Clémentine B. Igilibambe

Clémentine Igilibambe, a survivor of the Rwandan Genocide and civil war, had to dodge bullets, run from bombs and step over mutilated bodies of her neighbors at the age of eight. Living in refugee camps and forests, Clémentine was forced to grow from an eight year old girl to a mature self reliant child in order to survive on her own.

Clémentine will be sharing her inspiring story to raise awareness of what happened in Rwanda and to seek help from the International community to assist those who still suffer from the tragedy. She will speak on how she learned of her true identity at the age of eight and the history behind the Hutu and Tutsi conflicts in Rwanda. Clémentine delivers the message of hope, peace and forgiveness.
At 22 years old, Clémentine, who speaks six languages, has done more than most people can do in a lifetime. At the University of Dayton, Clémentine Founded the Afrika Club, was a member of the Human Rights Committee, The Student Leadership Council, The Student Achievement in Research and Scholarships and secretary of the Student Advisory Committee for Foreign Languages. She was also selected to be on a panel on Africana Studies at Stander Symposium and another panel on International Discrimination. She has been an Agent of Change at the United Nations, worked at the New York State Attorney General’s office, worked as a legal assistant at Capital Area Immigrants Coalition and as a campaign fellow with the United Way. Clémentine has also founded a scholarship fund, the Clémentine Refugee Scholarship Fund , which gives funds to refugee students to attend a college of their choice.