How Shamiri Institute Reached 185,000+ Youth by Scaling and Learning Simultaneously

Anthony Waweru, Deputy Director, Shamiri Hubs

Most organizations working in global health face an impossible choice: build rigorous evidence or scale quickly. Traditional models demand you pilot, test, wait for approval, then scale. But by the time you get the green light? The world has changed. COVID-19 has landed, AI has disrupted your sector, and your funding landscape looks completely different.

Anthony Waweru, Deputy Director of Shamiri Hubs, presented a framework at Shamiri Summit 2025 that eliminates this false choice. The Dual Engine Framework lets organizations run rigorous RCTs and rapid optimization experiments simultaneously, learning while they scale instead of learning before they scale. The results: 185,000+ youth reached, 3,000+ providers trained, programs in multiple countries, all while maintaining 80% wellbeing improvements and building the evidence base that funders demand.

The Problem: Traditional Scaling Kills Community Organizations

The standard approach to intervention development follows a linear path. You pilot your program with 100 participants. You run an RCT. You write up the results. You submit for publication. You wait 18 months for peer review. You present findings to funders. You wait for approval. Then, finally, you scale.

This model worked when the world moved slowly. It doesn't work anymore.

The gap between evidence generation and real-world implementation has become a graveyard for effective interventions. Community organizations watch their proven models gather dust while waiting for the "right" moment to scale. Meanwhile, the communities they serve continue suffering from preventable conditions.

The question Anthony Waweru posed at Shamiri Summit 2025 cuts to the heart of modern implementation science: Does your organization learn to scale, or scale to learn?

The Dual Engine Framework: Two Systems Working Together

Shamiri Institute's answer is the Dual Engine Framework, a governance structure that lets organizations generate two types of knowledge simultaneously. Think of it as running two research operations in parallel, each with different purposes, different speeds, and different outputs.

Engine 1: The Evidence Engine (Rigor)

This is your traditional research pathway. Randomized controlled trials. Peer-reviewed publications. The gold standard evidence that funders and health systems require before adopting your intervention at scale.

When to use it: When testing core components of your intervention, the elements that are central to your theory of change and non-negotiable for producing outcomes.

Shamiri's example: Testing whether 18-22-year-old facilitators (instead of traditional therapists) can deliver group-based interventions that achieve 80% wellbeing improvements. This is a core component. You need hard evidence it works before you scale.

The output: Published RCTs, systematic reviews, meta-analyses. Evidence that positions you as an authority and builds trust with systems leaders and funders.

Engine 2: The Optimization Engine (Efficiency)

This is your rapid experimentation pathway. Quick tests that refine how you deliver your intervention within different contexts. A/B tests. Process evaluations. Implementation research that answers practical questions about delivery.

When to use it: When testing flexible infrastructure or implementation variables, elements you can adapt without changing core outcomes.

Shamiri's example: Testing whether sessions work better in schools versus community centers. Whether digital delivery produces similar engagement to in-person. Which training examples resonate best with local facilitators.

The output: Implementation insights, process improvements, context-specific adaptations. Knowledge that makes your intervention more efficient, more acceptable, and more sustainable.

The Three Zones: Knowing What You Can Change

The genius of the Dual Engine Framework is the governance structure. The three zones that tell you which engine to use and when.

Zone A: Core Components (Non-Negotiable)

These are the load-bearing walls of your intervention. Change them, and the whole structure collapses. They require the Evidence Engine, full RCTs before any modifications.

Think about the fundamental mechanisms through which your intervention produces outcomes. For Shamiri, this includes:

• The theory that young people can deliver mental health interventions effectively

• The group-based format

• The core therapeutic principles (growth mindset, gratitude, value affirmation)

• The brief intervention approach (4 sessions)

The rule: Zone A never changes without rigorous testing. This is your insurance policy. Everything proven to drive outcomes stays sacred.

Zone B: Flexible Infrastructure (Adaptable)

These are the design elements. The chandeliers, the paint colors. You can adapt them using the Optimization Engine without compromising outcomes.

Anthony Waweru used a perfect analogy at the summit. Look at the chandelier in any hotel. The proprietors could have chosen a different design, but they picked what fit their context and aesthetic. The chandelier doesn't hold up the building. It's infrastructure that can flex.

