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In this blog post, we will reveal some of the amazing social blockchain projects in Africa, based on our cutting-edge research on Social BC Projects in Africa 📈. We will discover how they are leveraging blockchain to address some of the urgent issues and needs in the continent, such as identity, remittances, insurance, savings, credit, housing, and education 🙌. We will also celebrate some of the successes, opportunities, and challenges of these projects, and envision their potential to transform lives and communities in Africa 🌍.
Blog posts related to this post
• Digital ID and Decentralized ID (DID) Projects in Africa III: International Organizations and NPOs
• Access to Finance: Digital and Web3 Lending in Africa
Hope you enjoy reading the articles 😌🍎
Organization
Social Blockchain Projects
Kiva
Kiva Protocol, 2019, National DID, Sierra Leone
Partners: the Government of Sierra Leone, the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Kiva, a renowned nonprofit organization established in San Francisco in 2005, has been instrumental in promoting financial inclusion worldwide. In 2019, Kiva partnered with the Government of Sierra Leone, the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to launch the national decentralized ID in Sierra Leone. The system was built using Hyperledger Indy, Aries, and Ursa. Its eKYC verifies a customer ID in 5 seconds, and requires only a thumbprint and national ID number. It went live in 2019, ended on June 30, 2022.
Innovation Norway
Dignified ID (DIGID), 2019, DID, Kenya&Uganda
Partners: Norwegian Red Cross, Norwegian Refugee Council, Norwegian Church Aid, Save the Children Norway
Similarly, Innovation Norway, collaborated with humanitarian organizations like the Norwegian Red Cross, Norwegian Refugee Council, Norwegian Church Aid, and Save the Children Norway to introduce the Dignified ID (DIGID) project in Kenya and Uganda in 2019. By leveraging DID technology, DIGID seeks to provide digital identities to displaced populations, enabling them to access essential services and opportunities for socio-economic advancement. DIGID was published to Tezos blockchain, and provided cash assistance by DIGID in Kenya and Uganda.
Mercy Corps Ventures
Mercy Corps Ventures has also played a pivotal role in driving social impact through blockchain technology. Through their Crypto for Good Fund I to III, they provided innovative projects utilizing blockchain for good. Examples include stablecoin micropayments for digital workers in Kenya, digital ID for refugees in Uganda, affordable houseing through NFT sales in Mozambique and many more. Mercy Corps Ventures in partnership with various stakeholders including Celo, Appen, NiroBits, Corsali, Kotani Pay, Acre Africa, Etherisc, APA Insurance, and others, aims to enhance financial resilience among vulnerable populations.
Stablecoin Micropayments for Digital Workers, 2021, cross-border payment, Kenya
Partners: Celo, Appen, NiroBits, Corsali, Kotani Pay
Description: cross-border stablecoin micropayments for Kenyan youth completing digital microwork
Weather Index Insurance for Farmers, 2021, Insurance, Kenya
Partners: Acre Africa, Etherisc, MercyCorps AgriFin, APA Insurance, Ethereum Foundation, ChainLink
Description: smart contract-based weather index insurance with over 10,000+ smallholder farmers in Kenya
DeFi savings incentives for informal merchants, 2021, DeFi, Rwanda
Partners: Wasoko, IDEO Co Lab, Terra
Description: The application of DeFi incentives to motivate financially responsible behavior by microentrepreneurs. MSMEs received 1–2% rewards on their working capital, promoting a ‘savings’ mindset by offering tangible, risk-free incentives.
Digital ID for refugees, 2022, DID, Uganda
Partners: Coinbase Giving, CryptoSavannah
Description: Digital ID powered by blockchain, Crypto transfers to a blockchain-built wallet
Inclusive Digital Wallet for Urban Refugees, 2022, wallet, Uganda
Partners: SEMPO
Description: Co-developed a digital basic needs wallet (BNW) that allows users to redeem digital cash in exchange for basic goods such as rice, maize, flour, cooking oil, and soap at participating retailers and vendors.
DeFi-enabled Salary Advances for casual labors and smallholders, 2022, bond tokenization, Cameroon
Partners: Ejara
Description: Offer fractionalized government bonds in the form of savings plans to Cameroonian users directly on their app.
Buy-Now-Pay-Later Products for informal MSMEs, 2022, DeFi, Kenya
Partners: SimpliFi, Kwanza Tukule, UTU, Kotani Pay
Description: Leveraging decentralized finance (DeFi) to power a Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) product for small businesses, such as food vendors.
Affordable houseing through NFT sales, 2022, DeFi, Mozambique
Description: Affordable housing pilot powered by “RealFi” (tokenized real estate investment), testing the ability to use retail NFT sales to create liquidity for the provision of affordable housing units.
On-ramp to digital economy via airtime swap, 2022, Swap, Ghana, Zambia, Rwanda
Partners: Fonbnk
Description: Accelerate access to the digital economy, swapping prepaid airtime for digital currencies while training a new generation of users on financial literacy and Web3 skills.
Lemonade Foundation
Lemonade Crypto Climate Coalition, 2022, insurance, Kenya
Partners: Avalanche, Chainlink, DAOStack, Etherisc, Hannover re, Pula
The Lemonade Foundation, motivated by its dedication to utilizing rapidly advancing technology to tackle practical problems or issues faced by society or individuals, launched the Lemonade Crypto Climate Coalition in 2022 in Kenya. Partnering with organizations such as Avalanche, Chainlink, DAOStack, Etherisc, Hannover re, and Pula, this coalition harnesses blockchain-based insurance solutions to protect vulnerable communities from the adverse effects of climate change.
UNICEF Eastern and Southern African Regional Office(ESARO) and Generation Unlimited(GenU)
Yoma Project, 2022, DID, Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda
Partners: UNDP, GIZ, Generation Unlimited(GenU), RLabs, Fondation Botnar, Austrian Development Agency, Goodwall, atingi, African Coding Network, Umuzi, University of Geneva, DiDx
Furthermore, the Yoma Project, initiated by UNICEF ESARO and Generation Unlimited (GenU) in 2022, aims to deploy DID technology across multiple African countries including Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Burundi, Kenya, and Uganda. In collaboration with partners like UNDP, GIZ, RLabs, Fondation Botnar, Austrian Development Agency, and others.
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