Description:
Nominated by the Embassy of Rwanda
In The Girl Who Smiled Beads, Clemantine Wamariya tells her powerful true story of survival and hope.
At six years old, she fled Rwanda with her sister Claire during the 1994 genocide. For six years, they moved through seven African countries, facing hunger, fear, and life in refugee camps, but also moments of kindness.
At twelve, Clemantine and Claire were granted refugee status in the United States. In Chicago, their lives changed—Claire struggled to support her family, while Clemantine was taken in by another family and later graduated from Yale.
Even after building a new life, Clemantine carried the pain of her past. Her story shows how imagination and resilience can help heal even the deepest wounds.