Mandua Fiona is a South Sudanese refugee. Besides focusing on her studies, she is responsible for fetching water and many other daily household chores. She also applies fresh layers of mud and ash to her family’s hut to keep out insects. Fiona dreams of becoming a doctor, and with an MBB scholarship to secondary school, she can continue working toward that goal.

Fiona recently campaigned for student government and won, receiving 620 votes—twice as many as the next closest candidate. She says the skills she developed through MBB’s leadership training helped her understand the value of listening and how conversation can be a powerful tool for change.