Samantha Sibanda is a human rights defender who has been working in the area of disability rights for eight years. Samantha is the founder of Signs of Hope Trust, Zimbabwe, an organization that empowers and advocates for the rights of persons with disabilities. Her organization facilitates scholarships, helps schools establish libraries for children with disabilities, and lobbies and raises awareness on disability issues to ensure that people with disabilities are empowered for self-representation and can understand and contribute to policy. Additionally, Samantha leads the Hope Magazine Zimbabwe Initiative, an inclusive online news magazine bringing together disabled people's organizations, academics in disability, persons with disabilities, and mainstream media, to reframe disability issues and tell untold stories in communities. Samantha is currently studying towards a degree in Special Education with the support of the Wells Mountain Initiative. Following the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Samantha hopes to contribute to inclusive education for children with disabilities, to eradicate discrimination, and to advocate for awareness of disability issues in schools.