Diamniadio (Senegal) (AFP) – "I have trained hard... and I have achieved it!", Lourence, a 16-year-old Congolese refugee in Kenya, proudly points out when she recalls her selection for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) organized in Senegal.

First modification: 11/09/2026 - 15:06

Hardened by a childhood in the Kakuma refugee camp, in Kenya, the young woman with a determined look has set two goals: "to win a medal" and one day offer a better future to her family.

For the first time in the history of the YOG, a team of young refugees takes part in the competition.

"Between fear and trust"

Originally from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burundi, they are currently refugees in Kenya and Uganda.

They compete in judo, athletics and taekwondo.

With her bright yellow tracksuit, short hair and a mischievous smile, Lourence Numukiza mixes with the crowd of the Olympic village, in the city of Diamniadio.

He tells AFP about a harsh fate. His parents, originally from eastern DRC, fled the conflict from South Kivu before he was born.

Lourence was born in a camp in Tanzania and later grew up in Kakuma.

"It is the war that made me a refugee," she laments. He was only four years old when he lost his father.

His mother raises her nine children alone. "I'm proud to participate in the YOG!" she exclaims, confessing that she feels divided "between fear and confidence" before her debut next Monday.

The young woman started practicing taekwondo in 2024 at her school. She has had to "face many challenges" and people who "discouraged" her from practicing this sport as a girl.

Lourence mentions on several occasions that she wants to "change the life" of her family, describing a "hard life" in the countryside - which is home to several hundred thousand people - where her mother "struggles and struggles" to meet the needs of her children.

– "Message of hope" –

"I want to take my family to a better place. It's time to give back to my mother for everything she has done for us," he says, hoping to achieve this by "working hard in sports."

"Because sport can change a person's life."

He is enthusiastic about citing as an example Yiech Pur Biel, 31, head of mission of the youth refugee team and goodwill ambassador of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

After fleeing the war in South Sudan in 2005, he arrived alone, at the age of 10, in the Kakuma camp, starting a new life.

He revealed himself to be talented in athletics and participated in the first refugee Olympic team during the 2016 Rio Summer Games.

He then had the opportunity to continue his studies in the United States.

"Millions of refugees originate from Africa, and the fact that these young people can participate in the YOG raises awareness about what is happening in Africa and also spreads a message of hope," Biel told AFP.

"It warms our hearts"

Practicing high-level athletics has helped 16-year-old Rashid Rochene overcome the trauma of his escape from Beni, in the DRC.

When he was only five years old, armed men attacked his neighborhood, killing his maternal grandparents and another of his relatives.

"My mother barely had time to wrap me in her arms," ​​he recalls.

The family found refuge in a camp in Uganda and then in Kampala, the capital.

On Tuesday he will compete in the men's 200 meters semifinal.

"There are many refugees fighting to access this selection. I represent them with pride," he adds in a low voice.

In a tent in the Olympic village, where the YOG athletes, aged between 14 and 17, can relax, the refugee team smiles with a game.

For Lourence, the interaction with other athletes makes her feel "happy" and "special."

"This warms our hearts, because we all feel the same."

© 2026 AFP

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