Kidogo

Why We Invest

Most kids in Kenya don’t have access to safe, quality, affordable childcare. That leaves them without the early skills they need and keeps their moms from working. Informal providers are everywhere—but the care is of wildly varying quality, and often not great.

Kidogo has developed a model that taps those informal providers so they can provide high-quality childcare for all who need it. They train “Mamapreneurs” to run safe, playful, and affordable childcare centers out of their homes. They upgrade facilities, teach responsive caregiving, and help women run a business.

Kidogo currently serves over 50K kids, and we think they have the potential to spur a new Kenyan childcare industry. Good-enough care still costs more than most parents can pay, and scale will require government subsidies. But they’ve made meaningful progress in informing standards and childcare budgets in multiple Kenyan counties, which is a strong signal for potential scale.