Uthabiti Africa Foundation

Quality, Affordable Childcare for All. The Foundation empowers communities across Africa, focusing on women and marginalized groups to foster sustainable development, economic opportunity, and social change.

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The Case for Action

Why Childcare Matters

Across Africa, more than 90 million children under the age of five require safe and nurturing care. At the same time, millions of women depend on reliable childcare to remain economically active. Childcare is not only a social service — it is critical economic infrastructure.

Early Childhood Development

Improved cognitive, social, and emotional outcomes during the most critical years of life.

Women’s Economic Participation

Enables mothers and caregivers to work, earn, and advance economically.

Business Productivity

Reduces absenteeism and improves workforce stability for employers.

Childcare Entrepreneurship

Creates dignified jobs and supports local childcare enterprises.

Economic Growth

Strengthens national economies through higher labour participation and human capital development.

Our Flagship Work

Catalytic Initiatives

Across these initiatives, Uthabiti Africa acts as a backbone organisation, convener, and systems reform partner — accelerating childcare transformation across Africa.

Collaborative Action for Childcare

A pan-African, multi-stakeholder platform convening policymakers, funders, practitioners, and communities to accelerate childcare reform.

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Network for Women in Childcare

A growing movement amplifying women’s leadership through advocacy, peer learning, and professional development.

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Mama Plus

An innovative model strengthening women-owned childcare micro-enterprises through training, certification, and collective centres.

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Collaborative SACCO

A financial inclusion platform offering savings, credit, and financial literacy services tailored to childcare workers.

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Our Ecosystem

Uthabiti’s Ecosystem & Engagement

We operate at the intersection of policy, practice, and lived experience—bringing together the full spectrum of actors required to build strong, inclusive childcare systems across Africa.

Governments

National and sub-national governments shaping childcare policy, regulation, and public investment.

NGOs

Civil society organisations delivering childcare services, advocacy, and community-based solutions.

Private Sector

Employers and businesses advancing workplace childcare and care-friendly employment models.

Funders

Philanthropic organisations, development partners, and investors catalysing sustainable childcare financing.

Workers

Childcare workers, domestic workers, and caregivers at the frontline of the care economy.

Our Expertise

What We Do

We deliver impact across five strategic pillars that strengthen childcare systems, unlock women’s economic participation, and support sustainable development across Africa.

Policy & Systems Strengthening

Designing national childcare policies, regulatory frameworks, and system-wide reforms with governments and partners.

Program Design & Institutional Support

Supporting NGOs and institutions to design, scale, and manage high-quality childcare programs.

Workplace Childcare Solutions

Helping employers create inclusive, productive environments for working parents.

Inclusive Funding Mechanisms

Enabling funders to deploy capital that reaches high-potential childcare organisations.

Innovation & Ecosystem Building

Designing and scaling catalytic models that strengthen Africa’s childcare ecosystem.

Our Achievements So Far

Established the first organisation dedicated to childcare systems strengthening in Africa – Uthabiti.
Created a knowledge base that reframed childcare as economic infrastructure, not just a social service.
Built multi-country networks influencing policy and investment decisions.

Supported governments to design national childcare policies, regulations, and implementation plans.
Provided technical expertise to education, labour, gender, and health ministries.
Facilitated inter-agency coordination to elevate childcare as a development priority.

Established Collaborative Action for Childcare to mobilise and deploy childcare-focused funding.
Mobilised resources from philanthropic organisations, INGOs, and private sector partners.

Hosted the Africa Childcare Forum (ACFKigali2025).
Launched the Women in Childcare Forum (2023 & 2025).
Organised national conferences including ECCED 2022 and CAC 2024.

Established one of Africa’s largest childcare consultant and practitioner networks.
Enabled cross-country learning, mentorship, and collaboration.

Produced research on childcare availability, affordability, and workforce dynamics.
Conducted national and county-level assessments shaping government thinking.
Launched the Status of Female Childcare Workers in Kenya Report (2023).

Trained hundreds of childcare workers and entrepreneurs.
Strengthened childcare centres through quality, safety, and business training.
Piloted financial inclusion, leadership, and psychosocial support interventions.

Collaborative Action for Childcare – multi-sector innovation platform.
Mamaplus – workforce development and training hub.
Collaborative SACCO – savings & credit for childcare workers.
Network for Women in Childcare – 11,000-member continental network.

Contributed to major continental and global policy dialogues.
Positioned childcare as a lever for workforce participation and growth.
Partnered with global institutions on care economy agendas.

Trusted by governments, funders, NGOs, and private sector partners.
Recognised for evidence-driven insights and collaborative leadership.

Join Us in Shaping Africa's Childcare Future

Be part of the movement transforming childcare systems across the continent.