Expanding the French West Africa Oureach Mission - Côte d'Ivoire & Togo

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Laurentine Djatsa

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

lodjatsa@gmail.com

Additional applicants

Dr. Malick Kone

Mr. Aime Nico Kam

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

4

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

No

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

Yes

[GENERAL] If NO, please describe which outputs are not going to be open source. If YES, please write “Project will be fully open source.”

Project will be fully open source.

[METADATA] Category of proposal

Regional Expansion

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

This is a follow up proposal on a funded project titled French West Africa Outreach that consisted of a series of workshops and conferences to reach the French West Africa communities. The first funded proposal focused on Senegal and Burkina Faso where two hubs have been established with the aim to educate the population about the blockchain technology and its opportunities for Africa. The impact was such that, aside the educational workshops we held through which I reached over 500 participants most of which joined the Catalyst communities (some of them summitted proposal in fund 9 under my guidance) and open wallets on Yoroi, We also had 10 developers of our community initiated to Plutus and Haskell development in collaboration with the Wada hub in Goma.

 

Based on the impact the first proposal had, I and my team found it necessary to expand the French West Africa Outreach to Cote d’Ivoire and Togo where we have already established some connections.

 

The French communities in Africa are full of great potentials but they lack a platform to express their innovative ideas because the existing platforms for innovation are not only inadequate, but they are restricted to a certain category of people in society and very centralized too. And we know that where the system is centralized, innovation is meaningless and most people never get to materialize their ideas for lack of opportunities. This limitation causes people to depend mostly on the government for jobs but, there is only a limited number of people who eventually get hired by the government yearly, leaving the rest stranded and waiting for the next governmental round of recruitment after a year. 

This project is targeting people of all professional backgrounds but with a particular focus on developers or programmers who could eventually expand their IT skills into blockchain development. I believe that great ideas will emerge from the activities my team and I will hold because we can already see the impact of the first project. Our community members are getting more and more innovative and in no time our goal to contribute to the development of the French Africa will come to pass as we believe that the Cardano blockchain is a place where people can come and have their minds challenged and reset to produce solutions to some major problems the African societies face. 

[IMPACT] How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

I chose to submit this proposal under Catalyst Open because I need a room to ensure the continuity of the proposal funded in Fund 8 under Scale Up Cardano Hubs. Our community members in Burkina Faso and Senegal, after hearing about Cardano Blockchain were eager to join the Catalyst Community and take on roles and we believe the same results will be seen in Togo and Cote d’Ivoire. 

Through this project:

1. The Cardano community in the French West Africa will enlarge thanks to our workshop sessions. I intend to train at 300 people in both countries.
2. people will have a clear understanding of blockchain and crypto currency and be willing to actively contribute to the Cardano ecosystem by taking up roles as we present the opportunity to them. Crypto currency as well as blockchain technology is still considered by many as a scam due to lack of information. I believe that with the right information spread, many will join the Cardano community and take on a role.
3. these communities will have access to great ideas as they navigate the projects on the Catalyst plaform, and this will help expand their innovative capacitiy and they will be able to participate actively to the ecosystem.
4. great ideas will emerge and eventually be turned into business opportunities and jobs offers, thus helping many to escape poverty and unemployment.

[IMPACT] How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

Success will be measured by:

1. The number of people registered in the Catalyst platform(during each of our worshops, we always insist that participants register.)
2. The number of Yoroi wallet opened and Ada holders(Education on Ada is an important part of our workshop topics).
3. The number of people willing to take on a role and the role they intend to play in the Cardano community. We will then guide them according to their roles because sometimes, people don't know where to start from when the join the Catalyst community.

[IMPACT] Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

I plan to hold 3 workshop sessions in each country(Cote d'Ivoire and Togo)

October

• Form a team: Burkina, Cote d'Ivoire and Togo;
• hold two online meetings to plan the worshops with the team;
• start social media advert for the first worshop in each country;
• Get the venue for our worshop booked for;
• Wrap up sessions with our resources persons to ensure everyone is on the same page.

1st week of November, 1st week of December 2023, and 1st week of January 2024:

• first, second and third workshops for Cote d'Ivoire
• we will expect at least 50 attendees per session each month.

2nd week of November, 2nd week of December 2023, and second week of January 2024:

• the first, second and their workshops for Togo
• we will also expect at least 50 attendees in Togo per session each month.

3rd week of January:

A separate session will be held for those who will potentially take over the hubs that we will establish. These volunteers will follow on the community members to ensure all their questions are answered.

Our workshop sessions will be organised as follows:

• History and evolution of the Cardano Blockchain and how it differs from the other blockchains
• The benefits of being an Ada holder
• Project Catalyst: What it is, how it works, and how to join and take on a role in the community
• Decentralised Finance and how it works
• An overview of some outstanding projects people have been able to implement through the Project Catalyst.

Travel arrangements:

Both Cote d'Ivoire and Togo share border with Burkina Faso where our hub is and travel arrangements will be done with ease.

All our worshops will be recorded and as we make sure the sound is good enough for others to watch and learn. Photos will be taken as well and shared on our various social platforms.

After the project, my team and I intend to write a booklet on the blockchain and crypto currency related temininologies in French. This is just an anticipation of what will come up next after the project is closed out. The booklet will feature some blockchain projects happening in Africa: those that failed and those that are still striving. It will show how Technology can be adopted in a more practical way in an African context regardless of wich sector we are operating in.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

After successfully completing two projects in fund 8 of which one has been closed out the other yet to close out, I am best suited to continue this project. I have trained trainers who have already started taking up the tasks. So far I have mobilized a total of over 500 participants during our various workshops in Burkina Faso and Senegal cumulatively.