For Shamiri, Zone B includes:

• Whether sessions happen in schools versus community centers

• Digital versus in-person delivery

• Specific case studies used in training materials

• The examples facilitators use to illustrate concepts

• Training duration (10 days versus longer intensive programs)

The rule: Test Zone B changes with the Optimization Engine. Rapid experiments. Quick feedback loops. Adapt based on what communities tell you works.

Zone C: Implementation Variables (Locally Controlled)

These are the day-to-day operational decisions field staff make. They affect efficiency but rarely impact core outcomes. No research engine required, just good management and local decision-making.

For Shamiri, Zone C includes:

• Session scheduling (morning versus afternoon)

• Local transport logistics

• Which community leaders to engage first

• Snack choices for group sessions

• How field staff allocate discretionary funds

The rule: Empower local teams to make Zone C decisions without seeking central approval. Trust your field staff. They know their contexts better than headquarters ever will.

The Three Phases: Move, Improve, Scale

The Dual Engine Framework operates across three distinct phases in your intervention lifecycle.

Phase 1: Move (Prove)

Test your core idea using the Evidence Engine. Run the RCT. Get the hard data. Establish that Zone A components actually work.

Shamiri's approach: Rigorous trials showing 80% wellbeing improvements with non-specialist providers. Published in peer-reviewed journals. Built the foundation of trust with funders and health systems.

The investment: Time, resources, academic partnerships. This phase can't be rushed. Get Zone A wrong, and everything else fails.

Phase 2: Improve (Refine)

Use both engines to understand how the intervention works and how to improve it. Evidence Engine for any Zone A changes. Optimization Engine for Zones B and C refinements.

Shamiri's approach: Testing different training durations, digital adaptations, school versus community delivery, all while maintaining core fidelity. Learning what makes facilitators more effective. Understanding which implementation models reduce costs without sacrificing quality.

The insight: This is where you build the implementation knowledge that separates successful scale from failed replication. Most organizations skip this phase and wonder why their intervention doesn't work in new contexts.

Phase 3: Move (Scale)

Continuously learn as you scale across borders. Use the Optimization Engine heavily to refine processes for maximum efficiency while keeping Zone A sacred.

Shamiri's results: 185,000+ youth reached, 3,000+ providers trained, programs in Kenya, Tanzania, and beyond. All while maintaining evidence of impact and building the case for further expansion.

The advantage: By the time you reach Phase 3, you know exactly what must stay fixed (Zone A) and what must adapt (Zones B and C). You scale with confidence, not guesswork.

Why Communities Want You to Adapt

Here's what traditional evidence models miss: Communities don't trust cookie-cutter programs. They've seen too many interventions designed in Western universities that ignore local realities.

When organizations show they respect local context while maintaining quality, uptake skyrockets. Field staff feel empowered. Community leaders become champions. Beneficiaries actually attend sessions.

The Dual Engine Framework gives you permission to adapt, but with guardrails. You're not compromising evidence. You're building context-specific knowledge that makes your evidence more relevant, more actionable, and more likely to be sustained.

The Bleeding Edge Opportunity

Organizations that master the Dual Engine Framework gain first-mover advantage in emerging areas. Like fashion trend forecasters, they can predict what's coming next and build evidence before others recognize the opportunity.

Shamiri's bet on task-shifting mental health to young providers (18-22-year-olds) was bleeding edge when they started. Low funder interest. Skepticism from traditional mental health systems. But they built the evidence. Now? It's becoming the model everyone wants to fund.

The lesson: Zone B innovations can become Zone A breakthroughs if you're strategic about evidence generation. Don't just adapt, document. Don't just optimize, publish. Build the case that positions your organization as the authority when the world catches up.

Key Takeaways for Practitioners

Map your zones: Conduct an honest assessment of which components are Zone A (non-negotiable), Zone B (adaptable), and Zone C (operational). Get leadership alignment on these boundaries.

Invest in both engines: Don't abandon rigorous research. Don't ignore rapid optimization. You need both to scale sustainably.

Empower field teams: Give local staff authority to make Zone C decisions and propose Zone B adaptations. They're closest to implementation realities.

Document everything: Zone B optimizations and Zone C learnings are valuable knowledge. Capture them. Share them. They might become your competitive advantage.

Trust the framework: When funders push for changes, ask which zone they're targeting. Protect Zone A fiercely. Flex on Zone B and C strategically.