Kosi Africa

What Kosi Africa does

Kosi Africa is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2021 by Wycliffe Barasa and Tabitha Nyariki, operating under the fiscal sponsorship of Centre for Social Innovation NYC Inc. The organization is headquartered in Kenya with operational concentration in Busia County and additional presence in Nairobi, and runs a portfolio of roughly a dozen interconnected programs spanning education access (One Dollar Back to School), environmental education and income generation (EduGreen, Cords of Change), mentorship (Experience in Action Fireside Chat, EmpowerWave, Light that Candle, Kosi Global Exchange), leadership development for university students (Chipukizi, Kosiwise Kommunity), teacher wellness, and a monthly giving community (EduHope). Beneficiaries are primarily underprivileged Kenyan primary and secondary school students, with secondary beneficiaries including university students, teachers, and surrounding communities.

The underlying delivery model is community-led rather than technology-driven: programs are co-developed with partner schools and local organizations, and monetization occurs through a mix of individual donations (including $1/week recurring child sponsorship), tiered corporate sponsorship packages (Bronze through Platinum and Duma through Ndovu tiers ranging from $1,000 to $50,000), merchandise and seedling sales, and grants from institutional funders. Operations are supported by a lean team of approximately 14 staff and volunteers covering legal, fundraising, partnerships, creative, UI design, donor relations, and program leadership functions.

The business relies on multi-channel distribution including M-Pesa for Kenyan donations, Donorbox for global giving, an e-commerce storefront for seedlings and apparel, and direct school partnerships. Strategic backers include JPMorganChase Force For Good (which built the CRM infrastructure), Zurich Foundation, One Young World, and in-kind SaaS providers such as AWS, Google Workspace, Zoom, Canva, and Hotjar. The organization has stated a 2030 vision of developing 10 social impact projects creating 10,000 social impact leaders igniting 1 million candles, signaling an ambition to scale roughly an order of magnitude beyond current reach.

Name

Kosi Africa

Legal name

Kosi Africa

Website

https://kosiafrica.org/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kosi Africa is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2021 that runs education, environmental, mentorship, and leadership programs for underprivileged Kenyan students, teachers, and communities, primarily in Busia County, funded through donations, sponsorships, and product sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education Nonprofit Programs

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Access & Quality (International Development) (BPAGABAE), K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

Keywords

• Youth education programs
• Education access nonprofits
• School mentorship services
• Environmental conservation education
• Community development programs

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations through monthly giving programs (EduHope), one-time donations, and legacy giving through the Founder Candle Igniters program. Corporate brand partnerships and sponsorships provide additional funding.
2. Product Sales: Sale of EduGreen seedlings (indigenous trees for soil conservation, shade/timber, medicine and fruit), Kosi Apparel merchandise (hoodies), and Cords of Change handcrafted products (cardigans, crochet bags, mats, crochet outfits).
3. Corporate Partnerships: Brand partnerships with companies for education and environment initiatives, including sponsorship packages for school visit programs at various levels (Bronze through Platinum).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kosi Africa is a nonprofit organization that runs an integrated portfolio of education, mentorship, environmental conservation, and youth leadership programs primarily in Busia County, Kenya. The organization combines programs such as EduGreen, One Dollar Back to School, Cords of Change, EduHope, Chipukizi, Light that Candle, Kosi Global Exchange, Teachers' Wellness Program, Kosiwise Kommunity, EmpowerWave School Visit Program, and Experience in Action Fireside Chat to deliver educational access, vocational training, teacher support, and entrepreneurial development. Funding is generated through individual donations, monthly giving, corporate sponsorships, brand partnerships, and merchandise/seedlings sales.

Product overview

Kosi Africa is a non-profit organization operating as a unified platform of interconnected social impact programs rather than a traditional product company. The portfolio consists of multiple program offerings focused on education, environment, entrepreneurship, and mentorship. Key programs include: EduGreen (environmental education through tree planting), One Dollar Back to School (school fee funding), Cords of Change (craft-based vocational training), EduHope (monthly giving), Chipukizi Innovation Leadership Program (university student development), Light that Candle (mentorship network), Kosi Global Exchange (cultural exchange), Teachers' Wellness Program (trauma healing for educators), Kosiwise Kommunity (entrepreneurial community), and EmpowerWave School Visits (volunteer school mentorship). Additional offerings include Experience in Action Fireside Chat (leadership speaker series), Kosi Apparel (merchandise), and a Seedlings Marketplace. These programs are designed to work synergistically—education programs fund school costs while vocational training generates income, mentorship connects students with global leaders, and environmental initiatives create sustainable funding streams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EduGreen: Transforms public schools into decentralized indigenous tree enterprises, enabling students to generate income from seedling production while restoring ecosystems
• EduHope
• One Dollar Back to School
• Chipukizi Innovation Leadership Program
• Light that Candle
• Cords of Change
• Kosi Global Exchange
• Teachers' Wellness Program
• Kosiwise Kommunity
• Experience in Action Fireside Chat

