Ndikuriyo Thomson
Date of Birth: 27.12.1992 (17 years old)
Gender: Male
Position: Kigali District Coordinator
Email: Thomsondikuriyo@yahoo.fr
Phone: +250 783283896
Favorite colour: Red

I am a student in scientific secondary school of Hamdan Bun Rashid Kimisange (S.S.S-H/K), Senior 6, in Kigali, Rwanda. I am the fifth child in our family of four brothers and three sisters. I am currently living with my mum after the sad death of our father in 1998. I have grown up in difficulty with so many health and socio-economic challenges, especially, after the death of my father.  
Football and Sports in general is my passion. I also pray a lot and like making new friends.
I have been a volunteer in CHRISC since June 2009 and I am very proud to be part of CHRISC and its development initiatives in Rwanda. I have learned a lot since joining CHRISC, and now I have a very high self esteem, and with many abilities in leading and coordinating.
I have been desperate, not knowing what I really wanted in life….. Seeing the future as very gloomy with nothing good ahead. The 1994 Genocide left many youths in Rwanda with so many questions in mind about the future, and if it really have the best for them.  I thank God for directing me to CHRISC, for I have gained so many life lessons since joining the organization, and developed an attitude that I am very important, with a very promising future in Rwanda and internationally and despite our family’s situation, I can rise, and support my family, friends, and neighbours.
Some of the foundational trainings that I received were as follows:

  • Leadership skills.
  • Organizational development knowledge.
  • English and computer lessons.
  • Activities management lessons.
  • Basic football coaching.

The above supported my work in CHRISC, as a coach in June 2009. I was able to see my hidden potentials and strengths that I have, also some of the talents that God gave me…. And this resulted into my positive attitude with the future, and developed the desire to do more in CHRISC.
In August, the organization started involving me into more management / coordinating roles, and I found myself serving a vast number of youths, leaders and communities. In September 2009 I was working alongside Magne Christian Sturoed from CHRISC Oslo by then, as a student under him, he inspired me a lot, together with other CHRISC leaders and wanted to do more in the organization, as I gain experience for future work. The dream came true when I was tasked as the Events coordinator of CHRISC Rwanda in Mid September 2009.

 

Thomson left, issuing awards to 2009 league champions:
I am extremely happy to serve the organization, communities, leaders and my country as the Kigali, District Coordinator of CHRISC Rwanda now. It is a new role that I assumed in March 2010, with so many leadership and administrative responsibilities. I am also coordinating all the volunteers, assessing their performances and monitoring and evaluating all the program activities.
I have been receiving management, monitoring and evaluation trainings from CHRISC that now puts me in a position to perform well in my new and high role.
CHRISC is creating a huge impact in the lives of youths in Rwanda: youths are able to:

  • To gain knowledge in (English, computer and leadership skills)
  • Become transformed and engage in community development initiatives from their localities.
  • Understand myths that hinder development and change into good practice.
  • Raise their self esteem.
  • Benefit from Sports trainings and education carried by CHRISC, such as, coaching, refereeing, first aid and sports injuries, sports management etc.
  • Be more socially interactive, hence removing the fear that has been there amongst them, after the 1994 Genocide.
  • A variety of life skills trainings, hence making us and all the youths be very responsible citizens and youth leaders in our country.

I have two sisters participating in CHRISC programs (football and culture -Urugero Girls Project) and they are nowadays full confidence, with high self esteem. They are in a position to lead other girls from Karugira, where we reside. I appreciate the life skills trainings that, they always receive during the sports gathering at E.T.L field in Kigali, City through the Sports and Education program of CHRISC.  For some of those trainings are lacking in our family’s set up in Rwanda and also schools