Immaculée Ilibagiza was born in Rwanda and studied Electronic and Mechanical Engineering at the National University of Rwanda. Her life transformed dramatically in 1994 during the Rwanda genocide when she and seven other women huddled silently together in a cramped bathroom of a local pastor’s house for 91 days! During this horrific ordeal, Immaculée lost most of her family, but she survived to share the story and her miraculous transition into forgiveness and a profound relationship with God.
IF ONLY WE HAD LISTENED is a 65 minute documentary that was filmed in Rwanda and covers everything from the 1994 genocide, Immaculée’s survival and the Vatican approved apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Kibeho. In the film, Immaculée and Sean Bloomfield (producer) uncover the secrets of Kibeho and reveal that Our Lady’s messages were not just for Rwanda, but the whole world. This film was made about the experiences and life of Immaculee in 2011.
To really know Immaculée, listen to how others describe her: “In all of my countless hours with her, in a multitude of private and public settings, this transcendentally spiritual woman always—and I mean always—shines a light that captures everyone within its boundaries,” says internationally renowned author and speaker Dr. Wayne W. Dyer. “The very first moment we met, I knew in an absolute flash of insight that I was in the presence of a uniquely Divine woman. To me, Immaculée was not only left to tell this mind-blowing story, but more than that, she’s a living example of what we can all accomplish when we go within and choose to truly live in perfect harmony with our originating Spirit.”
“Immaculée is a stunningly beautiful woman who emanates peace and light,” adds women’s wellness pioneer and best-selling author Dr. Christiane Northrup. “Her story is one that confirms the existence of power of a Divine Source. When I read her book, I came to understand and trust at a whole new level that true communion with God is possible for every one of us.”
Four years after the Rwandan tragedy, Immaculée immigrated to the United States and began working for the United Nations in New York City. She has since established the Left to Tell Charitable Fund to help others heal from the long-term effects of genocide and war.
Left to Tell has sold more than 250,000 copies worldwide, been made into a documentary, and through her Left to Tell Charitable Fund has raised over $150,000 for the orphans of Rwanda. Ms. Ilibagiza has been invited to speak to a range of audiences including dignitaries of the world, multinational corporations, churches, and local school children. The importance of her story has been recognized and honored with numerous humanitarian awards, including an honorary doctoral degree from the prestigious University of Notre Dame; the Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Reconciliation and Peace 2007; a finalist as one of Beliefnet's “Most Inspiring People of the Year 2006;” and a Christopher Award, “affirming the highest values of human spirit.”Left to Tell has been chosen as Outreach Magazine’s selection for “Best Outreach Testimony/Biography Resource of 2007, and for the 2007-2008 One Book program at Villanova University making it a mandatory read for 6,000 students.
About Left To Tell
Immaculée shares her miraculous story of how she survived during the Rwanda genocide in 1994 when she and seven other women huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor’s house for 91 days! In this captivating and inspiring book, Immaculée shows us how to embrace the power of prayer, forge a profound and lasting relationship with God, and discover the importance of forgiveness and the meaning of truly unconditional love and understanding—through our darkest hours.
Proceeds from book sales will be donated directly to the Left to Tell Charitable Fund.
Praise for Left To Tell
“In 1994, Rwandan native Ilibagiza was 22 years old and home from college to spend Easter with her devout Catholic family when the death of Rwanda's Hutu president sparked a three-month slaughter of nearly one million ethnic Tutsis. She survived by hiding in a Hutu pastor's tiny bathroom with seven other starving women for 91 cramped, terrifying days. This searing firsthand account of Ilibagiza's experience cuts two ways: her description of the evil that was perpetrated, including the brutal murders of her family members, is soul-numbingly devastating, yet the story of her unquenchable faith and connection to God throughout the ordeal uplifts and inspires. This book is a precious addition to the literature that tries to make sense of humankind's seemingly bottomless depravity and counterbalancing hope in an all-powerful, loving God.”
