AfriChild Centre
AfriChild Centre is a Kampala-based non-profit research institution, founded in 2013, that generates child-welfare evidence for African governments, UN agencies, and NGOs through multi-method research, free open-access publications, and capacity-building programmes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersKampala, Uganda
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What AfriChild Centre does
AfriChild Centre is a Kampala, Uganda-based non-profit research institution founded in 2013, operating as a multi-disciplinary child-welfare research centre with a stated singular focus on the African child. The organisation generates primary evidence on early childhood development (ECD), child protection, child marriage, adolescent economic empowerment, and welfare systems, and translates that evidence into policy advocacy and capacity-building programmes for governments, UN agencies, NGOs, and academic partners across East Africa.
The core technology and platform layer centres on the open-access Knowledge Hub at hub.africhild.cloud — a digital repository hosting 120+ peer-reviewed papers, policy briefs, working papers, and reports organised across six thematic shelves (Care & Protection, Education & Development, Participation, Policy & Regulations, Survival & Health, Systems Strengthening). This is complemented by the AfriChild Forum online community platform, a 2,400+-subscriber newsletter, an annual Symposium, and a Speaker Series. Flagship research programmes include Kulea Watoto (ECD evidence in refugee and host communities), the STRYIDE evaluation (a multi-district youth economic empowerment study commissioned by UNICEF and UNCDF), the Inter-University Programme (research capacity-building across five Ugandan universities led by Makerere), the PPURE practitioner training model, and the Ubumwe 2.0 arts-based intervention study with Columbia University.
The business model is grant-funded and mission-driven rather than commercial. Revenue streams comprise multi-year grant funding from international development partners (UNICEF Uganda, ChildFund International, UNCDF), commissioned research and programme evaluations for UN agencies and government ministries (notably MGLSD Uganda), and fees associated with capacity-building programmes such as PPURE. All published research is free to access with no paywall or registration requirement. Distribution is achieved through direct institutional partnerships, the open-access Knowledge Hub, the AfriChild Forum community, and event-driven convening rather than through a sales-led motion.
AfriChild Centre firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AfriChild Centre
- Legal name
- AfriChild Centre
- Website
- https://africhild.or.ug
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- AfriChild Centre is a Kampala-based non-profit research institution, founded in 2013, that generates child-welfare evidence for African governments, UN agencies, and NGOs through multi-method research, free open-access publications, and capacity-building programmes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AfriChild Centre industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Non-profit Child Welfare Research Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (519), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Education Access & Quality (International Development) (BPAGABAE), Basic Education Access & Quality (Primary/Secondary) (BPADAKAA), Education Access & EdTech for Equity (Low-cost Learning, Skills Platforms) (BPAGALAH)
Keywords
Where AfriChild Centre is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kampala
- HQ country
- Uganda
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
AfriChild Centre business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Grant Funding: AfriChild operates primarily as a grant-funded research organisation, receiving support from international organisations and development partners including UNICEF Uganda, ChildFund International, and UNCDF.
- Commissioned Research and Evaluations: The organisation conducts commissioned research studies, programme evaluations, and technical reviews for UN agencies, government ministries, and NGO partners. Examples include the STRYIDE evaluation for UNICEF and UNCDF.
- Capacity Building Programmes: Training programmes such as PPURE (Policy and Practice Use of Research in East Africa) build evidence-use capacity among child welfare practitioners across Uganda and East Africa.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free open access to all research publications |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
AfriChild Centre product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AfriChild Centre is a multi-disciplinary child welfare research institution that generates evidence on the well-being of African children and translates it into policy and practice. It delivers commissioned research studies, independent programme evaluations, and capacity-building training for governments, UN agencies, NGOs, and academic institutions, while providing a free open-access Knowledge Hub housing 120+ peer-reviewed publications across six thematic areas.
