A biography for Clemantine Wamariyahasn’t been written yet.
“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.”
“We cannot afford to lose any more people as a result of hatred.”
“My Chicago is beautiful and diverse. It was able to give me all parts of the world all in one.”
“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.”
“I was the most tired 11-year-old in the world.”
“All that I have achieved has been possible not only because of my own strength and perseverance, gained through hardship, but also through other people's support and belief in me.”
“Make your education personal. When it matters to you, you will show up.”
“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.”
“You have this one life. If you keep being selfish and unkind, it's going to come back to you.”
“If you want to learn about the history of a people, eat their food and drink their beverages.”
“I want people to know that they are the masters, the queens, kings, and gods of their own story.”
“I am not a refugee. I sought refuge for many years, but the word 'refugee' does not define me. It just limits me and puts me in a box.”
“Growing up, many of us are taught to place limits on what we can accomplish while on earth. We tend to think of things in binary form: either as possible or, more frequently, impossible.”
“I'm still coping with my trauma, but coping by trying to find different ways to heal it rather than hide it.”
“No matter what is happening in your life, you always offer tea.”
“There are a lot of great people everywhere. And there are also a lot of not so great people.”
“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.”
“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.”
“We are all neighbors. Be kind. Be gentle.”
“People say you can't change the world. But you can change people.”