Seeking Asylum, Finding Purpose

As a young boy in Uganda, my parents taught me to care for those suffering and in pain – two feelings that would become my constant companions.

I am the son of a chief and a princess of the Kingdom of Buganda, which dates to the 13th century in present-day Uganda. We had means that most others did not, and I grew up comfortably.

My siblings and I were orphaned when I was only 13. I worked nights to pay for high school and university – institutions my ancestors helped to build.

I was ordained as a minister and started a non-profit to educate young people about their human and political rights. I was soon targeted by allies of Uganda’s president, who has been in power since 1986.

One day at a gas station, I was abducted by armed men. With a hood over my head, they took me to a secret facility where I was beaten and tortured for two months. This was the first of many abductions. The missing fingers on my left hand are a constant reminder of this brutality.

When my uncle and brother were murdered in politically targeted killings, I fled the country, making my way to the United States. I entered legally and submitted an asylum claim, citing certain death if I were to return home.

I remained in an immigration detention facility for more than two years. My claim was ultimately denied; they did not believe my story.

Others did. Organizations from around the world appealed on my behalf, including Amnesty International and 44 members of Congress. Celebrating my 36th birthday in the detention center, I received many letters from well-wishers around the world.

On a stroke of fortune, I was released in 2021 pending further review of my asylum claim. Drawn to the countryside, I settled in Vermont, where I found a loving host family and a warm and accepting community.

Life has humbled me, but through it all, I try to honor my parents. My new medical career offers me a chance to give back, to channel my suffering, grief and pain into empathy for those I care for.

Steven Tendo is a licensed nursing assistant at UVM Medical Center. He has been with us since 2022.