I enjoyed playing everywhere, especially my mother's garden and my neighbor's. I loved my kindergarten. We sang songs; we played everywhere and ate lunch. I had a childhood that I would wish for anyone.
— Clemantine Wamariya
Words will never be enough to quantify and qualify the many magnitudes of human-caused destruction.
I want to create or be a platform for people who have been labelled as a victim. I'm not going to be their voice; that's their voice. I want to allow people to voice their life beyond labels.
I don't think in a linear form.
Being kind to myself helped me deal with people who thought less of me and thought they were better than me.
Sharing is wonderful, but giving - I give, you take - often maintains the power status quo.
When you're in survival mode, you numb yourself.
I'm still coping with my trauma, but coping by trying to find different ways to heal it rather than hide it.
I'm not a victim - I'm a survivor of hunger, of hate, of different injustices that humans are facing today.
It is so important to share experiences with one another. Humans are so often in their own heads and not looking to others. But we have to realize that we are always invited to be a part of someone else's story - we are together in this.
We are all neighbors. Be kind. Be gentle.
After my final semester at Yale in December of 2013, I made a scary choice. Instead of looking for work - feeling over-read and underweight - that for a few months I would go wherever the wind carried me. I would become a student of the world, and I would eat.
My formal speaking career began before a group of 10 third-graders. We drew pictures of my home in Rwanda. I told them about my mother's huge garden and our mango tree. The lessons I taught were simple. Play nicely. Take care of plants. Take care of people.
The tradition of Umuganda is a beautiful and inspiring one. It connects people to their surrounds and creates a responsible community.
When you receive an education, you pass it on.
Elie Wiesel and his book 'Night' have changed my life, shifting the way I see and treat people and inspiring me to fight injustices any way I am able.
'Night' may be one of the most important books that people can read today. It is a story of how hate can slowly take over a society. It shows what happens when people are dehumanized.
From age six to 12, I lived in seven different countries, moving from one refugee camp to another, hoping we would be wanted.
I want people to know that they are the masters, the queens, kings, and gods of their own story.
If we believe that a person seeking refuge is to be pitied, feared, despised, and looked down upon, we are doing ourselves a disservice.
Being able to connect with other humans is something I've done since I was little.
My Chicago is beautiful and diverse. It was able to give me all parts of the world all in one.
Every single person on the planet has equal humanity.
No matter what is happening in your life, you always offer tea.
I hate light... I feel like at night, it's safer. If anything happens, there's a way to hide at night. Another thing I hate about light is it reminds me about being in a refugee camp and being outside.
Safety should be a birthright.
Everything I own in my closet has a story. Stuff is not just stuff - things were given to me with love.
If you want to learn about the history of a people, eat their food and drink their beverages.
I am thankful to those who've listened to my story over and over as well as those who've helped me share it. For me, the act of storytelling is an act of healing.
Growing up in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, I had a wonderful life, one that I have not experienced anywhere since, even after living in nine countries.
One of my fondest memories growing up in Rwanda was seeing everyone participating in community-building activities. This happened every Saturday at the end of month. People work together in cleaning streets, planting trees, and take care of each other by facilitating productive conversations and actions that are beneficial for the society.
Set goals but be flexible.
My copy of 'Night' is dog-eared. The pages are filled with plastic colored 'flags' that are blue, green, purple, and yellow. Vocabulary is in the margins; phrases and sentences are underlined, some with pencil, and some with pen. Many words are circled.
I want to listen to people's stories and find strength in them. There is so much human-caused pain and suffering in the world. I want to honor all those difficult experiences and acknowledge their aftermath. At the same time, I want to really see and love the world around me.
In 2006, after 12 years being separated away from my family and then seven years knowing that they were dead and them thinking that we were dead, we reunited... in the most dramatic, American way possible. Live, on television.
I think, when you survive any intense experience, people try to moralize you; a lot of people just try to raise you high, and it's so not fair to you and to everybody else.
The idea of somebody suffering is really painful to every human. In our collective language, we all too often see those who are suffering as a victim to be pitied, to be feared, and even sometimes to be despised. I want to redirect that narrative.
I'm open to everything. Take me anywhere, show me everything.
I truly hope readers learn to believe in their imaginations and their ability to shape their own lives. That's what 'The Girl Who Smiled Beads' means to me.
My day-to-day varies. I do some public speaking. I talk to school groups.
People say you can't change the world. But you can change people.
It has taken me so many years to finally be in my bed and fall asleep for six hours.
The world is part of us, and we are part of the world. Even through the smallest acts, we can demonstrate that. I believe in the human spirit, in the kindness in all of us, and I am hopeful for this world.
I go around the country sharing my story. I aim to dare other people to go deep into their own stories and hope to inspire them to think about their own world and experiences.
Children tell the truth.
I never thought that being a public speaker would teach me so much about life and make it so beautiful as well.
The benefits of Umuganda are not merely economic. The day is intended to build community involvement and strengthen cohesion between persons of different background and levels. One such a benefit is that people can access authorities to articulate their needs and voice opinions on various issues.
Make your education personal. When it matters to you, you will show up.
Always strive to be a better you for you and for other.
I was six years old when the conflict started in Rwanda.
