About Us

Our
Mission & Values

To provide safety, education, and nutrition to every child every day, and to educate and empower local communities. 

The name Kumbatia means "a warm embrace" in Kiswahili. We strive to embody this name in our work and embrace the community of Mshomoroni. In Kenya many girls become pregnant between the ages of 9-16 and, in turn, are forced to drop out of school. Through our partnerships with local schools, we work to target these girls and provide them with the option to return to school. We offer counseling to the mother, as well as help switching schools if needed to ensure they feel safe and empowered returning. By offering them free childcare during the hours they are in school, we provide peace of mind, knowing that their children are safe and will still be there when they come home. We also work with single and widowed mothers who have no one to help them care for their children but need to return to work so they can feed their family. Many women in the slums are forced to leave their babies at home either with siblings, or neighbors and there is no assurance that the baby is actually being cared for. By giving women a safe place to leave their children, we provide sustainability in local homes, as well as reduce the rates of trafficking and abandoned children. We also ensure that school aged siblings are attending school and that the families are safe and healthy. 
We also provide women's empowerment courses that range from classes on hygiene, childcare, and finances, to more advanced skills like tailoring and beadwork. We work with local women to produce items such as blankets, pants, bags, and jewelry which are then sold both locally and internationally with 100% of the proceeds going back to the women as well as helping fund Kumbatia. Through this program we hope to empower local women and help them reach their full potential of a well educated and sustainable lifestyle. 
At Kumbatia we value education, empowerment, friendship, and community among so many other things. We employ an all Kenyan staff, and work to maintain close relationships with community leaders, as well as local families. Your donations go directly to our projects to help maintain the daycare, as well as women's empowerment projects. We are so grateful for your support, and hope someday you will visit Kenya and see just how much of a difference you are making. Asante sana, tunakupenda! (Thank you very much, we love you!)

How We Started

In 2018 our founder and CEO, Kylie McMorris spent 6 months living in an orphanage in Kenya and working in local slums. During her time there she noticed a lot of corruption and abuse in childcare facilities. She also saw a common problem in the slums; children being left alone. After a lot of time spent going from house to house talking to people, and asking about their fears it was confirmed that there was one common fear amongst almost every woman living in the slums: the safety of their children. Most families can barely afford to eat, let alone pay for childcare, so when they go to work they must leave their children alone or take them along to dangerous worksites with harsh conditions. It was commonly said that the entire time they were away at work the women would fear that when they came home their children would not be there. Hearing this was heartbreaking for Kylie, so she came home and got to work. She started with a U.S. based nonprofit called Pour Overs With Purpose. In partnership with her parents' coffee shops, she sold coffee from around the world and took donations in hopes of helping the children in Kenya. In 2020 this dream became a reality when there was enough money to buy a small house near Mshomoroni slum. Thus, Kumbatia was born. At Kumbatia our goal is to make sure that every child knows they are safe and loved, as well as to help build up the local community and develop tight knit relationships with the families. By employing only Kenyans, and constantly checking in with people to make sure that our projects are helpful and efficient, we hope to embrace the culture and community of Mshomoroni and ensure that Kumbatia sticks around for many years to come. 
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