82 Quotes by Clemantine Wamariya

I was six years old when the conflict started in Rwanda.

I'm not a victim - I'm a survivor of hunger, of hate, of different injustices that humans are facing today.

I'm open to everything. Take me anywhere, show me everything.

As a child growing up in refugee camps, life taught me that many things were impossible. My older sister, Claire, taught me otherwise when her strength and resilience made the impossible possible in the way she worked, behaved, and took control of our lives.

Being able to connect with other humans is something I've done since I was little.

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 was the most tired 11-year-old in the world.

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.

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.