From Togo to Minnesota: an interview with Victorie Akama

by Victorie Dede Akama

Editor’s Note: I (Kristi) first met Victorie last winter when we carpooled to Renovare together. We instantly connected as new moms, and swapped infant/toddler stories each week. Victorie has so much joy and friendliness, and a beautiful story to share.

1. Please tell us about your family and how long you have been at Calvary. 

I am from Togo and have been living in Rochester for almost three years. My husband’s name is Ablam and we have a two-year-old son named Israel. Ablam is a machine operator at Seneca Food, and I work at Walmart and am home with Israel. We have been at Calvary for almost two years.

2. What led you and your husband to emigrate to America, and why Rochester, MN?

 My husband was the one who came to the USA first. He came in 2014, when we were engaged. He came by the Diversity Visa program. He came back to Togo in 2017, and we got married before he started the process for me to come and join him. It was a long process, and I finally joined him right before COVID.

3. What has been the biggest challenge (or challenges) adjusting to life in America?

I have faced several challenges in adjusting to life in America. The first one is the language difference. French is my first language, which makes it a bit difficult to communicate and be understood in English. Secondly, the lack of transportation is a challenge. Life in America is totally different from the one in Togo in terms of means of transportation. Here, it is challenging not to have a car of my own. It is challenging to be dependent on someone else for driving, or having to take an Uber, which is so expensive. And last, it is hard not having my family around, especially for help watching my son whenever I have an appointment or something else to do.

4. How did you find Calvary? How has God helped you find Christian community?

I can say God has His way of doing things. My husband was an Uber driver, and one day, he picked up one of the Calvary pastors. The pastor gave Ablam his card and invited him to the service the following Sunday. This was in 2019. And in 2020, he picked up another Calvary member who invited him to Easter service. We went together, and we decided to be part of the Calvary community.

5. What has God shown you about his character over the last couple years of transition?

God has shown me His faithfulness over the last few years. For example, the birth of my son is a miracle. Before getting pregnant with Israel, some doctors said any pregnancy will surely end up a miscarriage, and others said it will be a very difficult and high-risk pregnancy because I have fibroids.

When I got pregnant, it was not easy. It was so painful from the beginning. I took a lot of pain relief and went to the ER many times. At three months, I started bleeding, but everything still looked good, and I stopped after a few days. We kept praying and God was always with us.

At 24 weeks, I had a rupture of the membranes with no contractions. I was kept in the hospital for five weeks, and doctors said I will need a C-section because of the location of some fibroids. Israel was born on Nov 7, 2020, at 29 weeks. He spent 45 days at NICU before we came back home. He is now 2 years old and full of joy. In all that long journey, God has never failed us. As He said in Joshua 1:5b, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” It was not easy, but we made it through with Christ!

And you know what? Today (Feb. 22), I am currently 24 weeks and 3 days pregnant, which is the same gestational age I was when my water broke for Israel. And today, I am telling the story. That sounds crazy. God is and still is faithful.

6. What have you missed the most about Togo since moving here?

I still miss my family a lot. But thankfully, we have social media so we can chat and see each other whenever we want to.

7. What is one of your favorite things about living in Rochester (or America in general)?

One of my favorite things about living in America is that I can easily continue my studies. I can become anything I want to regardless of my age. I can achieve my dream, which is to become a nurse helping the elderly.

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Victoire Akama was born and raised in Lome, Togo. She is married to Ablam and mother to Israel. She recently moved to Rochester to join her husband Ablam. She is passionate about cooking and loves exploring, traveling, and documentaries.