How Tech Innovation is improving Childcare in East Africa

Episode 7 - Entrepreneurs and Tech Innovation in East Africa

Following our #Tech4Good episode looking at how an entrepreneurial technology was making an impact in the UK, we now look at a second example - but this time a social enterprise based out of Kenya.

In today’s episode, hear about how the combination of Technology, training and out-of-the-box business process is improving the quality of childcare in East Africa.

Main Interview: Jannik Henriks - Managing Director of Tiny Totos

Host: Stuart McSkimming - Independent consultant and experienced CIO with over twenty years experience in the charity sector, working with Virtue Chain

Co-Host: Liz Gupta - General Manager at Brac Enterprises Tanzania

Listen at https://virtuevirtuosity.com, search for ‘Virtue & Virtuosity’ on your podcast player, or scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter for links to the latest episode on your chosen player.

But first… AI & Technology News This Week

Often I’m tempted to give over this slot to my teenage son - and ask him to point me at his favourite AI Tiktoks… but if we did we’d get stuff like this deepfake of Nigel Farage which has been doing the rounds. Not really AI - but more a relief that the quality of deepfakes is so low (or perhaps just the ones we’ve spotted!)

In actual news, in case you didn’t believe the AI hype, NVidia made it to being the world’s highest valued company largely around the processing power of its AI chips. Between the top three NVidia, Microsoft and Apple (in that order), they now have a combined value touching $10Trillion… more than any country in the world except USA and China. Reflect back on Karin Woodley CBE’s challenge from Episode 5 that big tech should be doing more to promote better use of AI in organisations that do good… and reflect that 1% of $10Trillion is still $100Billion. The potential for investment for good is significant.

Virtue & Virtuosity Episode 7: Tech Innovation in Child Care

In today’s episode we look under the surface at the role social enterprises plays in international development. We are lucky enough to have Liz Gupta, the General Manager of BRAC Enterprises Tanzania, as the co-host. We hear about how she is trying to create the ecosystem to enable social enterprise to flourish and support better childcare - ultimately aiming to improve educational outcomes. We hear about how technology is supporting this.

We then hear from Jannik Henriks who is the Managing Director of a social enterprise based in Kenya, and working across Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania. We hear how his organisation uses technology, process and training to enable childcare micro-businesses to offer higher quality services by removing the barriers to starting a business. We hear the benefits of a franchise model, alongside the challenges posed by multi-language, multi-currency, multi-calendar environments.

Coming up next week

We look back to big charities in the UK and hear from an expert who has worked with many of these organisations. We hear the lessons she has learned along the way… and also get her take on the challenges that leadership teams may face from AI.

Future Episodes

Can you believe we’re already approaching the end of Season 1 of Virtue & Virtuosity? At the end of July, we’ll take a break for the summer before Season 2 turns up in September (still waiting to hear if Netflix want to bid for it…)

But before that happens, in true Technology-team-style, we’re going to do a retrospective where we look back at lessons learned from the podcast. We already have several guests lined up for this final marathon episode - but would love to have more. Please get in touch if you’d like to contribute!

You can drop me a line [email protected], if you’d like me to showcase anything you’re doing on AI in your charity, if you have a suggestion to include in the newsletter, or if you have a great story to tell in the podcast.

Podcast Links

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(please ask if you think there is somewhere I else I should be publishing, and I’ll endeavour to add it!)

Guest Profiles

Tiny Totos is creating Africa’s largest network of quality, profitable childcare givers, helping vulnerable young children reach their potential during critical development years. Find out more in this video

As the Managing Director of Tiny Totos, Jannik Henriks is a visionary leader with a mission to leverage technology for tangible impact. With a decade of consulting experience spanning across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the organization. Jannik’s passion lies in creating innovative solutions at the convergence of technology, business, and people. He inspires and guides the team to drive collaboration, utilizing cutting-edge technology to elevate childcare services. Under his leadership, Tiny Totos continues to thrive, making a significant difference in the lives of children and families.

Liz Gupta assumed the role of General Manager at BRAC Enterprises Tanzania Limited (BETL) in January 2023, spearheading the establishment of an innovative ECD social enterprise in Dar es Salaam. Dedicated to revolutionizing the lives of 3-5-year-old children, she leads the delivery of cost-effective, high-quality, and scalable play-based ECD services. Prior to her tenure at BRAC, Ms. Gupta served as the Chief Operating Officer at Delina Oil and Gas Distributors Limited, overseeing operational efficiency and guiding expansion into the dry cargo transport market across East Africa. With over 15 years of experience in education, she has made significant contributions across Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, the UK, and South Africa. In volunteer roles, including Chairperson at Charlbury Pre School, she demonstrated adept oversight of policies, procedures, and budget management. Furthermore, as Programme Manager at Cecily’s Fund, she facilitated girls’ access to education in Zambia and managed institutional funding from major donors. Her tenure as Education Programme Manager for VSO Nigeria saw her develop strategic plans, secure program funding, and cultivate partnerships within the education sector. Presently, as Chairperson at the African Wild Dog Conservation Fund (AWCF) UK, she has played a pivotal role in achieving official charity status, recruiting trustees, and spearheading fundraising efforts for wildlife conservation, education, and community engagement projects in Zimbabwe. Ms. Gupta holds a Master’s degree with Distinction in Educational Planning, Economics, and International Development from the Institute of Education (UCL), complemented by a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from Kings College London.