To the ambitious and gifted IT students who made it through the Hackathon selection, and showed up with open minds, curiosity, and the courage to look inward — thank you! You were 100% present, engaged, and true ‘sponges’. Through absorbing insights and challenging yourselves in applying new tools and techniques, you showed how to drive your personal, and each others’, growth.
As part of the “Code2Unlock Hackathon 2025” in Rwanda, funded by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Kigali and implemented by the TRAIDE Foundation and The Gym, with support from amongst others GIZ and KfW, Lumen Coaches had the privilege to support the students’ growth by applying the ‘Colour Energies’ approach, tailored to their context.
The students exceeded expectations. Together, they explored adopting different communication styles to achieve balanced behaviours for high performance. For example, combining deep reflection for effective problem-solving with decisive action. They also challenged themselves and each other to seize their roles in the team, navigate ambiguity in the workplace and address intercultural challenges with greater understanding and capability.
For many of the students this was quite a fresh experience, including honest reflection, meaningful peer feedback, and deep conversations about how to show up with impact in international teams. It is that willingness to “take a deep dive” into yourself, and your team members, what transforms talent into true ‘human capital’.
In a competitive global outsourcing market, technical skills may open the door — but interpersonal capabilities builds long-term success. These students demonstrated both.
To all students – we have been proud to support you at the start of your careers! And we are excited about what lies ahead for Rwanda’s global tech footprint. Also a big thanks to especially Traide, The Gym and GIZ in Kigali for the wonderful cooperation.
