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Impact at Scale Labs: Early Years in Kenya

Home / Impact at Scale Labs: Early Years in Kenya

Impact at Scale Labs – Early Years in Kenya supports locally led organisations that are playing an increasingly important role in improving access to, and the quality of, childcare and early childhood education and development in Kenya.

Strategic Priority

Knowledge Accelerator

Funding Catalyst

Partnership Builder

Who does the Lab support?

The Lab works with locally led and scalable early childhood programmes that improve access to quality childcare in low-income communities for children aged 0–3 years. These programmes include a range of childcare models such as home-based, centre-based, and community-based childcare approaches. The focus is to support initiatives that address affordability, safety, developmental outcomes, and caregiver empowerment, especially in underserved contexts where formal childcare options are limited. 

Meet our four grantees and their innovations
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TotoCare Hub by Nawirika Foundation

TotoCare Hub addresses the childcare crisis in low-income communities by delivering high-quality, dual-generational solutions that empower women to work while ensuring children aged 0–3 receive a strong foundation for lifelong success. Operating in Nairobi, Kitui, and Nakuru Counties, TotoCare currently supports 500 caregivers and reaches over 7,500 children with safe, high-quality early care and learning services.

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Education for Empowerment for Rural and Urban Slums Initiative (EERUi)

EERUi is a community-based organisation advancing holistic child development in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya focused on strengthening low-cost early childhood education and development (ECED) providers within homes and communities. Its flagship “1st 1000 Days Campaign” has empowered 500 caregivers, positively impacting over 6,000 children.

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Jackfruit Finance

Jackfruit Finance improves access to quality early education by offering affordable, accessible loans to low-income private schools across Kenya, enabling them to enhance their learning environments. Jackfruit has disbursed over US $3.6 million in loans to 317 schools, reaching 137,921 early learners aged 0–6.

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Lake Region Development Program (LRDP)

LRDP champions early childhood wellbeing in rural counties across Kenya, including Kisii, Migori, and Homa Bay, with a focus on creating nurturing environments for children under five. It has supported over 3,000 children, strengthening child protection systems, improving household resilience, and advancing policy advocacy across the three counties.

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Learn about shortlisted organisations and their innovations
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Jasiri Souls Schools (formerly Little Souls)

Founded in 2013 and rebranded in 2022, Jasiri Souls Schools offers inclusive education grounded in Waldorf methods, serving 64 neurodivergent children. Their learning support department ensures integration in mainstream classrooms, while termly workshops and public events build community awareness. Over 85% of participating parents report improvements within six weeks.

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Kisumu Medical and Education Trust (KMET)

KMET’s Nawirisha Watoto advances play-based learning for children aged 0–6, including those with neurodiversity and children of incarcerated mothers. Recognized in WHO and PLOS reports, its community-rooted approach aligns with county strategies and builds on KMET’s impactful Smart Start Siaya model.

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Learn To Play (LTP)

LTP empowers "Mamapreneurs" to run playgroups and deliver home-based activities through its Parent Playbox, fostering early development and lifting families out of poverty. Its mindful, play-based curriculum has reached 200+ children and 150 caregivers in Botswana and South Africa, boosting school readiness and parental engagement.

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NABU

NABU combats the global literacy crisis with free, low-bandwidth mother tongue stories via app and web. In Kenya, 342,000+ users access content developed by 150 local creatives. Their 203 Literacy Champions lead community-based reading initiatives, nurturing a culture of literacy across the country.

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Pursue

Operating in Kakamega, Pursue boosts early education through its Schools Development Program and Model Schools. Since 2019, it has supported 200 teachers and 4,000+ students, doubling lesson planning and improving literacy/numeracy outcomes by 75%. Peer-led training and parental forums enhance teaching quality and engagement.

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Sunflower Trust

Since 2018, Sunflower Trust has delivered holistic early education in Kibera, supporting 75 children annually with strong teacher-student ratios and regular assessments. Their nurturing model emphasizes parental involvement, especially with mothers, resulting in a 300% enrollment growth and consistent academic excellence.

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Tiny Totos Kenya (TTK)

TTK transforms informal childcare through training, tech, and capital access. Their network spans Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, reaching 50,000+ women and children. A data-driven model enhances quality and income, earning.

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We concluded our second in-person offsite in Nairobi

Global Schools Forum hosted its second offsite in Nairobi in February 2024, bringing together four grantees from the Early Years programme. The convening offered space for reflection, strategic alignment, and meaningful connection with peers, sector leaders, and partners. Grantees received tailored support from GSF coaches, refined their 5-year vision, developed theories of change, and mapped milestones for their 18-month action plans.

Additionally, they engaged in panel discussions on childcare, ECED programming, MEL, sustainability, and partnerships, and received one-on-one mentorship from sector experts. The offsite concluded with a networking cocktail attended by over 40 GSF members, funders, and government representatives. 

Lab-2 Factsheet

Download the Impact at Scale Labs – Early Years in Kenya factsheet.

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Each grantee is supported by a set of Advisors who guide them on big picture thinking
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Dale Barnhart

Research Director, Laterite

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Damaris K Wambua

ECD Specialist, Childfund

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Dr. Esther Gacico

Founder and CEO, Elearning Solutions

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George Kogolla

Country Representative, IREX

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James Kadede

Partnership and Resource Mobilization specialist, Childfund

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Joyce Wesonga

Government Relations Specialist, EIDU Kiko Muuo, Founder and CEO, Angaza Elimu

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Nancy Mwali

Finance Manager, Kilimanjaro Blind Trust Africa

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Nicholas Wechuli

Programme Manager, Safaricom Foundation

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Oscar Kadenge

Programme Director, Parenting for Long Life Health

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Reza Fazel

Associate Director, Opencap

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Sane Mdlalose

General Manager, Adaptostrat Solutions

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