Oprah and Nelson Mandela

1 of 19
An inspiring conversation with Nelson Mandela put Oprah on the path to build her dream school for girls in a country still healing from apartheid. "From the very beginning, I said to Nelson Mandela, 'I want to create a school for smart girls who will lead this country into glory,'" Oprah says.

In 2002, Oprah announced her plans to build a leadership academy for the girls of South Africa. "When you change a girl's life, it's not just that life," Oprah says. "You start to affect a family, a community, a nation. I'm telling you, women are going to change the face of Africa."