JUC staff presenting to Ntwari Sardoine the prize from African Jesuit AIDS Network at GS St Vincent Pallotti– Gikondo
On October 22, 2025, Jesuit Urumuri Centre (JUC) brimmed with joy as it celebrated the remarkable achievement of NTWARI IRIBAGIZA Sardoine, a young student from the AHAPPY Generation Club at Saint Vincent Pallotti – Gikondo secondary school. Sardoine won a $100 prize and a certificate of appreciation from the African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN) after emerging as the First Runner-Up in the AHAPPY Storytelling Youth Contest 2025, a creative writing competition uniting young voices from across the African continent.
Her poem, entitled “Lueur de l’Espoir” — meaning “Glimmer of Hope” — captivated the judges with its powerful imagery, emotional depth, and message of courage amidst adversity. Competing against participants from nine African countries, Sardoine’s work stood out as a testament to the strength and resilience of African youth, embodying the contest’s central theme: “Beacons of Hope: Stories of Change and Resilience.”
“Winning this contest really surprised me; I didn’t expect to win because there were many other participants who wrote very meaningful and high-quality pieces,” said Sardoine.
The AHAPPY Storytelling Youth Contest is one of AJAN’s key initiatives that merges creativity with social consciousness. It invites young people between the ages of 10 and 25 to reflect on their experiences and challenges through poems, short narratives and essays. In 2025, this contest took on a particularly profound meaning as it was held in the context of the Jubilee Year of Hope, declared by Pope Francis for the Catholic Church.
The AHAPPY, an acronym for AJAN HIV and AIDS Prevention Program for the Youth, aims at promoting the integral development of young people through education, moral formation, and empowerment. Its mission is to equip the youth with life skills, values, and wisdom derived from the Christian tradition, enabling them to make informed, responsible, and healthy choices in all areas of their lives.
More than a health program, AHAPPY is a movement of hope — one that envisions an AIDS-free generation guided by compassion, awareness, and action. By integrating creativity through storytelling, the program helps young people reflect on the values that guide their daily lives and articulate their visions for a better, more humane world.
The AHAPPY Storytelling Youth Contest offered a unique opportunity for fresh and aspiring young writers to showcase their talent and gain recognition on an international stage. It served as a starting point for literary excellence, opening doors for young African writers to be mentored, celebrated, and empowered.
For many participants, including Sardoine, this recognition represents more than a prize—it is a validation of their voice, a spark that fuels their artistic and personal growth.
In this light, AJAN’s contest echoed the Pope’s call to journey as Pilgrims of Hope—individuals who embody mercy, creativity, and courage in shaping a more compassionate society. By giving the youth the stage to narrate their experiences of resilience, AJAN channels the essence of the Jubilee: to reflect on hope as a spiritual compass in times of uncertainty, conflict and change.
For Jesuit Urumuri Centre, which coordinates AHAPPY clubs in Rwanda, Sardoine’s recognition is a moment of collective pride and inspiration. Her success reflects not only her personal creativity but also the growing impact of JUC across schools and parishes in Rwanda.
Speaking during the award presentation, JUC representative, Alex Nzayituriki, SJ, commended Sardoine for her remarkable achievement, noting that her poem “Lueur de l’Espoir” mirrors the very spirit of the AHAPPY Generation: to find light even in the darkest of circumstances.
Her accomplishment stands as a reminder that when youth are empowered with knowledge, values, and platforms for expression, their words can change the world.
As Martin Luther King Jr emphasized in his ‘Shattered Dreams’, “hope is not the denial of struggle—it is the courage to dream beyond it”. Through “Lueur de l’Espoir”, Sardoine has brought this truth to life.
Yunusu Dukorerimana
Communications Intern
