Engaging French-speaking university students in a blockchain knowledge competition to boost their participation in the ecosystem

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Laurentine Djatsa

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Individual

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

3

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

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

The initiative involves a three-round blockchain knowledge competition designed to actively involve university students in Burkina Faso in order to ease their integration into the Cardano ecosystem.

[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] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

Any content that will be created during the execution of the project will be shared either o our Youtube channel or our blog for everyone to access them freely.

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

This project serves as a continuation of the previously funded proposal titled "French West Africa Oureach" in Fund 8. Reflectin on the impact and the number of students mobilized and onboarded, my team and I observed a heightened interest and decided to take furuther steps to enhance their confidence and encourage more active participation within the ecosystem.

During the project's execution, I identified a significant language barrier and subsequently incorporated a language training center into our hub. To date, we have successfully trained over 100 individuals this year. Many of them, initialy unfamiliare with English, can now comprehend and engage on a certain level.

as part of of our efforts, we organised a ten-week Haskell and Plutus course for 10 of the developpers who are members of our hub. This training proved highly successful, and two of our developers paricipated in an interview for a six-month mentorship with Lido Nation. Although one secured the mentorship, language proficiency became a hurdle, leading to six-month English improvement requierement for continued participation. This incident promted me to initite English training for our community members.

In order to deepen their understanding of blockchain and enable them to contribute actively to the Cardano community, I conceived the idea of Blockchain Knowledge Contest. A recent English contest in our hub yielded promising result, with increased interest in the language. We believe that this Blockchain Contest in English will not only enhance participant's knowledge of the blockchain technology as their English proficiency improves, but it will also instill the confidence to interact seamlessly in the Cardano Community.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community.

The project effectively takles the challenge by encouraging numerous students to take on the challenge, and this will result in increased onboarding and enhanced engagement within the Cardano ecosystem. This in turn will contribute to expanding the impact of the Cardano blockchain in the French speaking communities in West Africa.

Anticipating a minimum of 50 registrations for the contest, each round will invite 100 attendees to support candidates. these candidates will become a secondary target audience(more surely the largest) as there will be a dedicated session during each round to present the Cardano Blockchain, encouraging them to join the community.

The competition structure involves monthly rounds, commencing a month after the project launch. Trainin sessions, led by one of our English teachers and myself, will include discussions on blockchain-related topics and updates in the Cardano blockchain technology, ultimately fostering the confidence to actively engage in the Cardano community by assuming various roles.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Having successfully completed and closed two projects in fund 8, I am well-positionned to continue and spearhead this new initiative. Leveraging my experience, I have trained capables instructors who have commenced their responsibilities. Accross various workshops in Burkina Faso and Senegal, I have mobilized and onboarded over 500 participants. In Burkina Faso, our Cardano hub boasts a language center dedicated to teaching English, and our recent English contest, with 21 participants accros three rounds, was highly succesful, culminating in rewarding three winners.

Aslo, as an entrepreneur with strong strategic leadership skills, I excel in identifying and pursuing opportunities. This ability was evident in initiating ten developpers from our hub into Haskell and Putus developement, a venture that wasn't initially part of the funded project's plan. I am committed to going the extra mile to ensure tasks are not only completed but completed with excellence.

Finaly my involvement with WADA Global and collaboration with other hubs, namely the Ghana and Congo hubs, in the capacity of a French translator/interpeter, has enriched my understanding of blockchain technology in general and the Cardano blockchain in particular. This experience prositions me to navigate the intricacies of the blockchain space effectively.

[Project Milestones] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

The project will run for 4 months and the details are as follows:

Month 0

• forming a team
• announcing the competition, communication
• Recruiting contestants through a test: up to 50 people

Month 1

• 5 sessions of training and discussions around Blockchain related topics(in English) and especially the Cardano blockchain: 10 hours
• 1st round of the competition

25 people will qualify for the second round.

Aside the candidates(50 at this stage), there will be attendees who also learn about Cardano blockchain.

Month 2

• 5 sessions of training and discussions around Blockchain related topics(in English) and especially the Cardano blockchain: 10 hours During this session, we will still have our 50 candidates in attendance.
• 2nd round of the competition

aside the candidates(25 at this stage), the other 25 eliminated will be expected to be present and there will be other attendees who will also learn about the Cardano blockchain. I will expect about 20 new attendees at this stage

10 candidate will qualify for the final round.

Month 3

• 4 sessions of training and discussion around Blockchain related topicsand(in English) especially the Cardano blockchain: 8 hours
• A contest between those who have been eliminated in the first two rounds. The result will be announced on the final day of the main competition.
• final round of the competition

3 winners and three prizes:

1st winner: 500 Ada

2nd winner: 300 Ada

3rd winner: 200 Ada

Winner of the group of eliminated candidate: 100 Ada

At the final round, we will expect about 50 people in attendance

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Aime Nico Kam: A student delegate at the Nazi Boni University department of Law( and a volunteer at our Cardano hub in Burkina(Inkuba) as administrative assistant. he has occupied various positions in several students association.

Nico has been a member of the Catalyst Community and an active member of the Cardano Burkina Hub(Inkuba) since February 2022. He got trained and became a trainer and started making presentations during our workshop sessions, educating people on the Cardano Blockchain, its opportunities, how to write and submit project on Catalyst ect. He is a francophone with a working knowledge of English.

Mr. Kojo Darkwa: English Tutor and quiz master(during the English contest our hub organised)

Mr. Kojo Darkwa: English tutor with 5 years of experience in English teaching and with an extraodinary capacity as a quiz master: He was in charge of the academic aspect of our English contest and it went very well. He is also very appreciated by our students for his creative approach and teaching skills. He also has a good knowlege of the blockchain technologie.

Tony Nwachuku: English tutor in our hub

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

• Venue: 6000
• Equipment rental(projector, speakers, microphone)4000

My team and I will need to rent out a projector, speakers and microphones to make the event

successful.

• media(banners, flyers, communication, t-shirts ) 8000
• Organising team remuneration(made up of 6 people): 20000

reward for the three winners: 1050

Three winners will be rewarded:

1st winner: 500

2nd winner: 300

3rd winner: 200

Winner of the group of eliminated candidates: 100

Total: 40000

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

• Venue to hold the 3 rounds of the competition: 6000
• Equipment rental(projector, speakers, microphone)4000

My team and I will need to rent out a projector, speakers and microphones to make the event

successful.

• media(banners, communication, t-shirts ) 8000

We will print t-shirts for the organising team as well as all 50 candidates. This budget also incluses the printing of banners as well as commnunication on social media.

• Organising team remuneration(made up of 6 people): 20000

The team will include: The team lead, our two English tutor, our administrative assistant, a photographer and a video editor.)

reward for the three winners: 1050

Three winners will be rewarded:

1st winner: 500

2nd winner: 300

3rd winner: 200

Winner of the group of eliminated candidates: 100

Total: 40000

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agrees to Fund 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