The Access Challenge believes that youth partnerships are crucial to ensuring that the global fight against HIV is sustained for future generations. We are thrilled to feature one of our local partners, Kigali Hope Organization (KHO), a youth-led civil society organization in Kigali, Rwanda. Under our One By One: Youth HIV Campaign, KHO collaborates with our local team to develop and implement youth engagement activities to empower self-advocacy efforts among youth living with HIV. This strategic partnership ensures that local youth are supported with the knowledge and skills to advocate for themselves and their peers when it comes to combating stigma and promoting HIV prevention.

Dive into our conversation with KHO as they share with us their mission, current work, and insights about our promising collaboration and how it elevates youth voices in the fight against HIV. 

Rwandan youth attend a One By One: Target Youth HIV workshop in Kigali in October 2024. Sitting at the center (front row) is Viateur Muragijerurema, KHO’s Executive Director.

What’s your mission? Tell us about the core values and goals driving your organization’s efforts. 

Kigali Hope Organization (KHO) is a youth civil society organization whose members and beneficiaries are young people living with HIV. KHO’s mission is to reduce HIV infections and improve the lives of young people living with HIV. KHO has always been and is still a youth-led organization at the forefront of the fight against HIV, the promotion of human rights, and the empowerment of advocacy and social welfare of young people living with HIV in Rwanda.

Since its inception, KHO has been striving to improve the lives of young people living with HIV.  KHO has trained, and economically empowered underprivileged youth infected and affected by HIV in the skills they need to transform their lives and their communities to make a greater contribution towards ending the AIDS epidemic.  

What makes our partnership unique? What specific strategies are we collaborating on in the One By One: Youth HIV Campaign? 

Our partnership with The Access Challenge is unique because it not only connects our target beneficiaries with resources to fight HIV and HIV stigma, but also because it is rooted in a shared vision and commitment to elevating youth voices in the fight against HIV. Together, we’re implementing strategies that engage young people directly in HIV education and advocacy! The campaign we are working on together enables us to reach youth across Rwanda, combining education with real-life advocacy experiences to combat stigma and promote HIV prevention.

Key strategies in our partnership include:

1. Youth-led advocacy: Training young people to become peer educators and advocates, using their voices and experiences to educate others and break down harmful stereotypes.

2. Community engagement: Involving parents and communities to foster open, supportive environments where discussions about HIV, prevention, and reproductive health are normalized.

3. Empowering youth through digital media: Leveraging social media platforms to educate, inspire, and mobilize young people to take action on HIV awareness, reducing stigma, and promoting safe health practices.

Together, we’ve created a model that centers young voices and gives them the tools to lead, which is essential for the sustainability of the HIV prevention movement.  

Groups share their brainstorming efforts to their peers after breakout sessions during the One By One: Youth HIV workshops, held in October 2024. 

What is the most memorable or impactful thing you have encountered during the One By One: Youth HIV Campaign?

One of the most memorable moments came during a community workshop, where a young woman shared how our campaign had helped her talk openly about her HIV status for the first time. She shared how she used to feel isolated, fearing judgment, but through our discussions and the supportive environment we created, she felt empowered to share her story. This moment underscored the power of our partnership to transform lives—not just by spreading knowledge but by fostering real connection, understanding, and support. Her courage inspired others in the room, creating a ripple effect where participants began sharing their own challenges and strengths. 

How has our collective partnership helped in supporting the organizational goals of KHO, together with the broader national HIV plan at the Ministry of Health of Rwanda? 

Our collaboration with The Access Challenge has been invaluable in reaching our goals. Through our partnership, we’ve been able to scale up our HIV education initiatives, particularly by providing resources, training, and platforms for youth advocacy. One of our most significant achievements has been the increased engagement of youth in HIV prevention and reproductive health education, as well as their ability to openly discuss and address stigma within their communities.

This campaign has supported us in educating hundreds of young people on preventive measures, advocating for HIV testing, and empowering them to share accurate health information with their peers. This collaboration has also allowed us to work closely with parents and caregivers, creating intergenerational dialogues that reinforce positive change.

For KHO, this partnership is more than a project — it’s a movement. The Access Challenge has enabled us to amplify our impact, mobilizing youth as agents of change and enhancing our community’s understanding and support of people living with HIV.

Is there a success story to share from the campaign? If so, What was the biggest takeaway from this achievement? 

A recent success story from our campaign involved a young girl living with HIV named Nyiraneza, a self-advocate who became a legal representative of a local NGO after attending the youth workshops. After attending the workshops, she took action to co-organize group discussions at the health center where she receives her HIV treatment, helping other youth understand HIV prevention and the importance of adherence to HIV treatment. Her efforts resulted in a noticeable increase in the confidence of her peers at that health center.

The biggest takeaway from this moment is the importance of empowering youth with knowledge and leadership skills. When young people are given the tools and trust to lead, they can create meaningful change within their own communities. It confirmed for us that youth-led self-advocacy is one of the most powerful tools we have in the fight against HIV.

 What’s on the horizon? What upcoming projects or initiatives are you most excited about beyond our partnership on the campaign? Give us a sneak peek!

We’re planning to expand our project about free condom distribution through condom kiosks installed in the community. This project aims to contribute to the HIV prevention and prevention of unwanted pregnancies among young girls.

  Pictured in the center is Henriette Mukamunana, KHO’s Project Officer. 

About KHO

Kigali Hope Organization (KHO) is a youth civil society organization whose members and beneficiaries are young people living with HIV. The organization is registered by the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) and the registration number is 466/RGB/NGO/12/2018. KHO’s mission is to reduce HIV infections and improve the lives of young people living with HIV. KHO is the only network of young people living with HIV in Rwanda, and as such believes that empowerment, youth participation, and inclusion are of central importance in the way they define and approach development. KHO’s vision is to see a nation where youth infected and affected by HIV are at the frontline in HIV response, their rights are recognized, they are actively involved in HIV and AIDS prevention, and they receive the care, support, and respect to enable them to contribute towards an HIV-free generation. 

To learn more about KHO, please visit their website at www.kigalihope.org and their Flickr account to view photos and videos of their work. Additionally, visit their Facebook, Instagram, and X social media accounts!

Spotlight Contact: 

Viateur Muragijerurema, Executive Director of Kigali Hope Organization: viateur@kigalihope.org