I’m the daughter of Rutayisire Antoine and Mugorewishyaka Theresia.

I am the 3rd child among my 6 siblings. My family lived in a small village called Mugusa, in the south province of Rwanda. I grew up in that village up to the age of 13. My village was a small paradise, most of our neighbors were our family members from my father side. In 1994 I experienced the genocide against Tutsi that took my family, my father, my mother, my four siblings Rutayisire Fraterne, Tuyisingize Claude, Umubyeyi Asoumta and Mutambarungu Constance, she was 2 years old at the time.

During the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi I was abused physically, mentally, emotionally, I was devalued, and deprived of human dignity. My innocence was taken away by Hutu perpetrators. After that life changed as I knew it, my paradise was lost forever, my life has never been the same. My healing journey has been a process, with ups and downs.

In 2021 I started a journey of sharing my story, I believe by sharing my story with the world, it will continue to heal me, and help anyone who might be in a tough situation to overcome whatever they might be going through. Hear my story through my book “A Smile After Tears.”