About Dydine Umunyana Anderson

A Story of Survival. A Life of Purpose. A Legacy of Hope.

My Story

I was just four years old when the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi tore through my homeland of Rwanda.

I lost most of family, home, and the innocence of childhood — but I did not lose hope.

Hope became my lifeline.

Storytelling became my healing.

And resilience became my way forward.

After surviving the genocide, I spent my early years angry and later years rebuilding — inside and out.

I moved to the United States, where I found my voice through writing, speaking, and connecting with communities across cultures.

Today, I use my story not as a wound, but as a bridge — a bridge between pain and possibility, past and future, despair and hope.

My Mission

I believe storytelling is one of the most powerful forces in the world.

Through sharing stories — our pain, our healing, our dreams — we can transform trauma into truth, and isolation into community.

My mission is to build a world where every survivor feels seen, every act of kindness sparks change, and every voice holds the power to heal.

Milestones

• 2013: Appointed Youth Peace Ambassador by Aegis Trust

• 2016: Published my first memoir, Embracing Survival

• 2018: Delivered Talks at Google

• 2022: TEDx Speaker, Cornell University (“The Power of Cultural Storytelling”)

• 2024: Released Embrace Life and launched Umunyana Coffee

• 2025+: Building a movement of healing and connection through storytelling, entrepreneurship, and kindness

Today

I am the founder of Kind Kulture Community, a global initiative to empower survivors and spread kindness through storytelling, and Umunyana Coffee, a purpose-driven coffee brand connecting cultures and creating opportunity.

I am a woman who survived the unimaginable — and chose to build the extraordinary.

Every talk I give, every story I share, every cup of coffee we brew is a tribute to resilience, healing, and hope.

And this is only the beginning.

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