Kidogo
Kidogo improves access to affordable, quality early childhood care and education in East Africa’s low-income communities by equipping women (“Mamapreneurs”) with the knowledge, skills and support tools to start or grow their own childcare micro-businesses. Since 2014, it has built the largest childcare network in Kenya, reaching over 56,000 children up to 5 years old every day. We’re funding Kidogo to scale their model to benefit 110,000 children and train 3,300 Mamapreneurs by the end of 2027.
kidogo.co | Partner since 2023
Challenge
In Kenya, 3 million children aged under 5 live in low income, informal urban settlements. Working mothers in these communities are forced to leave their infants and toddlers with untrained caregivers or with siblings pulled out of school. Many of these children face hygiene and security risks, suffer from poor nutrition, and do not receive sufficient stimulation. This last point is critical, as 90% of brain development happens during a child's first five years of life.
Response
Kidogo's approach addresses childcare and women empowerment simultaneously, enabling parents to go to work knowing their child is safe, and restoring dignity to caregiving by recognising women as educators and business owners.
Kidogo trains women who run informal daycare centres in early childhood development and education methods as well as entrepreneurial skills to become Kidogo “Mamapreneurs”. This results in multiple benefits: the children are kept safe, nurtured and engaged in stimulating, play-based environments; the Mamapreneurs run stronger, more viable businesses; and the parents, especially mothers, can work and earn an income with peace of mind, knowing their children are in quality care.
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