NurtureFirst is jointly funded through the collaboration of Echidna Giving, This Day, Imaginable Futures, Spring Impact, UBS Optimus and Elma Philanthropies. The initiative was initially hosted by the Early Childhood Development Action Network (ECDAN) in the inception stages. As we launch globally, NurtureFirst is hosted by the Global Development Incubator (GDI).
We work closely with the full breadth of HBCC ecosystem actors in our learning interventions locations of Kisumu, Mombasa and Murang’a counties. We have leveraged the pioneering work of Global and regional NGOs in the Early Childhood space including the Aga Khan Development Network, UNICEF, SOS Children’s Villages, and local NGOs like Kidogo Early Years and Uthabiti Africa.
Our national and county government partnerships have extended beyond health and education (where childcare programming and reform is often focused), to include Gender, Trade, and Finance departments to reflect the multi-sectoral nature of the HBCC ecosystem and the collaborative efforts required to see change.
A fundamental component of NurtureFirst’s learning interventions lies in our work with, and through local community based organizations (CBOs). These organizations - and other community-facing institutions like places of worship - are closest to HBCC providers and the families that rely on them. We aim to learn from, and enhance their support to providers. To do so, we have embedded full-time staff in the CBOs we are partnering with - including Stahili Foundation, the Catholic Diocese of Murang'a, Go-Economic Empowerment Programme (GEEP Kenya), Sauti Ya Wanawake Pwani, and the Kisumu Medical and Education Trust (KMET)- to support capacity development in HBCC programming, and a path to sustainability post-intervention.
