Cate came to Wageningen in early September from Nakuru county in Kenya. ‘I heard of Wageningen during my BSc in Animal Science, when a Wageningen professor came to give a talk about artificial insemination in goats.’ Cate was immediately interested and decided to enrol for the Master’s in Animal Breeding.
‘I was accepted in 2016 but unfortunately I didn’t get a grant. Then I applied again in 2017. Once again, I got a place but not a grant. I did get the chance to come to Wageningen for a short course at the Centre for Development Innovation. I then decided to try a third time and luckily this time I got both a place and a grant! My whole family was delighted for me.’
Cate is the only one in her family to have gone abroad to study. ‘ I’ve got three sisters and one brother. They were all very enthusiastic about my decision to go and study in the Netherlands, even though they wouldn’t easily leave Kenya themselves. I want to inspire them to take a look abroad one day too.’
The first two weeks in Wageningen were a positive experience. ‘ I really like the university setting and Dutch people – I think they are very friendly. The first day was a real experience. I was shocked to see that everybody came to class on time on the Monday. In Kenya the first day of term is always chaotic. It take about two weeks before a timetable is ready for staff and students. I was surprised at how organized everything is here.’
I was shocked to see that everybody got to class on time on the first day
Cate has already got to know a lot of people. ‘I met several people at the African day, which was very nice. And I’ve been to a church in Wageningen. I like singing and dancing. I’m going to get to know a few more churches in the coming weeks.’