In the cool, mist-laden hills of Rutsiro district, where the western province of Rwanda cradles its populations in a green embrace, Odette Nyiramilimo was born into a family of 18 children, as the 17th.

After the 1994 genocide against Tutsi, she was left with one surviving sibling, who also passed away a few years later.

Her life—a variety of resilience and public service—began in this rural district. Married and a mother of three, Nyiramilimo's lineage extends to five grandchildren. Her professional journey began and went beyond the confines of her rural beginnings.

She started as a medical doctor, served as a minister of state for social affairs, and went on to be elected to the senate in Rwanda. She also became a member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), and is currently the CEO of Rushel Kivu Lodge in her hometown.

Early life and career

Nyiramilimo’s early life was marked by turbulence. Born in 1956, she was only three years old when the political upheaval leading to Rwanda’s independence started, and the persecution against Tutsi people began. She witnessed her parent's house being burned multiple times.

"I was born when the upheaval had barely begun; I grew up in a difficult atmosphere; my house was torched every time my parents tried to rebuild it; our cows were butchered in front of us; they were driving out Tutsi from the country; nothing was simple then,” Nyiramilimo narrated.

Despite a tough upbringing, Nyiramilimo remained courageous and was always at the top of her class in primary school. When she was 12, she was ready to begin secondary school, but her parents thought she was too young and malnourished to go to boarding school, even after she had earned a place at Notre Dame d'Afrique Nyundo. Her parents thought it fit to send her older sister instead.

"They called them on the radio, that my name was on the list of students going to Nyundo, which was a good school at the time. As a 12-year-old, when my parents convinced me to let my sister go under my name, I obeyed them, but a few days later, I insisted on going because I believed there was a reason why God chose me over my sister,” she said.

Nyiramilimo knew she was a go-getter from her early adolescence, but she wasn't precise about what she would do until she returned home to discover her mother was sick. Her mother had miscarriage and was treated by her son-in-law, which was a cultural shock at the time.

"When my mother returned home from the health center, she was crying, and I had to ask her what happened. When she explained that her son-in-law saw her naked, which was a shame in our culture, I tried to console her by telling her that I was going to become a gynecologist for her, and that's when I knew I had to be a doctor," she recalled.

Nyiramilimo completed her education and practiced gynecology for many years before being appointed by the American Embassy to be the Peace Corps Medical Officer in Rwanda and many other countries. In the meantime, she married and founded a private clinic with her husband.

A trained medical doctor, Nyiramilimo’s career took a significant turn when she was appointed Minister of State for Social Affairs in 2000. After three and a half years in the Cabinet, she transitioned to the nascent Rwandan Senate, becoming one of its first elected members.

Challenges

Her tenure in the Senate marked a pivotal period, shaping the legislative framework of post-genocide Rwanda. She recalls working alongside Iyamuremye Augustin, both elected by the Forum for Political Parties before the general elections, as they navigated the complexities of establishing a new legislative body.

"I'm trained as a medical doctor, so moving to politics was not easy. It was a time of transition from the transitional government to a regular government, creating decentralization. It was challenging but fulfilling," Nyiramilimo said.

After five years in the Senate, Nyiramilimo moved on to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), where she served for two terms.

"As my time as an EALA member was coming to an end, I thought about what I should do as I was 61 years old and at retirement age. However, I had already purchased some land not far from Kigali, where I used to do some farming, but it wasn't enough. So I went on and purchased some land in my district and decided to invest in tourism," Nyiramilimo explained.

In 2017, she embarked on a mission to uplift her community through agriculture and tourism. She employs over thirty regular workers, striving to transform local livelihoods by teaching sustainable farming practices and integrating them into her hotel enterprise.

Aspirations

Nyiramilimo's long-term goals include expanding her hotel business, caring for additional young moms in her districts, which she began during the COVID-19 pandemic, to assist teenage single mothers facing hardships, and writing two books.

"My vision is quite clear because I would love to see these young moms take charge of their own lives, find someone to properly manage my hotel, and then focus on writing my book, which will be called ‘The Rebirth of Rwanda’. I believe I saw my country die and be reborn again,” she stated.

Her advice to the younger generations is that "to have anything is to fight for it.” In her narrative, Odette Nyiramilimo embodies the spirit of resilience, a beacon of hope and progress for her community and her nation.