Immaculée Ilibagiza

Rwandan genocide survivor and peace advocate who transformed trauma into global healing initiatives through education and reconciliation programs.

Immaculée Ilibagiza is a Rwandan author and social entrepreneur whose life story of survival and forgiveness has inspired millions. During the 1994 genocide, she survived 91 days hiding with 7 others in a tiny bathroom, an experience she later chronicled in her best-selling memoir 《Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust》. Published in 2006, the book has been translated into 25 languages and adapted into a feature film 《Left to Tell》 (2015).

After resettling in the US, Ilibagiza founded the Left to Tell Ministries, which has trained over 10,000 educators in trauma recovery and reconciliation strategies. Her 'Healing the World' workshops combine psychological counseling with faith-based approaches, reaching communities in post-conflict zones like South Sudan and Burundi. In 2018, she launched the Immaculée Foundation, funding scholarships for genocide survivors' children and building schools in rural Rwanda.

Ilibagiza's TED Talk 'Forgiveness and the Human Spirit' has over 5 million views, and she's advised the UN on post-conflict reconciliation. A 2020 study by Columbia University's Global Mental Health Program cited her work as a leading model for trauma recovery in genocide-affected populations. Despite her fame, she remains deeply involved in grassroots initiatives, personally mentoring over 200 young Rwandans annually.