Thirty-two years after the genocide against the Tutsis, Rwanda continues to heal. Every day, Rwanda Youth Music’s team of music leaders combats stigma, prejudice and social isolation through the power of music.

Since 2012, Rwanda Youth Music has worked alongside communities on the margins of society, including refugee camps, neighbourhoods experiencing poverty, young people living with HIV, and children living with disabilities.

Music as a Catalyst for Recovery

Music creates connection where isolation exists. Our music leaders are recruited from the very communities they serve. Trained in music leadership and therapeutic approaches to music, they deliver weekly workshops, lessons and therapeutic sessions with empathy, consistency and care. By investing in local leaders, Rwanda Youth Music creates long-term support systems that strengthen communities from within.

“Many of these children carry heavy emotional burdens, and for the first time, they feel truly heard and understood”

— Love With Actions’ occupational therapist

Mission

Every week, Rwanda Youth Music delivers structured music programmes that improve wellbeing, strengthen social inclusion and build resilience for children and young people facing significant challenges. Current priorities include:

• Music for Health The team delivers regular music sessions to more than 2,000 children and young people living with disabilities or HIV across Kigali and Rwanda’s Eastern Province.
• Building Local Leadership Music leaders and trainers come directly from the communities they support. Through ongoing training and mentorship, they develop the skills to facilitate music programmes, therapeutic sessions and community workshops, ensuring knowledge and leadership remain embedded locally.
• A Regional Hub of Expertise Over more than a decade, Rwanda Youth Music has built one of East Africa’s strongest networks of community music leaders. That expertise now extends beyond Rwanda, supporting the development of programmes in Uganda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo, including Kivu Youth Music in North Kivu, where music is helping communities rebuild trust, foster peace and support recovery.

Impact

People