Interview with Grace Konan at the AFD 2025

In an interview at the 2025 Africa Forum on Displacement, the Mastercard Foundation sat down with Grace Konan to hear her story as a young refugee and discuss what is needed for inclusive systems that engage refugees in meaningful ways.

See more inspiring stories and learn about our work with refugees and displaced persons here: https://mastercardfdn.org/en/world-re...

About Grace:
Grace is a resilient young refugee and dedicated community advocate. She has volunteered as an interpreter for UNHCR and its partners, helping bridge communication gaps and support refugee empowerment. As a peer mentor and interactive theater facilitator with UNFPA, she led youth-focused initiatives to combat gender-based violence and promote social change.

Committed to uplifting her peers, Grace co-founded a student association in her camp to amplify student voices and address their concerns. She shares scholarship opportunities, conducts mock interviews, and mentors fellow youth to help them access education. Her passion led her to pursue a degree in social work as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar.

Grace also serves on WUSC’s Youth Advisory Committee, supporting the DREEM Project, and continues to mentor youth in her camp and beyond. Her work reflects a deep commitment to education, youth empowerment, and collective action for lasting change.

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The Mastercard Foundation is a registered Canadian charity and one of the largest foundations in the world. It works with visionary organizations to advance education and financial inclusion to enable young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. As part of the Young Africa Works strategy—which aims to enable 30 million young people to access dignified and fulfilling jobs by 2030— the Foundation is scaling high impact partnerships that enable young people to access the necessary education and skills needed to get a job or build their own businesses. Established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company, the Foundation is an independent organization with offices in Toronto, Kigali, Accra, Nairobi, Kampala, Lagos, Dakar, and Addis Ababa. Its policies, operations, and program decisions are determined by the Foundation's Board of Directors and Leadership team.