Youth Summit in Rwanda

On 28 August 2026, Youth Ready in Rwanda hosted a Youth Summit in Gisagara District that brought together more than 800 young people from across the southern part of the country. The day was all about recognizing, engaging and empowering youth, while strengthening the partnership between World Vision Rwanda and local district authorities. It also gave Youth Ready participants a chance to see how their role fits into sustainable development and to get excited about taking part in efforts that make a real difference in their communities.

The summit drew some important guests, including the Mayor of Gisagara District, the Executive Secretary, the District Coordinator of the National Youth Council, local officials, World Vision Rwanda staff, and Youth Ready facilitators. Highlights included promoting youth leadership and civic engagement, boosting entrepreneurship and innovation and showcasing the youth-led initiatives and businesses that Youth Ready participants have built. The Mayor praised World Vision Rwanda’s work and the strong collaboration with the district, calling World Vision “not only a development stakeholder, but rather life in general.” He encouraged participants to use the skills and knowledge they’ve gained through Youth Ready to become self-reliant and help their communities grow. Moving forward, the district and World Vision Rwanda will work together to turn the commitments made at the summit into action, so Youth Ready participants stay meaningfully involved in local development.