As an actress, radio host, feminist, poet, and community leader, Anna Maneno has many specialties. Home construction is not one of them.

Even so, the 20-year-old rushed into action when the house of an elderly neighbor collapsed. Anna spoke with friends and canvassed the neighborhood in South Sudan, sharing concerns about Mama Mary Kanyo. The campaign grew and grew until Anna had won enough support to build a new home.

This, among many other skills, is what Anna does: she identifies a problem and gathers a group to solve it.

Some of these skills trace back to Anna’s experience in a Search for Common Ground program called “Strengthening Young Women’s Participation in Local and National Peace Processes.” With support from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, the program equips young women with the collaborative skills to confront one of the starkest challenges facing South Sudan: violent conflict.

As part of the program, Anna received mentorship from Crown the Woman, which elevates girls and young women as community leaders. When COVID-19 struck, Anna went door to door, listening to needs and encouraging women to raise their voices in the peace process.

Along the way, she discovered that many women in South Sudan bore painful mental wounds. Anna convinced the program to set aside two months for psychosocial support. Search for Common Ground was not the only one to witness Anna’s talents, as the local radio station Sama FM invited her to host a weekly show and spread messages of women’s empowerment.

Anna has found ways to turn community work into systemic impact. As part of the YouLead Network, she served as a member of the East Africa Youth Parliament, and she facilitated discussions on the peace process with university students from two campuses.

In the world’s youngest country, it is some of the youngest people who are having the greatest impact. Anna shows what happens when women leaders use collaborative skills to drive change.