“If life is not easy today, it can be better tomorrow and we keep hoping that it will be better and we can search for it.”
“For me, being a leader of change means teaching others how to use nature for your own good, but in a controlled and respectful way.”
“Everyone should be able to get an education, so as to deal with cases that are affecting our people.”
“I give away my pens, my clothes. Even though they’re not enough for me, I give them away to people in my community.”
“I envision a world where there is gender equality.”
“In my culture, women cover our hair and wear long skirts so people think we can’t work on the farm. I want to prove them wrong.”
“It's not just about getting empowered and getting all the education that we desire, it's a commitment to give back.”
“I envision a world where young generations are the basic solutions of today's problems: poverty, health, economic issues, unemployment, development etc.”
“I am a proud African...However, we, Africans should take up the challenge to confront problems that are approaching us head-on and also harness opportunities knocking at our doors.”
“As young African leaders, we must discover and act on our dreams, because eventually, a dream-filled Africa is a growing Africa.”
“[A transformative leader] should be someone who can understand very well the people he’s leading and how he can bring them together to bring about a positive change in the community. ”
“One thing about science that drew me to it is the fact that it’s about discovery of knowledge. ”
“In my culture, women cover our hair and wear long skirts so people think we can’t work on the farm. I want to prove them wrong.”
“I envision a better world, a sustainable world.”
“As a leader you need to be able to learn and adapt to situations without the monopoly of one person – you need to have an open mind and recognize and acknowledge the ideas of others and integrate these with yours to possibly effect change.”
“I feel the itch to learn. I want to acquire knowledge that will help me fulfill my dream of ending poverty and unemployment around the world.”
“I believe a good leader is someone who can share the joys and burdens of their communities when the time calls, and a good leader is someone who first leads themselves and then their community.”
“I envision a world where lethal diseases like cancer can be treated in a matter of days and treatment will be made equally accessible to people who need it.”
“Know what you want to do. Don’t expect everything to come to you. Be ready to learn and accept critiques. Ultimately, it’s all about ‘not letting any obstacle wear you down, so you can go far'.”
“The art of leadership begins with knowing your origin and struggles, and in advocating for the underprivileged.”
“Starting from primary school, high school and college, I went through failures. And all those failures only taught me something - which is to never give up.”
“We need to empower [young people] with information to make the right decision, in connection to sexual reproductive health and rights.”
“I am studying public policy and public service with a minor in business. My passion is linking the government with the people.”
“I believe in the quote that a lot of people like to reference by Nelson Mandela, which is: "Education is the most powerful weapon with which you can transform the world". And I believe that my education is already touching people's lives.”
“I envision a world where women, children, and men are not discriminated against. People are looked at based on their abilities and capabilities.”
“I envision a world where the youth is ready to take up the mantle, especially in Africa.”
“Being a MasterCard Foundation scholar for me is being given or being charged with the responsibility to go back to your country and to make change, try to make a difference and trying to do things in a great way.”