Elysée lives in a family of seven in a beautiful, fairytale-like region of Rwanda, 5 km from school (a 2.5-hour walk), so she sets off at 5 a.m. with her two brothers to get there on time. She has an older brother (17) and a younger brother (11), as well as two younger sisters, aged 4 and 3. Her parents are farmers and work on their own land. Her father attended secondary school for five years. Her mother only attended primary school for a few years. They keep many domestic animals, such as rabbits, cows, and chickens. They fetch water from a nearby river every day. Since there is no church nearby, they often gather with their neighbors to pray together.

Elysée is a very quick-witted, friendly, communicative boy whose favorite subject is physics. When he grows up, he wants to start an electricity company.