More than 200 refugee children and young athletes from Mahama and Kiziba camps gathered in Kigali from February 4 to 6 to participate in the 2026 Hope and Dreams Sports Festival, organisers said. The three-day event, hosted by the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation in partnership with World Taekwondo, marked the foundation’s 10th anniversary and celebrated a decade of using sport to empower displaced youth.
Athletes competed across cadet, junior, and senior categories at one of Kigali’s major sports venues, while also taking part in cultural and social activities aimed at building confidence, friendship, and mutual understanding. The festival concluded with an awards ceremony attended by representatives from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Rwanda’s Ministry in Charge of Refugees, highlighting strong institutional support for refugee-focused sport initiatives in the country.
Organisers said the festival was designed not only to promote athletic development, but also to foster life skills, social inclusion, and resilience. Every participant received a certificate and participation medal, ensuring that effort and involvement were recognised alongside competition results. “The Hope and Dreams Sports Festival gives these children more than just a chance to compete,” said Philbert, THF’s Project Lead in Rwanda. “It gives them hope, structure, and the opportunity to learn valuable skills that will serve them for life.”
The festival followed a 2025 visit to Mahama Refugee Camp by World Taekwondo President and THF Chairman Dr. Chungwon Choue, alongside IOC Member Félicité Rwemarika and World Taekwondo Council Member Maher Magableh. During the visit, Dr. Choue reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to long-term programmes in Rwanda, emphasizing that sport can play a key role in education, mental well-being, and social cohesion.
Since its founding in 2016, the THF has been active in Rwanda and other countries, delivering sustainable taekwondo programmes that promote physical and mental well-being, peaceful coexistence, and social inclusion. The foundation has received international recognition, including the Olympic Cup awarded by the International Olympic Committee, honoring its global impact on vulnerable and displaced youth.
The Hope and Dreams Sports Festival has grown into a multi-sport initiative, with the 2025 edition in Amman, Jordan, drawing over 1,200 refugee athletes across sports including taekwondo, basketball, baseball5, badminton, and handball. Organisers said the festival not only develops athletic skills but also provides critical psychological and social support for participants who often lack access to structured activity. In 2025, THF programmes benefited from more than $345,000 in donations, funding coaching, equipment, and local programme development in refugee camps in Rwanda, Jordan, and Eswatini.
Building on the success of Kigali 2026, THF officials announced plans to host a larger festival in 2027, with an emphasis on advanced athlete development including black-belt grading opportunities for refugee participants. Another festival is scheduled for April 2026 in Amman, Jordan, where the Olympic Refuge Foundation will join organisers, reinforcing global partnerships to empower refugee youth through sport.
“The festival is more than a competition,” Dr. Choue said. “It is a platform to show these young people that their circumstances do not define their future. Through sport, they can achieve, connect, and dream.”
The 2026 Kigali edition of the Hope and Dreams Sports Festival stands as a testament to ten years of THF’s humanitarian impact, demonstrating the transformative power of sport in providing hope, education, and opportunity for refugee children worldwide.
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