Product overview
AfriChild Centre operates as a multi-disciplinary research institution offering a suite of child welfare research products and programmes. The core offering comprises the Knowledge Hub (a free digital repository of over 120 child welfare publications) and the AfriChild Forum (an online community platform). These are complemented by six flagship research and capacity-building programmes: Kulea Watoto (ECD research partnership), PPURE (evidence-use training), Speaker Series (knowledge exchange events), Inter-University Programme (university partnerships), STRYIDE Evaluation (youth empowerment assessment), and Ubumwe 2.0 (creative arts research). The centre does not offer commercial products but provides research services, evaluations, and open-access knowledge resources to governments, UN agencies, and civil society.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- AfriChild Knowledge Hub Free open-access digital repository hosting 120+ peer-reviewed papers, policy briefs, working papers, and reports on child welfare across Africa, organised across six thematic shelves (Care & Protection, Education & Development, Participation, Policy & Regulations, Survival & Health, and Systems Strengthening). Accessible globally without registration or paywall.
- Kulea Watoto Project Research and learning partnership serving as the research partner for a five-organisation consortium working to improve early childhood development outcomes for children aged 0–8 across Uganda, including refugee settlement communities. Generates evidence on ECD service quality, parenting interventions, and child-level outcomes.
- PPURE Programme Capacity building initiative training policymakers and practitioners across Uganda and East Africa in the use of evidence for child welfare decisions. Evaluated through pre/post assessments and longitudinal follow-up interviews; reached 312+ practitioners between 2018 and 2023.
- Speaker Series Expert-led knowledge exchange events bringing together researchers, policymakers, civil society leaders, and practitioners to translate child welfare evidence into actionable insights.
- Inter-University Programme Collaboration with Makerere University and four other Ugandan universities to build child-focused research capacity in higher education and develop the next generation of child welfare researchers and practitioners.
- Assessing STRYIDE Independent evaluation commissioned by UNICEF and UNCDF to assess the STRYIDE youth economic empowerment programme's impact on adolescents aged 14–20 across five Ugandan districts, informing national scale-up decisions.
- Ubumwe 2.0 Project Arts-based intervention study involving researchers, educators, and artists from the US and Uganda using creative methods to advance children's social-emotional development, resilience, and community belonging.
- AfriChild Forum Online community platform connecting researchers, practitioners, and child welfare advocates to discuss evidence, policy, and practice across Africa.
Quantifiable outcome
- 50,000+ children directly reached through AfriChild-led programmes and research partnerships
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use AfriChild Centre
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
AfriChild Centre technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
AfriChild Centre partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.
- UNCDF (UN Capital Development Fund)flagshipUNCDF co-commissioned AfriChild to lead the independent evaluation of the STRYIDE youth economic empowerment programme alongside UNICEF. The evaluation reaches 4,800 adolescents aged 14-20 across five Ugandan districts and has informed the decision to scale the programme nationally.
- Columbia University (CPC Learning Network)coreColumbia University's Care and Protection of Children (CPC) Learning Network collaborates with AfriChild on the Ubumwe 2.0 arts-based intervention study. Researchers from Columbia and AfriChild jointly produce publications showing measurable improvements in children's social-emotional development, resilience, and community belonging.
- UNICEF UgandacoreUNICEF Uganda partnered with AfriChild for its first major multi-year child welfare research programme focusing on ECD services in northern Uganda. The partnership has expanded to include Kulea Watoto consortium work, STRYIDE evaluation commissioning, and ongoing research collaborations across multiple child welfare thematic areas.
- ChildFund InternationalcoreChildFund International is a founding partner of AfriChild Centre, providing seed support for establishment in 2013. The partnership continues through the Kulea Watoto consortium where ChildFund is one of five organisations working to improve ECD outcomes for children aged 0-8 across Uganda. AfriChild serves as the research and learning partner for this consortium.
- Makerere UniversitycoreMakerere University is a founding partner of AfriChild Centre, collaborating on the Inter-University Programme to build child welfare research capacity across five Ugandan universities. The partnership also includes joint research publications with Makerere University School of Public Health on topics including child nutrition and COVID-19 impact on children.
- Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development Uganda (MGLSD)coreMGLSD is the primary government partner for AfriChild's child welfare research and policy work. AfriChild researchers are appointed to the Inter-Ministerial Working Group on ECD, directly influencing budget allocations. The partnership includes joint policy briefs such as the Ending Child Marriage in Karamoja publication.
