Marie-Christine Nibagwire

Marie-Christine Nibagwire is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Before the genocide, Marie-Christine was happy in her job as an accountant, in her marriage and as a young mother of a two-year-old daughter, Natalie. She escaped in horror, without luggage or any documents, stepping over the dead bodies of her loved ones. Carrying her daughter on her back, she crossed three countries on foot, seeking asylum without success. In 1998 Marie-Christine successfully applied for asylum in England. Having completed training in mentoring and counselling refugees, she resigned from her paid job with the rail company Eurostar in January 2001 to devote herself fully to helping survivors of the Rwandan  genocide, and founded Saferefugerwanda.  

 Saferefugerwanda seeks to prevent genocide and war. The organisation has many survivors who testify about the warning signs and triggering events that led to the genocide in Rwanda. Informed by their own experiences, the Saferefugerwanda team believes that the only way to prevent genocides and wars in future is by educating in schools, universities, faith groups, social clubs, and in local and international communities, underlining values of equality, justice and respect for one another. Marie-Christine’s passion has been to help refugees rebuild their lives. She has been fundraising for survivors of the Rwandan genocide, visiting them in Africa, mentoring and counselling them.

 Marie-Christine is also a leader in the Church of England, serving the Diocese of London at Holy Trinity Brompton Church. She has written in many magazines about refugees, spoken on several radio and television programs here in Europe and in the USA. She was nominated for a “Women on the Move Award” in March 2016, given by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees together with Migrants Organise, an organisation that welcomes refugees to England.

 Learn more about Marie-Christine and Saferefugerwanda at: www.saferefugerwanda.org