Akoben: Stories of Impact. Tales of Courage.

We are pleased to introduce our new series, Akoben (readiness to be called to action, volunteerism in Twi): Stories of Impact. Tales of Courage. These stories speak about the power of education as a tool for transformative change with the world. They are told through the lens of Mastercard Foundation Scholars and Alumni.

Our work within the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program team often brings us into contact with many inspiring young people leading transformative change in their schools and communities. We spent the greater part of this year speaking with some of these young people and capturing their stories.

Read the stories from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars and Alumni

African Leadership University (ALU)

Abraham Deng: How One Student from South Sudan Became a Scholar and a Mentor

Abraham describes his story as long and difficult. Growing up, Abraham had a happy childhood. He especially enjoyed football and served as a goalkeeper. His father had a lot of goats and cows. Around that time, many people were returning to South Sudan after the war to re-establish themselves.

Dorcus Maloney: Championing Girls’ Education in South Sudan

Growing up in Bor, South Sudan, but residing primarily in Nyumanzi refugee camp in Uganda, Dorcus knew little about life outside the refugee camp.

Her mother fled to Nyumanzi in 1991 as a young girl, grew up and thereafter married in the camp. After Dorcus’s parents divorced she was left in her grandmother’s care, pursuing much of her education at the refugee camp.

Eric Ndayisaba: Inspiring the Next Generation of Congolese Entrepreneurs

Eric’s journey of self-discovery began during the Congo War. He comes from a family of cattle farmers and agriculturists who faced great persecution from their community because they spoke Kinyarwanda, the native language of Rwanda. The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda are neighbouring countries but have suffered long-standing political tensions, which have caused various challenges in their respective communities and societies.

Latjor Wuon Lat Dak: Resilience Forged: A Decade's Odyssey from Darkness to Empowerment

Latjor Wuon Lat Dak was born during South Sudan’s liberation struggle. Born into a family that did not have the resources to pursue a formal education, Dak found inspiration in learning, seeing education as a means of uplifting his family and community from their dire circumstances.

Resala Rashid Ayoub: Opportunity Knocks Twice

Resala fled Sudan to South Sudan with her family at a young age when war broke out in 2011. She arrived in South Sudan with her siblings and neighbours, where, for six months, she had to fend for herself because there was no one to support her and her siblings, and her parents had not yet arrived.

Grace Majot: Empowering Women to Use Their Voices

Born in a war zone in South Sudan, Grace faced many challenges growing up. Due to her father’s inability to pay her mother’s bride price, in accordance with tradition, Grace’s family faced many challenges for a long time, impacting her and her siblings’ education and livelihood. Because the bride price was not paid, the relationship between Grace’s father and his in-laws broke down.