Yolande Mukagasana
At a glance
| Born | 6 September 1954 |
|---|---|
| Profession | Nurse and anaesthetist in Kigali, then writer |
| Books | La mort ne veut pas de moi (1997); N’aie pas peur de savoir (1999); De bouche à oreille (2003) |
| Award | Golden Dove for Peace Prize, 2002 |
Source: Wikipedia: Yolande Mukagasana1
Life
Mukagasana worked as a nurse and anaesthetist at a hospital in Kigali. During the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, her husband, her children and many people she knew were killed. She went to Belgium, where she worked in a care home and adopted nieces and other children orphaned in the genocide.1
Writing and testimony
Mukagasana wrote two autobiographical books, La mort ne veut pas de moi (1997) and N’aie pas peur de savoir (1999), and a collection of stories, De bouche à oreille (2003). Her first memoir was translated into English by Zoe Norridge as Not My Time to Die in 2019. With the theatre group Groupov she wrote the play Rwanda 94.1
Recognition
With the photographer Alain Kazinierakis she produced Les Blessures du silence, a travelling exhibition of survivors’ accounts. In 2002 she received the Golden Dove for Peace Prize from the Archivio Disarmo.1
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Yolande Mukagasana?
A Rwandan writer and a survivor of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. She worked as a nurse and anaesthetist in Kigali.
What is her best-known book?
La mort ne veut pas de moi (1997), published in English as Not My Time to Die in 2019.
Which prize has she received?
The Golden Dove for Peace Prize, in 2002.
Sources
Facts checked 9 November 2026. Prepared by InvestRwanda.com for general information.
