Since its launch in 2016, the annual awards have grown significantly, with the number of applicants increasing from 16 to over 150 this year. A total of 75 journalists recognised to date.

The event, which saw over 150 journalists from various media outlets in attendance, was supported by key partners such as the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), the Swedish Embassy, Amplify Change, the Packard Foundation, and the Generation Gender Program.

The journalists from radio, television, and online were recognised for their outstanding coverage of stories on family planning, maternal and newborn health, safe abortion, HIV/AIDS and other STIs, teen pregnancy, gender equality, and women’s empowerment, as well as sexual health and education among others.

The awards

The overall winner in each category received Rwf800,000 in cash and an HP laptop valued at Rwf900,000 laptop. The First runner-up received a monetary prize of Rwf600,000, while the second runner-up received Rwf400,000. Both the winners of the first and second runner-up positions were also granted a smartphone valued at Rwf450,000.

Television category

In the TV category, the overall winner was Aime Beaute Bushashi from RBA, recognised for her impactful story that explored the tracking of the menstrual cycle.

The first runner-up in this category was TV1’s Dieudonne Nshimiyimana, who reported on the case of a woman who was mistakenly prescribed Anti-Retroviral drugs (ARVs).

In partnership with Community Health Boosters (CHB), the O3 programme conducted a peer educator training between 4 and 22 June in four districts of Rwanda, including Kigali. Over 250 participants attended the two-week training, which equipped young individuals with essential knowledge on SRHR, teenage pregnancies, HIV prevention, consent, and GBV.

During the workshop, peer educators led impactful sessions on preventing unwanted pregnancies, debunking myths, and promoting contraceptive use, empowering their peers to make informed decisions about their health and relationships.

As part of the training, the peer educators also conducted educational sessions in local schools, as well as various citizen outreach initiatives, including Umuganda (community service) and other youth gatherings. 

One of the tools used during the workshop was the YAhealth Game, an innovative educational tool developed with UNESCO’s O3 Programme. The game made learning crucial topics like unwanted pregnancy, HIV/STI prevention, and GBV more engaging and accessible, by breaking cultural barriers and misconceptions.

One of the 253 participants who attended the training was 23-year-old David Ukurikiyeyezu. By the end of the two weeks training at the sessions in Nyanza YEGO Center, David emerged as a dedicated peer educator, ready to make a significant impact in his community.