17/08/2026
What happens when a young person finishes an iDebate programme?
For Sandrine Umubyeyi, finishing Dreamers Academy Camp was not the end of her journey with iDebate. It was the beginning of a much longer one.
She first joined Dreamers Academy Camp as a student in 2018. Later, she returned as a volunteer. Today, she serves as the Program Manager of Dreamers Academy Camp, leading the same program that once invested in her.
Sandrine’s story is personal, but it is not unusual within iDebate. It reflects a pathway that has gradually become part of how the institution grows: young people first experience our programmes, then find opportunities to contribute, take on responsibility and eventually lead.
That pathway is visible across the organisation. Today, nearly 90% of our active volunteers and approximately 80% of our staff are alumni of iDebate programmes.
Students become volunteers. Volunteers become coaches. Coaches become programme leaders.
And with each step, the relationship changes. Young people are no longer only receiving an experience; they are helping shape the experiences of those who come after them.
That matters because leadership is not built through training alone. It grows when young people are given opportunities to practise what they have learned, take ownership and be trusted with real responsibility.
Sandrine’s journey shows what becomes possible when young people are not only developed, but trusted with the opportunity to lead.
