For Monica, completing primary school was a family milestone: she was the first person in her entire family to graduate.

Monica lives with her mother and seven siblings in Narus, South Sudan. Her mother works as a school cook, which has helped all eight children attend school. Her father works as a driver in Juba, but the city’s high cost of living leaves little money to send home.

After graduating from St. Bakhita Girls’ Primary School—MBB’s flagship project and South Sudan’s only all-girls primary school—Monica hoped to continue to secondary school. Her family, however, did not know how they would afford the fees. An MBB scholarship awarded earlier this year made it possible.