This former refugee now runs his own law firm — and is always there to help others

CBC Quebec is highlighting people from the province's Black communities who are giving back, inspiring others and helping to shape our future. These are the 2023 Black Changemakers.

Moses Gashirabake knows what it's like to lose his home and everything that is familiar.

Gashirabake was just six years old in 1994 when he and his family were forced to flee their native Rwanda, as Tutsis — the minority ethnic group in that country — were being slaughtered by members of the Hutu majority.

The family wound up in Kenya, where Gashirabake completed elementary and high school. He came to Montreal to go to Concordia University at the age of 19, then went on to law school at McGill.

He now runs his own law firm in Gatineau, Que., where he lives with his wife and son.

As he has done since his arrival in Canada, Gashirabake works tirelessly with a string of non-profit agencies and advocacy groups to help fellow former refugees and other marginalized people.

"We're born into a space," he says. "But the most important thing is not what happens to you but actually what you do to improve your surroundings."

Gashirabake chairs the Rwandan Canadian Healing Centre, and among the long list of other organizations and foundations to which he's lent his efforts are the Foundation for Genocide Education and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, where he is a board member.

Gashirabake learned by example. He grew up seeing his father, a successful businessman, helping fellow refugees in Nairobi.

"After surviving the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, he continued his business. So using his privilege, I would see him supporting other refugees," he says.

"Looking at what my dad was doing helped me understand that we don't live in isolation."

From muffin sales to million-dollar campaigns

Over the years, Gashirabake has taken part in million-dollar fundraising campaigns, but his desire to help others was apparent early on.

When he first came to Canada to study at Concordia University, he looked for ways to help those still stuck in refugee camps and started a club that would eventually secure stable funding to assist student refugees.

Rosemarie Schade remembers spotting the political science student one day behind a table of muffins he'd baked himself for a one-man fundraiser.

"He looked like he was about to fall asleep on his feet," says Schade, who was principal of Concordia's Loyola College for Sustainability and Diversity before her retirement in 2015.

The two became friends at the college, where Gashirabake pursued his minor, and they remain close today.

"He knows what fear and dislocation is, and what being a newcomer in a new environment is," says Schade. "He really has his heart in it."

While still a law student, Gashirabake made it his mission to see what could be done to increase the low number of Black students admitted into the faculty — resulting in mentorship sessions and classroom visits, as well as specialized information sessions put on by the university.

"It's not just necessarily becoming a lawyer," he says of the opportunity to study law at McGill. "I think it opens up your analytical ability. It opens up interesting networks."

"So I thought introducing that to my community would allow them to expand their horizons."

Gashirabake still mentors aspiring lawyers today, and his pro bono work includes helping refugee claimants settle their cases. And he continues to have strong ties to his home country of Rwanda.

As long as there are children and families fleeing violence, Gashirabake said, he will continue his work to help.

"I know from experience how devastating, for countries and for communities, catastrophes such as a genocide or wars can be on the fabric of individual people," he says.

"As long as you're helping someone move from difficulty to a better outcome, I think for me, that makes you a changemaker."

The Black Changemakers is a special series recognizing individuals who, regardless of background or industry, are driven to create a positive impact in their community. From tackling problems to showing small gestures of kindness on a daily basis, these changemakers are making a difference and inspiring others. Meet all the changemakers here.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.