As Africa’s first elected female head of state, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has emerged as a transformative leader in post-civil war Liberia, creating a legacy that serves as a beacon for women fostering positive change in Africa and beyond.

On Friday (Nov. 17), Sirleaf was honored with a TIME100 Impact Award s during TIME’s inaugural Africa Summit and Gala in Kigali, Rwanda. As she accepted the award, Sirleaf said her life’s journey was ultimately motivated by “the faces of those I have had the privilege to serve, the people who yearned for a better life, a brighter future.”