Miriam Mbithe is a woman on a mission. Every day, the 50-year-old single mother of five braves the rugged terrain of her neighborhood in Isiolo, Kenya and treks for kilometers on end, shuffling between her work as a CHW, a matron at a girls’ secondary school, a women’s groups coordinator, and an entrepreneur. These roles, she says, bring together the causes she is most passionate about: the health, education and economic empowerment of girls and women.

“When I started volunteering as a CHW, I saw that women and girls needed better support to reverse high maternal and child death rates and to escape generational cycles of dependency and poverty,” says Miriam. “Enhancing women’s access to information, healthcare, education and capacity to meaningfully participate in economic activities not only changes their lives but transforms entire families.”