ACCES history
The chronological history of ACCES shows a steady growth in the number of young Africans served, supported by steady growth in revenue and volunteers. This growth has been marked throughout by a steady focus on the core mission of ACCES: to help young Africans obtain the skills and education needed to benefit themselves and their society.
1993, October 5: The African Canadian Continuing Education Society (ACCES) was incorporated by founders George and Beth Scott, a retired couple in Surrey, BC. The purpose of the society was to provide scholarships for bright, needy post-secondary students in the Kakamega District of Kenya to study in Kenya, and so to equip these students for employment in Kenya.
1996: The society originally provided post-secondary scholarships for highschool graduates who had been supported by a sister organization called the Canadian Harambee Education Society (CHES). By 1996, ACCES was able to give scholarships to many more students than simply those who had graduated from CHES.
1994: Graduates of the ACCES and CHES programs formed an alumni association so they could continue to support each other and new young Kenyan students through networking, social service projects, and fundraising to provide scholarships.
1997: First funding received from CIDA, the Canadian International Development Agency.
1999 ACCES founder Beth Scott received the prestigious Lewis Perinbaum Award for Excellence in International Development.
1999: ACCES initiated a literacy program, in which children who were unable to attend school because of poverty were taught to read and write. Several members of adjacent communities asked that literacy classes be provided for their poorest children and by end of 2006, nine schools had been formed with over 1,250 pupils. It is now possible for the children to learn more than basic literacy skills but rather to complete their primary education at the ACCES sites.
2001: ACCES became involved in HIV/AIDS awareness education, providing 3-day training workshops for teachers to be better equipped to teach and counsel their students and communities. ACCES has also supported community outreach activities through a non-profit organization founded by a young Kenyan - Justine Mutobere - who received his education with the help of ACCES.
2003: A fourth initiative – Small Business Training and Micro-Credit - was launched to support ACCES students who faced a period of unemployment after post-secondary graduation. Through this project, young Kenyans can acquire training and funding for small business ventures not only to support themselves and their families, but often to create employment for other Kenyans in need of work.
2004: ACCES hired its first Executive Director, Rick Juliusson, to help ACCES continue to implement an ambitious 5-year Strategic Plan of expansion to provide more programs to more young Kenyans.
2005: The long-term vision of having Kenyan-run programs with effective oversight and support was achieved with the promotion of ACCES staff member Enock Mambili to the new post of “Programs Director” in charge of all Kenyan programs. The role of Canadian volunteers in Kenya was changed to one of monitoring and capacity building.
2005: ACCES founder Beth Scott passed the torch to new board president Sandra Harper. Beth continues to be highly involved as a member of the Executive Committee and several working committees.
2006: The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) selected ACCES as the first recipient nationwide of funding from the new Voluntary Sector Fund. This 3-year, $500,000 grant allows ACCES to expand three of the primary schools into Community Learning Centres, with new programs such as: Adult Basic Education, community libraries, public health, water wells, and gender awareness. This grant recognized ACCES’ longstanding record of excellence in program delivery, and also the fact that private donations to ACCES have increased every single year of its 13 year history – an important fact given that this CIDA grant is a “matching grant,” such that every $3 from CIDA must be matched by $1 from donations.