-Publisher's Weekly, Starred Review, March 2006
“I am humbled by the extraordinary spirituality that shines throughout Immaculée Ilibagiza’s story of terror, endurance, healing, and forgiveness. As a Rwandan, I am proud that we can look beyond the misconceived differences that resulted in the murder of so many of our children, men, and women in 1994. Immaculée’s account of genocide survival is truly astonishing. It gives us hope of overcoming the divisions deliberately created by those with self-serving agendas and no thought for humanity.
Everyone should read this story—survivors as well as perpetrators. I hope that all can experience Immaculée’s profound spiritual transformation and be inspired to work for a united and lasting nation.”
-Jeannette Kagame, First Lady of the Republic of Rwanda
“Into a confused world that has lost its moral compass comes Immaculée Ilibagiza’s book, offering luminous direction, and pointing us straight toward the path of reconciliation. As the horrific acts of the Rwandan genocide escalate, Immaculée’s faith deepens. It is this unsettling tension between horror and faith that haunted me long after my tears and nausea had subsided. Although the details of Immaculée’s story are unique, what is profoundly universal is the way her belief in goodness is tested over and over. As unspeakable evil spreads around her, and she has to dig deeper and deeper to find compassion, hope, and ultimately the kind of genuine forgiveness that offers redemption. Left to Tell will leave you breathless and falling to your knees with renewed faith.”
-Gail Straub, director, The Empowerment Institute; the author of The Rhythm of Compassion
“We all ask ourselves what we would do if faced with the kind of terror and loss that Immaculée Ilibagiza faced during the genocide in her country. Would we allow fear and desperation to fill us with hatred or despair? And should we survive, would our spirit be poisoned, or would we be able to rise from the ashes still encouraged to fulfill our purpose in life, still able to give and receive love? In the tradition of Viktor Frankl and Anne Frank, Immaculée is living proof that human beings can not only withstand evil, but can also find courage in crisis, and faith in the most hopeless of situations. She gives us the strength to find wisdom and grace during our own challenging times.”
-Elizabeth Lesser, co-founder of the Omega Institute, and author of Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow
“Left to Tell is for anyone who is weary of the predictable “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” trance most of the world suffers from. Immaculée Ilibagiza breaks that spell by bravely quelling the storm within, and contacting a force so powerful that it allows her to calm the storm “without,” and more important, to forgive the “unforgivable.” Her story is an inspiration to anyone who is at odds with a brother, a nation, or themselves.”
-Judith Garten, teacher and counselor of The 50/50Work© and a child of the WWII Holocaust
“An inspirational, life-altering book. Once you turn that first page, you’re changed forever. You will never forget Immaculée and what it means to embrace life in the darkest of times.”
-Cindy Pearlman, New York Times Syndicate
“Immaculée Ilibagiza’s gift of forgiveness to the perpetrators of the unthinkable acts revealed in this book is just one of the extraordinary examples of her unwavering courage. This book moved me in unimaginable ways, and reminded me once again about the immense grace that is born out of faith and forgiveness.”
-Denise Linn, the author of If I Can Forgive, So Can You
“Reading this book has truly changed my life—not in some distant future, but right now! I can't even describe my feelings, but they have shifted things inside me in such a way that I just can’t find the words. This is a book that defies adequate description.”
-Vimala Rodgers, author and motivational speaker
“Immaculée’s story is totally gripping from first to last page. It’s such an important work that I don’t want to just describe it as a page-turner . . . but it is. This is a book that will stay with me forever.”
-Al Burton, writer, director, and creator of numerous hit TV shows
“Left to Tell reminds us that we are all sons and daughters of God; that with faith, miracles will always appear; and that forgiveness is the key to freedom. A must-read for all of us in these troubled times.”
-Colette Baron-Reid, the author of Remembering the Future
“Left to Tell is an incredibly important story. It addresses both the best and the worst aspects of our humanity. Immaculée is a living example of the undefeatable human spirit! Her story is timeless.”
-Steve Kalafer, three-time Academy Award–nominated producer
"This book has renewed my faith in God and the Universe in a profound and real way that has changed me forever."
-Christiane Northrup, M.D., the author of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom
