Rwanda Young Water Professional Wins a Major Global Award

The Young Water Professional (YWP) Rwanda Chapter has won a major international recognition by being named the 2025 Young Water Professional Chapter of the Year.

The award is one of the highest distinctions awarded within the International Water Association (IWA) Community.

The award was officially presented at the Emerging Water Leaders (EWL) Forum, held during the 2025 IWA Water and Development Congress & Exhibition in Bangkok, Thailand.

YWP Rwanda was represented by Divine Tuyikunde, Business Development Lead, who shared its journey and achievements with young water leaders from across the world.

This recognition comes under the “Young Water Professional Chapter of the Year” initiative, established to celebrate the outstanding contributions of IWA Young Water Professionals (YWPs) and national YWP Chapters worldwide.

The initiative acknowledges chapters that are advancing water management innovations through impactful community projects, capacity-building efforts, scientific contributions, and strong leadership in the water and climate space.

For IWA YWP Rwanda Chapter, the award provided a meaningful moment of visibility, showcasing RYWP’s commitment to nurturing skilled young professionals and strengthening capacity in water and climate resilience.

It placed Rwanda among the countries whose youth are making outstanding contributions to the global water community.

Over the recent past years, IWA YWP Rwanda Chapter has grown into a vibrant network of more than 250 young professionals, actively contributing to national and regional initiatives in the fields of water, sanitation, environment, and climate change.

The chapter was particularly recognized for its efforts in empowering young professionals, promoting applied research, and engaging communities and schools in water and climate initiatives.

Benigne Ishimwe Mugwaneza

IWA YWP Rwanda Chapter Coordinator, Benigne Ishimwe Mugwaneza, expressed pride in the accomplishment, noting that:

“This award reflects the dedication and passion of young water professionals across Rwanda. It shows what young people can achieve when they are given space to lead, innovate, and contribute to the country’s development. We are honored to bring this recognition home and encouraged to continue expanding our impact.”

François Tetero

On behalf of the Rwanda YWP Co-Founders, François Tetero, the RYWP Chairperson, expressed satisfaction with the Chapter’s positioning at the top globally.

“When we started the initiative back in 2012, our initial objective was to get together and exchange knowledge, but in 2020, we decided to transform the chapter into a specialized incubation hub and high-tech delivery vehicle in the space of water, sanitation, and climate.

We are very glad that only five years later, the chapter is given the prestigious global award by the International Water Association (IWA) Community.”

As Rwanda continues strengthening its water and climate resilience efforts, this recognition reinforces the role of young professionals in shaping a sustainable future.

For Rwanda Young Water Professional (RYWP), the award stands as a celebration of progress and a motivation to deepen its contribution locally and internationally.