Hamwe Festival utilises the power of storytelling to help people understand the impact of global health issues. For its third edition, UGHE’s Hamwe Festival organized a short story contest in collaboration with Kigali Public Library (KPL), seeking short stories written in English or in French, about life in the era of COVID-19. The contest received 479 submissions from writers from five continents from which fourteen (14) stories – in both English and French – were selected by a diverse expert jury formed to evaluate the submissions and award the stories. The stories showcased how health equity and other areas of social justice have been exacerbated during this global crisis and how the current pandemic has affected the lives of individuals and communities. 

“There is something quite unique about storytelling that enables you to develop an issue within its context, and when you take a problem like Covid-19, in order to understand all the layers of issues that have contributed to this virus becoming a global pandemic, you must first understand and analyze them, which storytelling facilitates. This, I believe, is why collaboration between writers and health professionals is critical.” The collaboration also provides opportunities for creativity to demonstrate the critical social role of creatives in combating global health issues such as Covid-19. During the Short Stories Contest Award Ceremony that showcased how health equity and other areas of social justice have been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, Injonge Karangwa, UGHE’s Director of Arts and Culture in Global Health Public Engagement, reminded the significance of such a competition, stating that in order to solve problems, one must first understand and analyze them, which storytelling facilitates. “This, I believe, is why collaboration between writers and health professionals is so important.” Injonge added.

Rwabigwi Gilbert, a Rwandan Social Innovator, and Writer, one of the 8 jurors, reflecting on their experience while evaluating the stories reminded that there is something about literature, something about writing, and the pandemic really showed us how important literature is. “There is something about experiencing someone else’s story and putting yourself in their shoes that brings empathy.” Rwabigwi says. 

Winners of the Short Story Contest hail from Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Benin, Morocco, Haiti, and Zimbabwe.

Meet the Winners of the Hamwe Festival 2021 Short Story Contest 

English Category

7th Place:

Rutendo Salome, Zimbabwe

The story’s title: Visiting Hour

6th Place: 

Rediet Tesfaye Tizazu, Ethiopia

The story’s title: A Hug from a Stranger

5th Place: 

Joyce Umuhire, Rwanda

The story’s title: It’s a Boy!

Denyse Bayingana Agahozo, Rwanda

The story’s title: April Showers

3rd Place: 

Ruth Nyadzua Mwangome, Kenya

The story’s title: Village under Siege

2nd Place:

Dusingize Marie Immaculee, Rwanda

The story’s title: My name is Martha!

1st Place: 

Kwitonda Jean Baptiste, Rwanda

The story’s title: The Era of Errors

French Category 

7th Place:

Zouhair Youssra, Morocco

The story’s title: Le big reset

6th Place: 

Daizon Rhode Vanessa, Haiti

The story’s title: Maudite pandémie!

5th Place: 

Hounyeme Sadly, Benin

The story’s title: Déréliction et survie

Fleury Genevieve, Haiti

The story’s title: Soumission

3rd Place: 

Adamah Sylvie Houefa, Benin

The story’s title: Les billets de dix

2nd Place: 

Tala Fatie Maxime, Cameroon

The story’s title: A Fleur de Parole

1st Place: 

Tsiiku Yannick, DRC

The story’s title: Respire!

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Watch the replays of Hamwe Festival 2021 Short Stories Contest Award Ceremony here