A taekwondo-based sports festival aimed at promoting social inclusion and youth empowerment among refugees and host-community youth will take place in Kigali from February 4 to 6. The three-day festival, dubbed Hope and Dreams Sports Festival 2026, is expected to bring together around 300 young participants from refugee communities and their host counterparts, according to the Rwanda Taekwondo Federation (RTF). ALSO READ: Taekwondo: Rwanda’s Nzaramba strikes gold in Korea Organisers say the initiative is designed to leverage sport as a tool for social cohesion, peacebuilding, and personal development, particularly for young people affected by displacement and other social challenges. “The event will bring together approximately 300 refugee athletes and host-community youth, creating a powerful platform for social inclusion, youth empowerment, and peacebuilding through sport,” RTF said in a statement. The 2026 edition will also mark the 10th anniversary of the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF), which has supported sport-based humanitarian programmes in displaced communities around the world. Beyond competition, the festival will feature activities focused on safeguarding, youth well-being, and inclusive participation, in line with national and international standards for youth sports development. The event is being organised with support from the Ministry of Sports, the Rwanda National Olympic and Sports Committee, and other national sports stakeholders. Rwanda hosts thousands of refugees, mainly from neighbouring countries, and sport has increasingly been embraced as a powerful tool for fostering integration, resilience, and mutual understanding among young people from both refugee and host communities.
