Building Peace, One Child at a Time

Humanitarian and founder of Maison Shalom, Marguerite “Maggy” Barankitse, shares her powerful story of resilience, faith and the transformative power of love at the 2024 Hope Summit.

Transforming Tragedy. Revolutionary Love. Unabashed Hope.

Marguerite “Maggy” Barankitse’s journey is one of unimaginable loss, relentless hope and a belief in the power of love to change the world. Forced to witness the brutal massacre of 72 people — including dear friends — during the Burundian Civil War in Africa, she refused to let hatred and violence dictate the course of her life.

Maggy turned her pain into action, creating Maison Shalom, an international NGO that cares for more than 47,000 orphaned children and refugees from both the Hutu and Tutsi factions, providing them with safety, education and hope.

“I didn’t found Maison Shalom,” Maggy says. “I followed the children, the eyes of the children.” It was a 5-year-old who first gave the sanctuary its name, declaring that, like Jesus, they would find peace despite the horrors surrounding them.

Below are links to the full podcast episode and the transcript for, “Building Peace, One Child at a Time”.