Products and services

• EduGreen Tree-planting education program that transforms public schools into decentralized indigenous tree enterprises, enabling students to generate income from seedling production while restoring ecosystems. Designed for school communities in Kenya.
• One Dollar Back to School Campaign raising funds to keep children in school by donating one dollar (100 shillings) per week to cover exam fees and school costs for students in local Kenyan communities. Designed for underprivileged schoolchildren and their families.
• Cords of Change Craft-based empowerment initiative teaching underprivileged students practical income-generating skills including crocheting, knitting, bag making, and mat production to finance their education. Designed for students in Busia County, Kenya.
• EduHope Monthly giving community where donors contribute to support educational initiatives in underserved communities, with 100% of donations directed to education programs. Designed for individual global donors.
• Chipukizi Innovation Leadership Program Six-week online program equipping university students and recent graduates with skills in mindset, career guidance, financial literacy, global networking, leadership development, and social innovation. Designed for university-age youth and recent graduates.
• Light that Candle Mentorship network connecting young students with global mentors through coaching, learning sessions, and the Chipukizi program to guide their career journeys. Designed for young Kenyan students seeking mentorship.
• Kosi Global Exchange Cross-cultural exchange program connecting students, teachers, and volunteers from around the world with Kenyan schools through mentorship, environmental conservation, and community development. Designed for international volunteers and Kenyan school communities.
• Teachers' Wellness Program Six-week trauma healing journey for Kenyan teachers combining African wisdom with modern trauma-informed practices, developed in partnership with Optimal Performance Consultancy. Designed for Kenyan teachers facing secondary trauma.
• Kosiwise Kommunity Entrepreneurial community connecting fresh graduates with seasoned entrepreneurs through monthly founder dialogues, 1:1 mentorships, skill-building workshops, and network access. Designed for recent graduates seeking entrepreneurial development.
• EmpowerWave School Visit Program School visit mentorship program where volunteers visit schools to provide career guidance, personal development, tree planting, and educational support to students and teachers. Designed for school communities and visiting volunteers.
• Experience in Action Fireside Chat Speaker series hosting global leaders, changemakers, and entrepreneurs who share stories to inspire real change among young people. Designed for youth and broader community audiences.
• Kosi Apparel Hoodies and apparel merchandise where proceeds fund a full year of education for children in villages. Designed for supporters and donors seeking branded merchandise.
• Seedlings Marketplace Indigenous tree seedlings available for purchase (Acacia, Sycamore fig, Terminalia, Croton, Albizia, Milicia, Tamarindus, Persea, Mangifera, Citropsis) priced between KSH 200-850 per seedling, with proceeds supporting education. Designed for individual buyers, schools, and community planters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Transformed lives of more than 2,000 children in first year, indirectly impacting over 8,000 family members
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JPMorganChase Force For GoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForce For Good program helped Kosi Africa build an automated CRM system to amplify reach, improve efficiency, and make deeper impact in the lives of children across Africa.
• MOMO (Hope for Literacy Pencils)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHope for literacy Pencils partnership supports high-quality education for kids from low-income households. For every pack purchased, a pack of pencils is given to a less fortunate child.
• African Voice DialogueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership creates space for Africa's educators, learners and communities to be seen, heard and loved.
• Kushanda Digital Marketing AgencyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership aims to empower young, talented African youth by providing opportunities for virtual work, connecting skilled African youth with remote job opportunities.
• ZoomminorOthersProvides in-kind donations through video conferencing platform for Kosi Africa's virtual programs and mentorship sessions.
• Google WorkspaceminorOthersProvides in-kind donations of productivity tools for Kosi Africa's team operations.
• HotjarminorOthersProvides in-kind donations of user experience analytics tools for website optimization.
• CanvaminorOthersProvides in-kind donations of design tools for creating marketing materials and content.
• AWSminorOthersProvides in-kind cloud infrastructure donations for Kosi Africa's digital platforms.
• PercentminorOthersProvides in-kind donations supporting Kosi Africa's operations.
• Zurich FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting EduGreen program for environmental conservation and education initiatives.
• One Young WorldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting EduGreen program for environmental conservation and education initiatives.
• The BridgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2023, The Bridge funded tree seedlings and mentored at one of their primary schools, nurturing the environment and supporting education in the community.
• TesaasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTesaas partnered by sending staff for a two-day mentorship program for students and teachers, enhancing learning experiences and professional development.
• Optimal Performance ConsultancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership offers the 'Ukweli wa Mwalimu Mwenye Nguvu' (Teacher Who Has Strength) program - a 6-week trauma healing journey specifically designed for Kenyan teachers, combining traditional African wisdom with modern trauma-informed practices.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pencils of Promise: International nonprofit building schools and providing education access in developing countries including parts of Africa; comparable as a donor-funded education access organization focused on underprivileged children with similar volunteer and corporate partnership models.
• African Library Project: Small nonprofit focused on establishing libraries and improving literacy in African schools; similar scale and donor-funded model with comparable school-partnership delivery approach.

Broad incumbents

• Room to Read: Large established nonprofit operating literacy and girls' education programs across multiple developing countries; comparable mission and funding model (donations + corporate partnerships) but at significantly greater scale and geographic reach.
• CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education): International nonprofit supporting girls' education across sub-Saharan Africa including Kenya; directly overlapping geography and target beneficiary profile, with broader programmatic scope and longer operational history.
• Free The Children / WE Charity: International youth-focused nonprofit combining education access with leadership development; comparable dual focus on education and youth empowerment with similar volunteer-mentor driven model.

Regional players

• Ubuntu Education Fund: Nonprofit providing holistic education and health support to African children; comparable integrated service model and African focus though operating in Southern Africa.
• Moringa School: Kenyan-based education and workforce development organization; comparable geography and target demographic (Kenyan youth) but focused on technical/vocational skills rather than primary education access.
• African Leadership University: Pan-African higher education and leadership development institution; comparable leadership development mission (Chipukizi program parallels ALU's leadership focus) and African youth demographic.

Others

• Uwezo Fund (Kenya Government): Kenyan government initiative providing micro-funding to youth, women, and persons with disability; already partnered with Kosi Africa for seedling planting and shares overlap in Kenyan community development focus.
• One Young World: Global youth leadership organization already partnered with Kosi Africa; comparable in mission to identify and develop young leaders but operates as a summit/ambassador network rather than grassroots education programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kosi_africa
• Facebookfacebook.com/KosiAfrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kosiafrica
• Instagraminstagram.com/kosi_africa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kosi Africa