#Play4Kwibuka31 – Honouring the Past, Building Peace Through Play
A 4-Day Commemorative Sports & Peace Education Initiative | Kigali, Rwanda
Dates: April 26, May 1, 3 & 4, 2025

#Play4Kwibuka31 brought generations together through football to commemorate the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and honour those lost within Rwanda’s football community—players, club officials, fans, and others.

Co-organised by the Ishami Foundation, Former Amavubi Players Association (FAPA), and veteran football teams across Kigali—alongside a vibrant network of youth football academies—this 4-day initiative blended remembrance, sport, and education to powerful effect.

🎥 [Watch the Recap Video]

• Commemoration Event at KGM

• Opening Day Commemorative Matches at Pele Stadium, Tapis Rouge and Kepler College

• Closing Day Highlights at Pele Stadium

📸 [View the Full Photo Gallery]

• Commemorative Day

• Commemorative Football Matches

• Closing Celebrations

What Happened
• Day 1 – Memorial Visit & Kwibuka Reflections
A solemn tribute at Kigali Genocide Memorial honoured footballers lost in the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994. This emotional moment of remembrance laid the foundation for the days ahead.

• Days 2, 3 Veterans + Youth Commemorative Matches
Former Amavubi stars and other veterans joined youth teams from Kigali academies for commemorative matches held across the city. These intergenerational encounters paired sport with storytelling—passing down lessons of resilience, unity, and hope.

• Day 4 – Purposeful Play Games & Closing Ceremony
The grand finale celebrated football’s power to build peace. Purposeful Play sessions connected sport with Genocide education and Rwandan homegrown values. Final U16 matches (boys and girls), a veterans’ game featuring FAPA and Karibu FC, and a certificate ceremony capped the event.

🎯 Why It Matters
• Education Through Sport
Youth engaged in sessions focused on Kwibuka31 themes—remembrance, unity, and resilience.

• Veterans Leading by Example
Former national players modeled reconciliation, proving sport’s power to heal and connect across generations.

• Healing in Action
On every pitch and in every circle, shared stories and matches helped build empathy, hope, and a renewed commitment to “Never Again.”

Partners & Supporters
This initiative was made possible by the unwavering commitment of players, coaches, volunteers, and community leaders.

Core Partners:
⚽ Ishami Foundation
⚽ Former Amavubi Players Association (FAPA)
⚽ Veteran Football Clubs Network
⚽ Youth Academies from across Kigali

Institutional Support:
🏛️ City of Kigali
🏛️ Ministry of Sport
🏛️ FERWFA
🏛️ Kepler College
🏛️ Kigali Genocide Memorial

💬 Voices from the Field
“I will never forget visiting the Genocide Memorial. It made me want to do something positive with my life.”
— Salomon Gahunga Kirenga, 11, NUNGA Football Academy
“Our tribute to the football heroes we lost is to carry their legacy forward on and off the pitch.”
— Abraham Nayandi, Event Panelist
“This is not just football. It’s building peace one game at a time.”
— Evariste Habimana, Community Impact Coach
“From one football field to many, we aim to plant seeds of remembrance and peace across Rwanda.”
— Community Impact Coach, Ishami & FAPA
“Our children are learning the values that will sustain our country for generations. We are proud.”
— Saidati Mukanoheri, Community Leader
“This was our tribute to the football legends and leaders we lost—we honour them by carrying their legacy forward with every kick, pass, and goal.”
— Eric Murangwa Eugene, Genocide Survivor, Former Amavubi Captain, FAPA President & Co-Founder, Ishami Foundation