From Seed to Scale - A Panel Featuring ZanaAfrica, Gates Foundation, and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development

On April 21, 2026 at the Marmalade Festival during Skoll Week in Oxford, ZanaAfrica joined leaders from philanthropy, education, and global health to explore one central question: What does it actually take to move from a promising idea to lasting, systems-level change?

The journey from seed to scale is rarely linear. While innovation is often supported at the pilot stage, far fewer resources are available to help proven solutions navigate the difficult path from evidence to government partnership — and from partnership to sustained national impact.

In this conversation, we share ZanaAfrica’s journey: building with girls at the center, generating evidence through a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with the Gates Foundation, and partnering with Government to deliver rights-based health education to adolescents in public schools across Kenya.

We also discuss how we are expanding access to adolescent health education and care through the Nia HealthLink chatbot and hotline, helping connect young people to trusted information, support, and services.

What we’ve learned is that scaling meaningful change requires more than validation. It requires long-term, flexible capital, deep and trusting partnership with Government, and a shared commitment to learning, adapting, and staying the course. Watch to learn more.