Financing

Child-Lens Investing

Kumwe Hub offers a variety of innovative finance mechanisms to businesses across Africa, ensuring they have the right financing to grow their impact for children.

The Right Capital at the Right Time

Seed Capital

Seed Capital grants given to small impact – focused businesses who need an injection of capital to grow their outputs, impact & profit.

No Interest Loans and Returnable Grants

Loans given to impact-focused businesses on the agreement that the full amount is repaid to Kumwe Hub.

Low Interest Loans

Loans given to impact-focused businesses where Kumwe Hub charges a lower or competitive interest rate compared to the market.

Impact Linked Loans

Loans given to impact-focused businesses where the interest rate reduces if certain (pre-agreed) impact metrics are achieved.

Equity

Direct financial investment as either a ownership of share of, or full an impact-focussed business done through our sister entity Save the Children Global Ventures

Some examples of our work

Health Financing

Supporting ‘Nurse-preneurs’ to provide high-quality, low-cost health facilities

Kumwe Hub is working with Rhiza Babuyile and with Ministries of Health to establish a network of low-cost, private health clinics focusing on maternal and child health in under-served communities. Concessional loans and technical assistance are provided to nurse entrepreneurs (‘Nurse-preneurs’) who run and own the clinics as local private businesses, keeping fees low and standards high.

ECD Financing

Supporting local providers to deliver affordable, high-quality ECD services

Early Childhood Development (ECD) services have the potential to transform lives. However, in Rwanda, where Kumwe Hub is based, and in many countries across East and Southern Africa where we work, considerable gaps persist in access to high quality ECD services. We offer 1) Low Interest Loans 2) A Package of Support including ECD excellence and business training, to enable local entrepreneurs, particularly women, to run ECD services in their communities.

0% Interest Loans and Recoverable Grants

Kumwe gives 0% interest loans and recoverable grants to businesses that have an impact on children.

In 2023 we joined forces with the Response Innovation Lab in Uganda to give funding to 5 Ugandan companies with a solution in health and nutrition.

Seed Capital Grants

Kumwe gives small amounts of funding to businesses when we think this money will enable them to increase the positive impact they have on children’s lives. We do not request repayment.

Recent examples include our Soma (Reading) Challenge grants; our Early Childhood Development Centres grants; and our Sexual and Reproductive Health grants.

Concessional Loans

Kumwe gives concessional loans to local businesses who are having an impact on children, families or young people.

An example can be seen here in our video of our ‘Ongazea’ Loans Programme.

Health Financing (Nursepreneur)

Are you an experienced Nurse or Entrepreneur interested in running a private low-cost health clinic focusing on child and maternal health in an under-served area?

Ongazea Loan Fund Cohort 2 Climate Funding

Kumwe Hub, in partnership with Inkomoko Capital, is launching the second batch of investments in start-ups and small businesses which make a positive difference for children and communities in Rwanda in the areas of environment and climate change.

Financing​