Turning Obstacles into Opportunities

My Story

My name is David Munya. I was born in 1995 in Nakuru County, Kenya. I am the lastborn in a family of four. I was born with a condition known as Spina Bifida. In my early days, I could walk without any difficulty; however, as I grew up, my legs began to weaken. Due to frequent falls, I started using crutches at the age of 11. After using crutches for about three years, I switched to using a wheelchair in 2011. Using a wheelchair for the first time was very stressful, especially when going out and having people stare at me. I have had several surgeries on my back and legs to try and rectify that problem, though I still couldn't walk. For my schooling, I went to Joytown Primary and High School. Joytown is a special school for students with physical disabilities. I completed my high school education in 2013 and in 2015, joined KCA University in Nairobi, where I studied Certified Public Accounting and received Bachelor of Commerce. I work as an accountant at Participant Assistive Products. At Participant, we are on a mission to democratize high-quality and affordable assistive products, such as wheelchairs. Our goal is to leave no one behind, specifically those unserved in low and middle-income countries. I enjoy being part of a company that is working towards bettering the lives of people with disabilities such as myself. Despite my condition, I have been able to accept myself and understand that disability is not an inability and that despite the obstacles in life, we can always go beyond the limits and achieve our life dreams.