>>> IMAGINE BEING A 6-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND HAVING TO, FIRST FLEE
YOUR HOME, AND THEN YOUR
COUNTRY.
THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED TO CLEMENTINE OMARIO.NED TO
CLEMENTINE OMARIO. BUT HERE IS HOW SHE SETTLED FOR
MORE.
MORE. CLEMENTINE HAS COME HOME.
THE BOTANICAL GARDEN IN BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA TAKES HER
BACK TO THE BEST DAYS OF HER
PAST GROWING UP IN RWANDA. >> MY BROTHER AND I PLAYING IN
THE MANGO TREE.
OR ROUNDING UP ALL MY PLAYMATES.
IT IS A CHILDHOOD THAT I WISH
FOR ANYBODY.
FOR ANYBODY.
>> Reporter: HER NEW BOOK, "THE GIRL WHO MILDSMILED BEADS -- A S
OF WAR AND WHAT COMES AFTER"
STARTED IN CLEMENTINES
CHILDHOOD, MOST OF WHICH TIME
WAS SPENT WITH HER GRANDMA.
>> SHE TOLD ME STORIES.
SHE CREATED STORIES FOR ME WHEN
WORLD DID NOT MAKE ANY SENSE.
I COULD JUST SAY, OKAY, WHAT WILL MAKE SENSE NOW.AY, WHAT
WILL MAKE SENSE NOW. >> Reporter: SOON, THE WORLD
BEGAN TO MAKE MUCH LESS SENSE.
AT JUST 6 YEARS OLD, SHE DIDNT
KNOW IT THEN, BUT A BLOODY
CONFLICT WAS GROWING.
>> I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO GO
OUTSIDE ANYMORE.
OUTSIDE ANYMORE. I FELT LIKE MY WHOLE WORLD HAD
ENDED.
ENDED.
>> Reporter: A MASS KILLING CAMPAIGN TODAY KNOWN AS THE
RWANDAN GENOCIDE HAD BEGUN.
IN THE SPAN OF 100 DAYS, MORE
THAN 800,000 RWANDANS WERE DEAD.
>> 9 OUT OF 10 HAVE LEFT.
THEYVE EITHER RUN AWAY AS
REFUGEES OR WERE KILLED IN THE
FIGHTING.
FIGHTING.
>> Reporter: NO LONGER SAFE IN RWANDAS CAPITAL, CLEMENTINE AND
HER OLDER SISTER, CLAIRE, WERE
SENT SOUTH TO LIVE WITH THEIR
GRANDMOTHER.
GRANDMOTHER.
ONE DAY AS KILLERS APPROACHED
THE GRANDMOTHER TOLD THE GIRLS
TO RUN.
THEY WOULD KEEP RUNNING FOR THE NEXT SIX YEARS, EXISTING IN THE
NEXT SIX YEARS, EXISTING IN REFUGEE CAMPS, TRAVELING THROUGH
SEVEN AFRICAN COUNTRIES IN
SEARCH OF SAFETY AND THEIR
HUMANITY.
HUMANITY.
>> PEOPLE WHO ARE STUCK IN THIS REFUGEE CAMP ARE SOMEBODY ELSES
PROJECT.
PROJECT.
SO US WALKING AWAY, WE REFUSED TO BE PART OF THAT SYSTEM.USED
TO BE PART OF THAT SYSTEM. >> Reporter: SHE CREDITS HER
SISTER CLAIRE FOR PUSHING THEM
TO SETTLE FOR MORE.
>> CLAIRE KNEW WELL THAT THIS
GAME WAS NOW GOING TO BE A PART
OF OUR NARRATIVE.
WE ARE NOW GOING TOT GOING TO SE
SOUL, WERE NOT GOING TO SELL
OUR BODIES OR OUR TIME TO
SOMEBODY WHOS NOT EVEN THINKING
ABOUT OUR LIVES AND OUR
IMAGINATION.
IMAGINATION.
>> Reporter: IT WAS THAT PERSISTENCE THAT HELPED THE
SISTERS MOVE TO THE UNITED
STATES THROUGH A REFUGEES
RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM.
RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM. CLAIRE RAISED HER OWN CHILDREN
IN CHICAGO.
IN CHICAGO. CLEMENTINE ATTENDED SCHOOL IN
THE SUBURBS WITH A FAMILY WHO
HELPED HER TRANSITION TO LIFE IN
AMERICA, ULTIMATELY ATTENDING
YALE.
YALE.
TODAY SHE URGES THE WORLD TO RECONSIDER NOT ONLY HOW ITTO
RECONSIDER NOT ONLY HOW IT TREATS PEOPLE FLEEING CONFLICTS
BUT HOW IT LABELS THEM.
>> THAT WORD REFUGEE CANNOT SHOW
YOU ANYTHING, NOT EVEN THE PAIN
INSIDE.
INSIDE.
IT IS EMPTY.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY EMPTY.
NO ONE IS A REFUGEE.
EVERYBODY IS A HUMAN.
>> Reporter: AS A STORY TELLER AND HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATE, SHE
SPEAKS ABOUT THE POWER OF WORDS
AND WHY WE MUST CHOOSE THEM
CAREFULLY.
CAREFULLY.
>> SOMEONE IN POWER SAYS, THOSE
OVER THERE?
THEY DONT BELONG.
>> Reporter: A LESSON SHE HOPES
TO TEACH, THAT IMAGINATION CAN
HELP YOU DEFY THE LONGEST ODDS
AND EVEN FIND HOME AGAIN. >> IM REALIZING THAT MY HOME IS
NOT A PARTICULAR SPACE BUT IT IS
MORE OF LIKE ME.
WHEN I CAME TO AMERICA, I DID
NOT KNOW THAT TRUTH.
BUT BECAUSE IVE WORKED SO MUCH
AND TO BE HERE NOW, IM FREE.
THIS IS FREEDOM.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. THE CHILLS ON THAT ONE.
>>> WELL BE RIGHT BACK.