Celebrating the
Inaugural Cohort
of the Amahoro
Fellowship Program

Before I begin, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to Mr. Isaac—or as we call him, simply Isaac. Thank you for believing in us, for nurturing this dream, and for making it a reality. Some of us were born for this work, and because of your vision, we now walk in purpose.
To avoid dragging this into Monday morning, I wrote my thoughts down.

All protocols respectfully observed.
To the leadership of the Amahoro Coalition, our dedicated fellowship coordinators—especially Julia (we see you!), our generous donors and partners, distinguished guests, and most importantly, to Cohort One and the newly welcomed Cohort Two: I greet you all with deep gratitude.

Standing here today feels surreal. I’m not just speaking for myself but for the trailblazers, dreamers, and doers of Cohort One—what I like to call the “All-Inners.” Yes, we were all in from the beginning.

My journey started with a simple, persistent push from my father—”Louange, apply for this.” I didn’t know then that clicking that link would change my life. Today, I can say with confidence: Amahoro has expanded my vision, sharpened my purpose, and connected me with a Pan-African family of change-makers.

Amahoro is more than a professional program—it’s a movement. It sees displaced leaders not as victims, but as visionaries shaped by adversity. This fellowship gave us what many systems denied us: recognition, resources, and the power to lead on our own terms.

Through coaching, funding, and capacity building, our ventures were not just supported—they were seen, strengthened, and scaled.

We, Cohort One, were the first to walk this path. We said yes to uncertainty, to vulnerability, and to growth. And so, to Cohort Two—we welcome you to the fire we helped ignite. We were scared, too. But we walked anyway. Now, it’s your turn.

We stumbled so you could walk stronger. We cried so you could laugh more. This opportunity is once-in-a-lifetime—build boldly, because Cohort Three is counting on what you do today.

To my dear Cohort One,
From the day we met in Ghana—my home—something clicked. There was no need for long introductions. Our spirits recognized each other. We became family. Our bond is rooted in respect, shared struggle, and collective hope.
Let us protect that bond. Let time and distance never weaken what we’ve built. Together is the only way we will build the Africa we dream of:

• An Africa where displacement is a badge of resilience, not pity.
• An Africa where our lived experience informs policy, innovation, and healing.

As it says in Joshua 1:9, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” May this courage carry us forward.

To the Amahoro staff and team—thank you. You did more than organize a program—you planted seeds in each of us. You believed in us even when we barely believed in ourselves.

For fellows like me, Luanch, Espire, Shalom, and GDA, who started with no legal status and no official organization—you were there from day one. You gave structure to vision and substance to hope.
And to those like Innocent, Michelle, Gloria, Ebe, Dr. Charles, Kiza, Sudi, Ariane, Byam, Abu Bakar, Zang, and Cindy—you helped polish what already existed. Thank you.

To our behind-the-scenes team, our trainers, our partners—you didn’t just support a program, you invested in justice, in equity, and in hope.

This year’s Amahoro theme, #ALLIn, wasn’t just a conference slogan—it was a call to action.
To be all in means we don’t do this work halfway. We bring our full selves—our trauma, talent, history, and dreams. We take shared responsibility for shaping the continent we want.

And so, standing here today—born in camps, displaced by conflict, united by vision—we declare:

• We are all in for justice.
• We are all in for healing.
• We are all in for rebuilding.
• We are all in for Africa.

Let me leave you with one African proverb:
“One broomstick cannot sweep the floor, but a bundle can.”

Alone we are limited—but together, we are unstoppable.
Let’s stay united. Step by step, hand in hand, let’s build the Africa we deserve.

Thank you. Merci. Asanteni.