Breaking Cycles: How Kenya is Supporting Teen Mothers With Outcomes-Based Financing

In Kenya, every year, more than 13,000 girls leave school because of pregnancy. Stigma, poverty, and a lack of childcare services leave these young mothers exposed to violence, early marriage, and poor health, locking families into generational cycles of exclusion and poverty. 

To help break that cycle, EOF, in partnership with Healthy Brains Global Initiative (HBGI), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the SDG Partnership Platform, is co-designing Outcome of Ambition, an innovative outcomes partnership supporting Kenya’s most vulnerable youth, especially out-of-school teen mothers. This initiative will open pathways to return to school, job placement, and entrepreneurship, all grounded in one simple principle: finance what works, not what’s promised. 

Kenya is a regional leader in social innovation, fueled by strong political will and high-performing service providers ready to drive real change. This month, EOF’s Head of Programme Development, Adriana Balducci, and Programme Manager, Joseph Di Silvio, met with key ministries such as the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, Ministry of Education, National Council for Population and Development, and the Council of Governors. 

They also participated in a roundtable with 15 leading service providers, alongside multilateral partners and donors, to explore how outcomes-based financing (OBF) can unlock opportunities for Kenya’s youth and support the country’s national priorities. 

This strong involvement from government, service providers, and global partners is building momentum for Outcome of Ambition, setting the stage for a new partnership focused on what truly matters for Kenya’s youth.