People of Africa Spring Issue 2025

Daughters of AFrica

Let us celebrate their triumphs, learn from their struggles, and pay tribute to their unwavering dedication to making Africa and the world a better place. To Our Daughters of Africa: You wore crowns of thorns to plant seeds of progress. You turned palaces into platforms for the people. You taught the world that leadership is not about power it’s about purpose. Africa sees you. Africa thanks you. Africa is you. “When women lead, the earth itself rejoices.”

Tanzania

Samia Suluhu Hassan

Tanzania’s first female president, breaking barriers in a male-dominated political landscape. Achievements: - Revived Tanzania’s COVID-19 response, promoting science after years of denial. - Reformed restrictive media laws, fostering press freedom. Pushed for regional stability as a key East African mediator. Why We’re Proud: She leads with quiet strength, showing that humility and wisdom can transform nations.

Malawi

Joyce Banda.

Malawi’s first female president and a fierce advocate for marginalized communities. Achievements: - Sold the presidential jet to fund healthcare and education reforms. Launched grassroots initiatives to empower women farmers and entrepreneurs. - Survived political persecution to remain a global voice for gender equality. Why We’re Proud: She governed with a mother’s heart, prioritizing people over power

Liberia

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Africa’s first democratically elected female president, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and “Iron Lady” who steered Liberia out of civil war.

Achievements: - Ended Liberia’s 14-year conflict and erased $4.6 billion in national debt. - Championed women’s rights, doubling girls’ school enrollment. - Co-founded the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development. Why We’re Proud: She turned a broken nation into a beacon of hope, proving that courage and compassion can heal even the deepest wounds