This memorial website was created in the memory of our loved one, Sifa Nsengimana.
********************************************************************************************************
We would like to thank you all for the messages posted online, sent via emails, the many phone calls, cards, and flowers. The children and I, as well as the other family members, are eternally grateful. She wasn’t ours alone; she was the worlds. We take comfort in knowing that if indeed Emerson’s words “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded”are truth, as we believe they are, Sifa’s life although short by any measure has been a resounding success.
With our thanks and love,
Odette, Daniel, and Joseph/JeffJ.
*******************************************************************************************************
Published in The New York Times on November 28, 2012
NSENGIMANA--Sifa, 37, passed away suddenly on November 23, 2012 in South Africa. Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sifa emigrated to Canada in 1993 and began her work as a human rights activist and champion of social justice. Sifa became an advocate for the voiceless, working on behalf of women and children in conflict zones before joining the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in 2006. In her role as founding Executive Director at ASYV, she created an indelible beacon of hope and possibility for orphans and vulnerable children in Rwanda. Survived by her beloved husband Joseph, daughter Odette, son Daniel, brother Alain, her loving family and extended family at the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village, Sifa will always be remembered for her commitment to making the world a better place for all its inhabitants. Her generosity of spirit and tireless work on behalf of those less fortunate inspires countless others to do the same. Sifa's light will shine forever in our hearts and in the just and compassionate acts we do for humankind. Services will take place in South Africa. Donations in Sifa's honor can be made to Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village, 1375 Broadway, 17th floor, NYC, 10018.
Tributes
Leave a tributeGone to soon, you will remain forever in my heart.
I ache for your loved ones, may God take care of them.
May you rest in peace dear friend.
I'll never forget you.
"what moves through us is a silence, a quiet sadness, a longing for one more day with you, one more word; we may not understand why you left this earth so soon, but little by little, we begin to remember not just that you died, but that you lived. And that your life gave us memories too beautiful to forget. We love and miss you." RIP
or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back,
or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her,
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remem
Many suns may shine and disappear
Many stars may rise and fade
but yours is a life worth celebrating
A light still shining even in the after life
And one that will ring in the chambers of greatness
May your soul rest in peace good friend!
We also reflect on a life of devotion
A life full of light and love
A light on a high mountain
Shining down the valley
A life worth living
Why so brutal?
Why so young?
Why indeed?
Such is a question on many minds
Such is a question inside many hearts
A woman of excellence
A woman of heart and love
A good friend to countless
But a special friend of ours
Today I shed tears for your loss
So short and slippery
So fun, yet disappointing
So hard to understand
So hard to hold onto
Life...
You took good care of me ever since I can remember. You always had the funniest stories about my childhood. You came to Canada with us and lived with us. You laughed with me, cried with me and punished me when it was needed. You got married and started a family of your own but never forgot about me. You always made sure to have news from me and my brothers and sisters. You always made sure
Beata and I, were so priveleged to have known you. The news of you passing come like a thunder and it is hard to overcome the shock. Please know this, we will chersh you love, your compassion, your warth, loving and caring heart, forever. You will be truly missed.
"Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlastin
Please rest assured that my family and I are with you in these difficult times of sorrow.
"Aheza mw'Ijuru, tuzahurirayo bagenzi..."
Sometimes when words fail we are reminded by the words of the song:
There is no problem too big God cannot solve, There is no mountain too tall he cannot move, There is no storm too dark God cannot calm, There is no sorrow too deep He cannot soothe...He will carry you my brother. Komera!!!
Dort bien dans ton paradis de splendeur
Envole-toi, le temps calmera ma douleur
Ta présence restes dans mon cœur
Tu es là, même quand tourne le vent
Car, j’ai écris ton nom noir sur blanc
Le souvenir de ton âme et ta peau
Repose-toi tantine avec Dieu là-haut
we wish you were here with us today.
We know you never meant to hurt us,
or to make us cry.
Our love for you will always stay,
if only things didn't end this way.
But now that you are gone so soon.
We will always remember you as our woman of
Compassion, Loving and Caring heart.
May you rest in peace our ‘SISI’.
Mana komeza umuryango wa Sifa muri ibi bihe bik
Sifa, your lively spirit and your love for others were what made your soul so unique.
I'll see you on the other side, Sister.
Leave a Tribute
We love you and we miss you
To Sifa's family - I send my deepest sympathy for I know you must miss her every day. Please know that your wife, your mother, was a blessing to so many people in the world, and her brave and generous spirit will always be remembered.
