Ripples of Impact Docuseries

As the largest education and leadership initiative of its kind, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is enabling the next generation of ethical African leaders today. Transformative leadership and giveback underpin the Program. Scholars, young men, and women committed to bettering their communities gain opportunities to grow and develop, model, and enhance their leadership skills both through their institution and on platforms like Baobab and competitions like the Social Venture Challenge. 

Faith is a Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program alumni from McGill University where she earned a Bachelor of Science. She is also a Registered Nurse and Founder of Cactus Mama, a telemental health program that provides women in rural Kenya with health services during and after their pregnancy. Through Cactus Mama, Faith developed BridgeMe Mobile and Web App, platforms that connect clients to teletherapy, person-centered, affordable, and quality care.

In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic Faith observed a gap in mental health care delivery; patients were unable to visit mental health providers in clinical settings due to pandemic protocols. Some were able to connect with their health providers by phone, but others saw their health recovery impacted, unable to connect to the support they needed. Cactus Mama’s BridgeMe App seeks to remove the stigma around mental health and places care in the hands of the client. It is a confidential and secure platform, enabling clients to choose when and where they receive support. Faith is currently doing an online MSc in digital education as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at the University of Edinburgh.

Using the latest technology and resources, Shamsuddeen has developed a three-step method to assess a child’s math skills and track their progress. Since 2013 NAF has helped more than 1397 children improve their math scores.

As a mathematician with a background in disease modelling and research, Shamsuddeen has more than 10 years of experience working in various sectors including health, education, and information technology with organizations like Sunshine International School Bauchi, Inspire Paradigm Academy Yola, Abubakar Tafawa Belewa University Bauchi and Society for Family Health Nigeria. He is a results-focused and compassionate leader who believes in instilling young people with a “you can do it” mindset.

Shamsuddeen graduated with a First-Class Honours degree from the University of Jos Plateau State Nigeria, and he is an alumni of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, holding an MSc in mathematical sciences from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Ghana.

Joanna shares, “I grew up in a society that told me what I could and couldn’t do with life because I am physically challenged. I’ve seen society set standards, kill dreams, and limit people, simply because they don’t fit into society’s standards. I dream of a world where we aren’t separated by race, ability, riches, or anything else, a world where everyone gets offered the same opportunity. A world where anyone can be anything without being limited. I’m inspired to create such a world, just like the one that the Mastercard Foundation created for me.”

Joanna graduated from the University for Development Studies, School of Medicine through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program’s partnership with CAMFED in Ghana.

The company trains under-skilled, economically disadvantaged women to produce soap and cosmetics using locally sourced, organic ingredients which are packaged, marketed, and sold by a team of local youth, providing a steady source of income for both groups.

Prince discovered his entrepreneurial talent while a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering.  He has received numerous awards and recognitions including: “Best Chemical Engineering Entrepreneur” by the Department of Chemical Engineering; “Most Impact Community Project by a Mastercard Foundation Scholar”; “Most Popular Brand” by the SNV GrEEn Project, and “Best Startup in WASH” as part of the 2021 Business Plan competition.

Prince uses his positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed. He is currently a YALI fellow, Generation Africa Fellow, and an alum of the UNICEF Startup lab and MEST Express Accelerator. He is seen as a champion for rural hand hygiene and sat on a panel discussion by UNICEF Ghana and Ghana Enterprise Agency on rural handwashing. He also co-founded Cocoa Potash Ltd, an early-stage social venture utilizing cocoa husk to produce 95 percent pure organic potash and other commercially viable products from cocoa husk using a clean, eco-friendly production technology.