 

I love to travel and I have visited and established strong relationships in many countries in the sub-regions, and that is what enabled me to organize the launching of the Senegal hub right from Ghana where Iived before moving to Burkina Faso.

I am an entrepreneur with good strategic leadership skills and I know how to identify opportunities and go for them. This skill helped me to have 10 developers from our community initiated to the Haskell and Plutus development even though that was not part of the planned activities of the funded project. I am ready to go an extra mile to have the work done and have it done well. 

Through my contribution to WADA Global and through my collaboration with other hubs namely the Ghana and Congo hubs, I have acquired a lot experience in the Blockchain technology.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

The main goal of this project is to continue my French West Africa outreach and replicate the impact of my first funded proposal in Cote d'Ivoire and Togo.

1. Expand the Cardano community in the French West Africa through our workshop sessions by training a minimum of 300 people in both countries in 4 months cumulatively.
2. give people a clear understanding of blockchain and crypto currency and enable them to actively contribute to the Cardano ecosystem by taking up roles as we present the opportunity to them.
3. Help these communities gain exposure to great ideas as we share with them some of the major projects taking place in the ecosystem, and we believe this will help expand their innovative capacities and they will be able to participate actively in the ecosystem.
4. great ideas will emerge and eventually be turned into business opportunities and jobs offers, thus helping many to escape poverty and unemployment.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

This is a four-month project that will consist of a month of preparation and organising, and 3 monthly workshop sessions in person in Cote d'Ivoire and Togo as well as online follow-up sessions.

By the end of October 2023:

• Two online meetings to plan the worshops with the Burkina, Cote d'Ivoire and Togo teams:
• start social media advert for the first worshop in each country
• Get the venue for our worshop booked for
• Wrap up sessions with our resources persons and blockchain experts from each of the countries to ensure everyone is on the same page. The blockchain expert will be either a leader of an existing crypto community or a professor for a university who is vested in in the blockchain concept.
• Make travelling arrangements
• Make refreshment arrangements for the first 2 workshops

Budget: 12700

By the end of November 2023:

 

• two workshops will have taken place in Cote d'Ivoire and Togo respectively.
• A minimum of 50 participants in each worshops would benefit from the training and be ready to join the movement. We will also ensure they open wallets on Yoroi and decide which role they would like to play in the ecosystem.
• preparation for the next two workshops
• Resource persons paid

Budget: 16900

 By the end of December 2023:

• Two other workshops will have taken place in Cote d'Ivoire and Togo respectively.
• A minimum of 50 new participants will attend each of the worshops and be prepared to join the movement. Partipants of the previous worshops will also be present for more insight.
• resource persons for the first workshop paid.
• preparing for the last two workshops

Budget: 16900

By the end of January 2024:

• The last two workshops will have taken place in Cote d'Ivoire and Togo respectively.
• A minimum of 50 new participants will be in attendance in each workshop and equiped to join the movement. Partipants of the previous worshop will also be present for more insight
• Overall at leat 300 people would have been reached through our workshops in both countries.
• 2 sep separate sessions will be held after the first worshops for those who will volunteer to lead the hub. These inviduals will follow up on community member who still have unanswered questions.

Budget:12700

 

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

A minimum of 300 people will be educated and onboarded through our workshops. Those will be majoratorily be constituted of trained developers, the unemployed as well as entrepreneurs who will readily join the community and eventually become very active. This will lead to an increase of Ada holders and the expansion of Cardano in the French West Africa.

All my activities will be documented and a report sent to the Catalyst team on a monthly basis. Documents will include photos, links to our videos uploaded on Youtube.

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Venue hire for 6 Workshops: 9600

Equipment rental (projector, speakers): 6000

Main speaker: 6000

Resource persons in both countries: 12000

Remuneration for the supporting team: 6000

Media(Video, flyers, banners, photos): 4000

Refreshment for 300 participants: 5000

wallet opening for 300 participants: 2 ADA each: 600

Travelling costs: 10 000

Total Cost: 59200

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

• Venue for 6 Workshops: 9600

This will cover the rental for 6 workshops(Cote d'Ivoire and Togo)

• Equipment rental(projector, speakers): 6000

This will also cover all 6 workshops

• Main speaker: 6000: As the main speaker, I will be present in person at all six events.
• Resource person in Cote d'Ivoire: 6000(2000 per workshop)
• resource in Togo: 6000(2000 per workshop)
• Remuneration for the supporting team: 6000

This person will assist with organising the workshop, putting down reports and other administrative work.

• Media(Video, flyers, banners, photos) 4000

This will be the responsibility of the community manager. This budget includes printing of banners, editing videos, as well as publicity on social media. The community manager will also receive an allowance from this amount.

• Refreshment for 300 participants: 5000

Refreshment will cost 16.5 Ada per participant

wallet opening for 300 participants: 2 ADA each: 600

• Wallet opening for 300 paticipants: 600

Each participant will get a wallet with 2 Ada.

• Travelling cost: 12 000

This cost will cover 3 return trips (burkina-cote d'ivoire-togo) as well as accommodation. These are neighbouring countries were I can travel to with ease.

Total Cost: 59200

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agreed to Fund10 rules and also that data in the Submission Form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.

I Accept