When Sandra Uwiringiyimana was a child, she survived one of the most horrific attacks on refugees in recent history.
In 2004, armed militants stormed the Gatumba refugee camp in Burundi, where thousands of Congolese refugees had fled violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They burned shelters and massacred civilians. Sandra watched as members of her family and community were killed. She survived — but the trauma and danger did not end there.
Eventually, Sandra was resettled in the United States through the U.S. refugee resettlement program. She rebuilt her life, became an author and activist, and has helped bring global attention to the plight of refugee girls and women.