À ma copine
It's november again...
Cette periode me fait tellement penser à toi Sifa!
When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.
Can you imagine 3 good years have gone by since we lost you on earth?? but that was surely a huge gain in Heaven...quelle belle consolation!
In my dreams i often picture you being "serenated by angels" and smiling down on us :)
You recently welcomed your loving nephew Jimmy ...i asked myself "why only the best get to leave earlier?" well i guess we'll never get a proper answer to the "why". All we have to do is trust God and move on with our earthly life.
You are still in my heart sweet girlfriend, until we meet someday...
Xxx
Tessy Karimba
PTA-South Africa
Je ne sais pas où commencer, je t'ai connu quand tu était trop petite, trop gentille, après plus de vingt ans nous nous sommes rencontré à Gisenyi à l'occasion de mariage d'Alain. Le peu de temps que j'avais eu pour parler avec toi c'était suffisant pour ton estime. j'ai pensé toujours venir en Afrique du Sud te saluer, visiter la famille et surtout avoir du temps pour profiter de ton expérience. Soudainement, nous avons appris une mauvaise nouvelle. Cela ne m'a pas vraiment surpris en tant que chrétien. Le prodige de ce grand départ céleste qu'on appelle la mort, c'est que ceux qui partent ne s'éloignent point. Ils sont dans un monde de clarté, mais ils assistent, témoins attendris, à notre monde de ténèbres. Ils sont en haut et tout près. Oh ! qui que vous soyez, qui avez vu s'évanouir dans la tombe un être cher, ne vous croyez pas quittés par lui. Il est toujours là. Il est à côté de vous plus que jamais. La beauté de la mort, c'est la présence. Présence inexprimable des âmes aimées, souriant à nos yeux en larmes. L'être pleuré est disparu, non parti. Nous n'apercevons plus son doux visage ; nous nous sentons sous ses ailes. Les morts sont les invisibles, mais ils ne sont pas les absents. (V.HUGO)
Good Bye Sissi.
Dear Sifa,
Today is 3 Months since you’ve been gone. Gone...but where? We can't call you on the phone; No BBM, no E-mail, no WhatsApp, no Viber message, we can't knock on your door somewhere and you open for us as it use to be. No matter how loud we scream you can’t respond.
A thousand times we needed you, A thousand times we cried, If love alone could have saved you, you never would have died. A heart of gold stopped beating; two twinkling eyes closed to rest. God broke our hearts to prove he only took the best; never a day goes by that you’re not in our heart and our soul.
This morning as I sit here looking up to the sky I keep on asking myself WHY; I have cried and pleaded for a day to come; A day that I would get over it, a day that I can accept the fact that you are really gone. Ma Sifa, Ma Sifa ulituweza kweli. Mavi yako mbalala….
The memories of you will always be locked in the corridors of my mind and they will be visited from time to time. You left this world so soon, but with dignity and grace; forever in our heart you will have a huge place; I miss you sister.
I wonder if you know how many lives you have touched, Do you know that people here love you so much? Can you even know how many dreams you made come true? Or if you can hear the voices saying I love you? Do you know how many lives you have changed, And how many lives you completely rearranged?
I wish I could have just one more year. For some of us it is just hard to picture the rest of our lives without you here. Just another chance to spend the evening together, and share a laugh. Do you know you'll be greatly missed by us all?
Just one more time I want to hear you're voice when I call. Just one more laugh, one more time to see you walk through the door, another smile, another story, another hug, another day...Just one more.
At the beginning, memories of you came crashing in, beautiful, and angry, as I was very angry. Today they are gentler, but no less vivid. You are no less colorful, no less a part of my story. You just play a different role. I really hope were you are there is Justice and you don't have to fight for any Human right anymore.
However, I am starting to reclaim my place in the world. Each of us has to do so in order to truly live. I know it will be much harder for Daniel, Odette and Jeff. Thinking of them HARDER sounds as a weak word, I mean something close to IMPOSSIBLE. But we all have to try and be strong. We all contribute. We all err. We start anew and wait for our day.
I don’t know what you would say today if you were here among us in the living world. But I know that death doesn’t destroy love. It only heightens the experience.
Please continue to be a greeter of angels, my sister.
Say hi to Dad, Louis, Aime, Jeff’s Dad, Munya’s Mom and many, many others that we miss a lot.
I will see you again someday. Good Bye Angel.
Your Brother Roger.