John Nsabimana

John Nsabimana was born in Kigali, Rwanda. In 1994, during the Rwandan genocide, John was one of over one million Rwandan refugees who fled the country; eventually ending up in Uganda, where he spent the next 11 years of his life in a refugee camp.

While living in the camp, John experienced UNICEF’s work in action, including the many life-saving services UNICEF provides for children in need. From that point John decided that supporting UNICEF would always be a priority in his life.

In 2004, John arrived in Canada on a United World College Scholarship and attended the Lester B. Pearson United World College of the Pacific. When asked about his plans for the future, John referred to the 10-year goal he wrote upon graduating from Pearson College – stating his intention to work for UNICEF and help defend every child’s right to a childhood.

John is currently on a temporary assignment with the BC Ministry of Education (Canada) as a Senior Policy Analyst in the Learning Division, and retains his permanent base at the Ministry of the Attorney General, in the Indigenous Justice Policy and Legislation Division.  

Since 2008, John has served and continues to serve as a UNICEF Canada Goodwill Ambassador. As a Goodwill Ambassador, John has been the featured guest speaker at several of UNICEF Canada’s Water for Life Galas. He is a passionate advocate on social media and has also supported UNICEF’s efforts through his work with Kiwanis and Rotary International.