The Togolese capital was buzzing on Saturday, September 27, 2025, for the third edition of Qavah Youth Leadership Challenge, an initiative led by Compassion International Togo. This competition, which aims to forge a generation of committed young leaders, concluded with the awarding of prizes to the 20 best finalist teams.
The program is designed to stimulate the creativity and sense of responsibility of young people, encouraging them to identify community challenges and seek innovative solutions in various fields such as agriculture, environment, entrepreneurship, technological innovation, and civic engagement.
The closing ceremony, held in Lomé, brought together government representatives, officials from child and youth development centers, as well as technical, religious, and institutional partners of Compassion International Togo.
Increased Support for Young Leaders
On this occasion, the organization’s National Director, Olivier Koffi Ahonon, expressed his delight at the ingenuity demonstrated by the participants. “I have personally visited several localities, and I can testify that these young people are already transforming their communities with the resources made available to them,” he affirmed, while announcing an increase in the first prize to 1 million FCFA per category, a guarantee of his organization’s enhanced support for Togolese youth. From the government’s side, a representative of the Ministry of Technical Education and Vocational Training, present at the ceremony, praised the initiative, which he considered perfectly aligned with the national vision of promoting skills, innovation, and professional integration of young people.
Honoring the Winners
Among the winners, the “Hezouwe” team, led by Atchouvi Komi Richard, won the first prize in the economic project category thanks to an initiative based on the valorization of local rice. “We noticed that the majority of young people consume imported rice while our parents produce it. This project was born from this desire to change things,” explained the young laureate.
In the civic engagement category, Nassou Assessimba and her team were recognized for their project on the production of organic fertilizers and reforestation.
“We did not expect to receive an award, but we are happy to be able to make our project a reality,” shared the young project leader.
Next Steps and Future Edition
In total, 20 teams, divided equally between economic and social projects, will benefit from 12 months of technical and logistical support to implement their projects. Compassion International Togo also announced complementary support, particularly for initiatives related to community libraries and English language teaching.
Concluding the event, Olivier Koffi Ahonon took the opportunity to officially launch the 4th edition of Qavah Youth Leadership Challenge scheduled for 2026, which will be structured around four new categories: Leadership and Social Impact, Economic Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Technology and Digital Transformation, and Environment, Culture and Sustainability.
Applications, which will be received in the form of five-minute videos, will mark the beginning of a new stage in the dynamic of training young, innovative leaders who are rooted in their society.
Albertine A.