- TPO Uganda (Transcultural Psychosocial Organisation)supportingTPO Uganda collaborates with AfriChild on child protection system mapping and child welfare programmes. The organisations partnered on the comprehensive mapping and functional analysis of Uganda's formal and non-formal child protection system.
- International Rescue Committee (IRC)supportingIRC is listed among AfriChild's trusted partners, collaborating on child welfare research and programmes across Uganda.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
AfriChild Centre competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Save the Children International: One of the largest international NGOs focused on children's rights and welfare globally. Comparable as a major international children's organisation working in child protection, ECD, and policy advocacy, though operating at vastly larger scale and combining service delivery with research.
- Child Trends: US-based non-profit research organisation exclusively dedicated to improving outcomes for children. Comparable in its dedicated child welfare research mandate and emphasis on translating research for policy and practice, though US-anchored and with a broader thematic scope.
- Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA): Dakar-based pan-African research organisation supporting social science research and doctoral training across the continent. Comparable as a longer-established African research institution with a continental footprint, though more oriented to academic capacity-building than direct child welfare research.
- UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti: UNICEF's dedicated research office producing global evidence on child wellbeing, including ECD and child protection. Comparable in producing child-focused research for policy and practice, though operating at global scale and embedded within a UN agency rather than as an independent African non-profit.
Direct peers
- ECD Network (Early Childhood Development Network): Network of ECD researchers and practitioners working to improve early childhood outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. Comparable in its ECD-focused research and translation mandate, with overlapping thematic concentration in ECD access and quality.
- Bernard van Leer Foundation: Dutch foundation focused on early childhood development globally, particularly for vulnerable children. Comparable in its explicit focus on ECD research, parenting interventions, and translation into practice - closely aligned with AfriChild's Kulea Watoto and PPURE programmes.
- BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD): Research arm of BRAC producing rigorous multi-disciplinary evidence on development challenges. Comparable in operating as a dedicated research institute embedded within a major INGO, producing evaluation and policy research relevant to development and humanitarian contexts.
- African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC): Pan-African, Nairobi-based non-profit research institute producing multi-disciplinary evidence on population, health and development across Africa. Directly comparable to AfriChild in its Africa-based, multi-disciplinary, grant-funded research model and UN/INGO partnerships.
- Young Lives (University of Oxford): Longitudinal study of childhood poverty and child welfare in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam. Comparable in producing rigorous, longitudinal evidence on child wellbeing in low- and middle-income country contexts, with a similar research-to-policy translation mandate.
Regional players
- Aga Khan University Institute for Human Development: East Africa-based research institute within Aga Khan University conducting research on child development and human development in low-resource settings. Comparable in its East African research footprint and focus on early childhood development, though embedded in a private university system.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
AfriChild Centre social profiles
Digital presenceAfriChild Centre financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AfriChild Centre leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
AfriChild Centre funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AfriChild Centre M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AfriChild Centre
What does AfriChild Centre do?
AfriChild Centre is a multi-disciplinary child welfare research institution that generates evidence on the well-being of African children and translates it into policy and practice. It delivers commissioned research studies, independent programme evaluations, and capacity-building training for governments, UN agencies, NGOs, and academic institutions, while providing a free open-access Knowledge Hub housing 120+ peer-reviewed publications across six thematic areas.
Is AfriChild Centre a public or private company?
AfriChild Centre is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was AfriChild Centre founded?
AfriChild Centre was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is AfriChild Centre based?
AfriChild Centre is headquartered in Kampala, Uganda, in the Africa region.
How does AfriChild Centre make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Grant Funding is the primary driver. The others are commissioned Research and Evaluations and capacity Building Programmes.
Who are AfriChild Centre's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Save the Children International, Child Trends, Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) and UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti. Direct peers are ECD Network (Early Childhood Development Network), Bernard van Leer Foundation, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) and Young Lives (University of Oxford). Aga Khan University Institute for Human Development is listed as a regional player.
Does AfriChild Centre have an API?
No public API is recorded for AfriChild Centre.
What industry is AfriChild Centre in?
AfriChild Centre's product category is Non-profit Child Welfare Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGABAG, Child Protection & Child Rights, with a secondary code of BPAGABAE, Education Access & Quality (International Development). Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8200.