The miraculous story and important mission of Father Valens Ngiruwonsanga, one of the youngest survivors of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide
FROM SURVIVAL TO A VISION OF HOPE
In 1994, Rwanda descended into one of the darkest chapters of modern history—the Genocide against the Tutsi. In the midst of that unimaginable violence, a young child, Fr. Valens Ngiruwonsanga, faced the collapse of everything that gives life security and meaning.
His family was brutally killed. He himself was severely beaten and left for dead.
Against all odds, he survived.
Yet, within that brokenness, something remarkable began to take shape.
Rescued and later taken to an orphanage, he grew up carrying not only physical scars, but also the deep interior wounds of loss, fear, and unanswered questions. Like many survivors, his early years were marked by instability, grief, and the silent struggle to understand how life could continue after such devastation.
Through the care of others, and a gradual rediscovery of faith, Fr. Valens began a journey—not just of survival, but of healing, meaning, and transformation. Rather than allowing suffering to define him through bitterness, he chose a path that is both rare and courageous: forgiveness, reconciliation, and service to others.
This journey led him to the priesthood. But his vocation did not distance him from the pain of the world—it brought him closer to it.
Having lived the reality of abandonment, trauma, and poverty, Fr. Valens developed a profound sensitivity to the struggles of young people who feel lost, unsupported, or without purpose. He understands, from within, that human restoration must be holistic: a wounded heart cannot be healed by material support alone, and economic opportunity cannot flourish without dignity, community, and hope.
It is from this lived experience that the Rising from the Ruins Foundation was born.
This initiative is not simply a response to social need—it is the continuation of a personal story transformed into a mission:
To ensure that young people who stand today where he once stood—wounded, uncertain, and vulnerable—are given not only the chance to survive, but the opportunity to rise, rebuild, and thrive.
