Marcela: The Brains and Heart Behind Brave Future

As part of our Brave Voices series, we’re spotlighting the people who power Brave Future, the hearts, hands, and minds behind our mission. Today, we’re proud to introduce you to Marcela Nacif, the founder of Brave Future and the quiet force behind the organization’s evolution.

When asked to describe her role in one word, Marcela doesn’t hesitate:
“I’m an octopus.”

It’s the perfect metaphor for the reality of leading a volunteer-run NGO. She juggles it all, from strategy and storytelling to coordination, emotional support, fundraising, and dreaming up what’s next. She’s everywhere, because she has to be. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Right now, one of her biggest challenges is also what keeps her up at night and what drives her forward. There’s urgent demand to expand Brave Future’s programs, especially in Kakuma, where the need is high and the resources are limited.

“We’re trying to raise funds to build a bigger learning hub,” she shares.
“We want to offer more space, more access, more courses, like English and ICT.
But convincing people to fund something you know works, something you see transforming lives, is exhausting. Still, we keep going.”

Because for Marcela, this is more than a cause, it’s her life.

Brave Future is run entirely by volunteers. So when she says she’s all in, it’s not a figure of speech. 

“You get emotionally involved with the learners. It becomes your mission.
You feel responsible for giving them the best,” she says.
“And at the same time, you get addicted to the impact.
It pushes you to grow. You just keep showing up.”

That dedication is fueled by moments that stay with her. Like the time each member of the Afghan cohort baked a birthday cake, from separate houses, just so they could sing happy birthday to her over Zoom. Or the early days in Kakuma, when learners were still figuring out how to use a mouse or scroll and now, seeing them log in and work completely independently.

“It’s the little things,” she says. “The smiles, the learning, the shift in confidence.
That’s what keeps me going.”

But she’s quick to credit the people around her.

“The kids. The volunteers. This incredible group of young women I get to work with.
We laugh, we cry, we work hard, and we’ve built something really special together.”

Marcela’s leadership is rooted in love, but also in relentless belief, belief in people, in the power of education, and in the idea that kindness, when consistent, can build entire futures.

Oh, and one more thing?

“I have a twin sister, she’s like the corporate version of me.”

Marcela may describe herself as an octopus, but to us, she’s a visionary. She’s built Brave Future into a space where young people thrive, where volunteers feel seen, and where change is real, not theoretical.

And through her efforts, she keeps making a difference.