest in peace. I had met him and often corresponded with him over the years.
ReplyDeleteI shall forward this to people who may have worked with him.
I was so sorry to hear of this sad news, Alain was a valued colleague who will be sadly missed by all of us, but especially by the community that he served.
ReplyDeleteI hope that the knowledge of how well thought of and respected he was will be of some comfort to his family.
May his soul rest in peace.
I was chocked to hear about this terrible news. I didn't believe it but your blog confirms. Alain was a Classmate at the National University of Rwanda (three years). He was like a brother. Iwas planing to visit him in London. I ditn't see him since 1994, but we used to talk on phone fast every week!I'll miss him.
ReplyDeleteAm sorry.
Aphrodis (in Germany)
I feel shocked and deeply saddenned to hear this news. Alain, you dedicated so much of yourself to helping others, and you made a real difference to the lives of so many people. You will be greatly missed by all of us who had the honour of knowing you and working with you over the years.
ReplyDeleteThe measure of a good life is not taken in years, but rather in how we treat others whilst we are here, and in that respect my friend, you lived a far richer life than so many.
Sleep well..
Andy Hewett
Though i never knew Alain personally, i can say am sure he must have been a marvelous and kind hearted guy, because it does take a lot to work at the Refugee Council. And knowing his collegues,I will say its with the help of people like him that refugees like me a able to start living. Thank you,Alain. Rest in peace.
ReplyDeletePeople might also be interested to see other tributes to Alain on the Refugee Council / Refugee Action Basis Project blog http://refugeecouncil.typepad.com/basis_project_blog/2011/01/alain-munyangabe.html
ReplyDeleteAlain's wisdom, kindness and presence will be missed by us all. My thoughts are with your family.
ReplyDeleteYou are greatly missed but I'm so glad I had the privilege of knowing and working with you.
ReplyDeleteThis is awful and shocking news. Alain will be missed by so many. This world was a hard place for Alain but he bore his troubles with a smile and a dedication to others. He lives on in our hearts. Rest in peace, friend.
ReplyDeleteAlain, you aren't here with us any more but you've left behind so many people who remember you with love. You've taught me so much and inspired me. I'll always remember our first couple of weeks on the project together as you tired me out talking to anybody who was in a 5 metre radius of you. In the office, on the train, at a party, a meeting or a conference you brought a smile to so many faces. Your bravery was astonishing and humbling and I will never forget that. Rest in peace Monsieur Alain.
ReplyDeleteDavid
Alain’s commitment to RCOs and improving the lives of vulnerable refugees was very inspiring.
ReplyDeleteAlain was always on top form at conferences and seminars, extending a friendly welcome to everyone who came in. His warmth of spirit always shone through, and he brought a real energy and sense of collaboration every event he was involved with.
I feel so sad to know not only that he is no longer with us, but also that he leaves behind a wife and son who he loved very deeply. I can only hope that his son grows taking inspiration from the knowledge that his father was a very well loved and generous man who had a positive impact on the lives of so many people.
Rest in peace Alain,
Helen Todd
Lovely Alain, so sad that I won't see you again, it still feels as if you are on a happy holiday, and will be walking back in any minute. I shall miss your laughter, loud shirts, and our chats about Kenya. So kind and gentle a man, I'm glad that there is a further generation to inherit your admirable and charming characteristics, so you aren't totally gone from us, but living on through your love of your family.
ReplyDeleteWith much love
Juliette
I only knew Alain for a short time having started employment on the refugees into Teaching project in June 2010,whose offices which adjoined the Basis Team.
ReplyDeleteAlain was good about making sure I felt welcome at RC. My preception of him was of a gentle hard-working man with a mischeivous sense of humour,.. dedicated to his job. He will be missed.
Susan Bryan
Alain was an amazing source of knowledge. Both with work related information as well as other topics. Though I did not work with him directly, I saw him in the office every week and if I had any questions he was always happy to help.
ReplyDeleteI will always remember his positive attitude towards life and brilliant sense of humour. It is so sad that he is not here with us anymore. He was liked and respected colleague whose contribution to the BASIS project and to the general atmosphere in the office was great and he is sorely missed.
A wonderful man with a big heart and a big smile. You lived your life helping others. You'll be missed.
ReplyDeleteI knew Alain as a simple person, ready to help others and I have enjoyed every moment of our work together with BASIS. A simple,sincere, honest and hardworking person who was always liked by most of his colleagues. I will really cherish the friendship we had enjoyed within our work sphere. It came as shock to me and may the almighty god bless his soul and rest in peace and happiness. You will be missed by all of us.
ReplyDeleteThere are moments in life which seem to be so unimportant yet resonate more deeply as time passes on... One of those moments for me was spent with Alain in Ipswich... We went to see this crazy film; I won't mention which one but I remember both of us laughing so much we were in helpless agony! I don't know much about Alains past but figure it was probably quite tough which made this time an even more precious and unexpected gift from God for which I am truly grateful... It is a treasure to me to know Alain as a fellow follower of Jesus, and remember a bond which transended culture and nationality here on Earth and now trancends death itself as the bible describes... One day i'll be with him again... I wonder if we'll laugh over that time in the cinema? God bless you all especially those who feel his loss most deeply, may the Holy Spirit Himself be your comfort and help though through this time...
ReplyDeleteI was so socked and need every time someone to tell me that he has gone. The few times i met him he so familiar with everybody come in the workshop smilely and welcoming so knowlegdable he 's been together the last AGM and have been in in the gourp discussion still his words echos and I can't understand his death......
ReplyDeletemay your soul rest in peace and consol your family for the a brothe husband and friend we lost.........
Rita P Abdullah
trustee of RC
on behalf of Sudan women Association
I met Alain in the Ipswich office, where we were both working a few years ago. He was the sweetest man, always remembering to ask about my children and always smiley and attentive. He spoke so lovingly of his family and was evidently a very tender-hearted, dear person. I hope his family can take some comfort from knowing that his kind soul touched so many people. My thoughts have been with you all - Lucy Alexander.
ReplyDeleteThis is such sad news. I worked wth Alain for a short time but he was such a happy, kind and engaging person. My thoughts are with his family. Rest in peace Alain.
ReplyDeleteTu vas nous manquer, Alain, et tu nous manques deja. Au personnel du Refugee Council et a tou(te)s celles/ceux avec qui tu as travaille.
ReplyDeleteQuant a moi, c'est ton grand sourire et ton 'Bonjour Arnaud!' qui me manquent deja
Bien a toi
Arnaud
What sad news to hear from the Basis Project. Our hearts are broken at the loss of our dear friend, Alain Munyagabe. There are no words to tell how much we will miss ‘Alan’ as we used to call him.
ReplyDeleteI can't say when, if ever, I walked into third floor at Refugee Council – Brixton and didn't see Alan sitting on his desk smiling, laughing and of course joking. His jokes were wonderful and his laughter uplifted us if we were feeling a bit low. He was so funny and always so much fun to be around.
Our time of friendship was short, but yet, I feel that I knew him all my life. When I first met him, I thought he was always so serious minded. However, I found that he had a humour and a wit. He always had time for everyone to discuss issues that concern Refugee Community Organisations, and was always so encouraging. RCOs will miss you.
The angels opened heaven's doors for him the Christmas day 2010. That makes my heart rejoice. I also rejoice that he is safe in the sheltering arms of His Lord. What better could there be? God rest his soul and comfort his family.
Jean-Pierre Mafutala
Vice chairman of African Swahili Community Project (ASCOP)
Volunteer - Refugee Council/Brixton
I wish him to rest in peace. He was a good and friendly man to everyone who has met him.
ReplyDelete