Bego Gerber

🌟 Changemaker Spotlight: Kidogo Kidogo is redefining early childhood care and education in Africa by supporting women (“mamapreneurs”) to run high-quality, affordable childcare centers in low-income communities. By improving access to safe childcare, Kidogo not only nurtures children’s development but also enables mothers to pursue work and education opportunities. From humble beginnings in Kenya, Kidogo has grown into a movement that empowers women, strengthens families, and helps break the cycle of poverty. Their model is proof that investing in early childhood is one of the smartest and most sustainable ways to drive social change. Kidogo’s work has attracted support from leading funders including the Van Leer Foundation, Cartier Philanthropy, The ELMA Philanthropies, Echidna Giving, The LEGO Foundation, Dovetail Impact Foundation, Mulago, The Peter Cundill Foundation, among others. 👏 Celebrating Kidogo for their vision, innovation, and the lives they are transforming every day. Learn more 👉 https://www.kidogo.co/ #Philanthropy #Partnerships #SocialImpact

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One of the highlights of the IIRA conference was reconnecting with Amanda Weinstein from the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI). What I value most about these convenings isn’t just the content, but the chance to reconnect with people who are thinking deeply about how rural communities build real capacity — not just programs, but the conditions that help places navigate change over the long term. Conversations at IIRA, including with Amanda, reinforced for me how important place‑based approaches are right now — especially as rural communities face bigger, faster‑moving decisions that don’t always come with the time or tools needed to slow things down. Grateful for the reconnection, and for CORI’s continued work supporting rural leaders across the country. #RuralCommunities #PlaceBased

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Four opportunities that stay open year-round for African founders building climate and impact ventures. 🎯 DRK Foundation Funding | Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation 💡 DRK Foundation funds post-pilot, high-impact social enterprises with up to $300,000 and intensive capacity support. Applications are accepted year-round for scalable ventures in Africa and other priority geographies. 🗓️ Deadline: Rolling 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dg66GW9 🎯 Madica Investment Program | Madica 💡 A 12-18 month program offering up to US $200,000 in equity investment and mentorship for African startups led by women, local founders, or those outside major tech hubs. 🗓️ Deadline: Rolling  🔗 www.madica.vc/apply 🎯 Renew Venture Lab | Renew Capital 💡 A venture lab & investment pipeline for African tech-enabled startups, offering capital from $50,000 to $300,000, training, mentorship and investor access. 🗓️ Deadline: Rolling  🔗 https://lnkd.in/dJXnbj6Z 🎯 Sabou Capital Investments | Sabou Capital 💡 Investment fund targeting high-growth tech-enabled SMEs in West & Central Africa (e.g., agriculture, renewable energy, climate tech) with funding between $350,000 and $1.5M and strategic support. 🗓️ Deadline: Rolling  🔗 https://saboucapital.com/

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The TB burden is highest in rural and hard-to-reach communities, yet these areas receive the least attention and funding. At SAF-TESO, we work where TB hits hardest—amplifying community voices through TB story writing and storytelling, conducting grassroots research and active case detection, and leading community awareness and public health education. We address stigma using a rights-based approach, ensuring TB survivors are supported with dignity, while strengthening TB screening, treatment adherence, and care through community-based support services. Meaningful TB community engagement must move beyond big names and reach the grassroots organizations closest to patients. Investing in community-led responses is not optional—it is essential to ending TB.”

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Because over 70% of women and children in Malawi struggle to reach the nearest health facility for quality health care, at Njira Impact, through our Speed of Care model we provide emergency transport for women and children to access quality maternal and child health care within the first one hour of call. We work with Kabanza Girls (Women Riders) to transport women and children through motorcycle taxis. Women help fellow women and children to reach the nearest health facility while also earning income from motorcycle taxis business. We are disrupting a male dominated motorcycle taxi business by engaging women to enter the space, ride for health while also earning livelihoods.

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Thrilled to partner with Makerere University in co-developing the early childhood development and nutrition self-care modules In Halla Health as well as adapting the AI enabled companion for the Ugandan context!

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TibaSalama Digital Health Company is a social enterprise working alongside its sister NGO, Partners in Health Tanzania (PH-Tanzania), under a shared vision and leadership. Our collective efforts are focused on reducing maternal mortality, neonatal deaths, and improving the health and well-being of adolescent girls. We work in close collaboration with the Government of Tanzania and a wide range of partners, including organizations such as MARTI – Connecting Africa (https://lnkd.in/dP34HwM9), to ensure that Tanzania becomes a safe place to live—free from preventable maternal deaths and deaths among children aged 0–5 years. These efforts are long-term and sustainable, with a strong emphasis on strengthening community-level health systems. All interventions are guided by our flagship five-year strategic plan (2026–2030) known as the RCH Excellence Program (RCH-EP), which we aim to implement across Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. #TibaSalama #RCHExcellenceProgram #RCHEP #MaternalHealth #ChildHealth #DigitalHealth

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