Nahla Mfinanga, Ashbury College, Canada – Kurt Hahn Prize, Highly Commended

Nahla Mfinanga, a 17 year old student at Ashbury College in Canada, received a Highly Commended recognition in the Kurt Hahn Prize for her youth led initiative, The Justice Compass. Through workshops and accessible educational toolkits, Nahla’s project helps newcomers better understand Canada’s immigration system, recognise common fraud schemes, and access trusted support services.

“The Justice Compass started from a very personal place for me. My dad is an immigrant, and growing up I heard about many of the difficulties he experienced navigating systems when he first came to Canada. I also saw some of the challenges our own family faced trying to help relatives through immigration processes. Those conversations stayed with me.

At the same time, I had the opportunity to explore immigration law through a summer placement, and that experience made me realise there was a way to combine my interests with something practical and community focused. I began thinking about how many newcomers struggle not because they lack determination, but because the systems themselves can feel overwhelming, inaccessible, or confusing.

That became the foundation of The Justice Compass.

I developed the project following my participation in the Youth Ambassadors with Canada programme through the U.S. Department of State. What mattered most to me was creating something that felt genuinely useful. I wanted to focus on awareness, accessibility, and education in a way that was approachable and understandable.

Through workshops and educational toolkits, I help participants better understand the structure of Canada’s immigration system and the roles of organisations such as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency, and the Immigration and Refugee Board.

A major focus of the project is helping newcomers recognise and avoid immigration fraud. I explore issues such as ghost consultants, fake job offers, phishing scams, and fraudulent sponsorship arrangements, while also directing participants towards trusted resources and support systems.

One thing that has always been important to me is making the information accessible rather than intimidating. Legal language can easily become another barrier, especially for people already trying to navigate unfamiliar systems. Because of that, I use plain language, interactive activities, discussions, and practical examples to help make the workshops more engaging and understandable.

At the same time, I am always careful to emphasise that I am not a legal professional. My role is not to provide legal advice, but to help people feel more informed, confident, and aware of where they can access trustworthy guidance.

One of the biggest challenges has been managing the initiative independently. Because this is a project I run outside school, balancing workshop development, partnerships, administration, and communication alongside academic responsibilities has been difficult at times.

There were also moments when partnerships fell through or progress slowed, and I questioned whether continuing was realistic. But those experiences taught me a great deal about resilience and flexibility.

I realised that leadership often means staying grounded in your purpose, especially when things become difficult or uncertain. Whenever setbacks happened, I had to remind myself why the project existed in the first place and who it was meant to support.

That perspective helped me adapt rather than give up.

Another important lesson was learning not to approach leadership as controlling every detail myself. I learned to ask for feedback, listen carefully to the communities I was serving, and adjust workshops based on what participants actually needed. That shift helped me understand leadership less as directing people and more as creating something responsive, thoughtful, and useful for others.

Although the project is still in its early stages, receiving positive feedback from participants and community organisations has encouraged me to continue developing it further. The Justice Compass is currently hosted in partnership with the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization, which supports workshop registration and delivery.

Looking ahead, I hope to continue expanding the project through partnerships with youth and community organisations across Ottawa, while adapting workshops for different age groups and audiences. I am particularly interested in working more closely with youth organisations because I think legal literacy and awareness are important for young people too.

One thing this experience has taught me is that meaningful impact does not always begin with expertise or authority. Sometimes it begins with listening carefully, staying committed, and being willing to learn alongside the people you are trying to support.

Receiving a Highly Commended recognition in the Kurt Hahn Prize felt unexpected, especially because I had only launched my first workshop session at the time. But it has given me a strong sense of motivation to continue building the project and improving it.

More than anything, it reminded me that even small community based initiatives can matter deeply when they are rooted in empathy, accessibility, and genuine purpose.

If there is one thing I would say to other students hoping to create projects of their own, it is to stay connected to your purpose. Projects can become difficult and demanding, especially when you are leading them independently. But when the work genuinely matters to you, it becomes much easier to keep going through the challenges and stay committed to creating real impact.

Four steps to lead with purpose like Nahla

1. Start with a problem that genuinely matters to you
The strongest projects often come from personal connection. When your work is rooted in something meaningful, it becomes easier to stay committed when challenges arise.

2. Make complex ideas accessible
Good leadership is not about sounding impressive. It is about helping others understand, participate, and feel confident. Use clear communication, listen carefully, and meet people where they are.

3. Stay flexible when things do not go to plan
Partnerships may fall through, progress may slow down, and setbacks will happen. Leadership means learning to adapt, accept feedback, and keep moving forward without losing sight of your purpose.

4. Remember that leadership is service
Real leadership is not about controlling everything yourself. It is about creating something useful for others, listening to the people you serve, and building trust through empathy, consistency, and respect.