Miriam Natse is the 8th born in a family of 11 siblings. She comes from a polygamous family in which her mother was a housewife, and her father was a farmer supporting multiple wives. The large household and impoverished living conditions created a variety of challenges. Miriam grew up with dreams of a better life and a burning desire to get educated which pushed her to fight against the odds. She had to endure challenges and persevere throughout her life and school career ranging from lack of food, lack of good shelter and lack of funding to pay fees but this didn’t stop her from working towards her goal. Luckily her secondary education was sponsored by well-wishers, but they could not afford to support her in post-secondary. Completion of her high school studies almost marked the end of her academic journey, were it not for ACCES!

Miriam’s father had to sell a cow to secure her admission into the University and no funds were left to cover her living expenses and recurring course fees. She had opted to defer for a year to save some money when one of her lecturers told Miriam about ACCES. She applied and was selected as a scholarship recipient in 2017 during her first year of studies. She says, ‘learning that I am the recipient of such a prestigious sponsorship really eased my financial concerns regarding obtaining my education. Your aid motivated me to keep working hard to see this dream come true”. Through education, Miriam has had access to a wide range of new opportunities in all areas of life. Getting an education has given her an array of new experiences and knowledge, and, in turn, those things have improved her life in many ways. Some of those changes are subtle, while others are far more obvious. For example, gaining knowledge and acquiring new experiences have impacted her level of confidence, broadened her perspective, and boosted her social abilities. To ACCES she says, “Your invaluable donations and guidance have got me through all the way to where I am now. I could never have become the person I am today without your help. Thank you!”

Miriam is currently a Public Health officer in Webuye West sub-county, Bungoma where she makes a difference in the lives of people every day. This is thanks to the education that she achieved with financial help from ACCES.