MineFreeUkraine: Cardano-based DeFi Platform for Large-Scale Humanitarian Demining and Socio-Economic Recovery of Ukraine

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Yosef Akhtman

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

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Co-proposers and additional applicants

Vadym Lysenko

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

9

[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)

Cardano-based on-chain information management and DeFi platform for reporting, coordination and financing for large-scale humanitarian demining action and socio-economic recovery in Ukraine

[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 dependancy

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

No

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

The platform will not be open-sourced as security of the platform and the sensitive data will have a paramount priority.

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

MineFree platform is a systemic solution for rapid large-scale humanitarian demining of Ukrainian territory, including collection and management of documentation and geographic information, planning of demining operations, as well as a platform for distributed financing and support of humanitarian demining action by the international community. Our mobile MineFree system currently has over 50,000 registered active users and helped locate and clear over 25,000 war-related hazards by the Emergency Services of Ukraine.

MineFree platform is a systemic solution for rapid large-scale humanitarian demining of Ukrainian territory, including collection and management of documentation and geographic information, planning of demining operations, as well as a platform for distributed financing and support of humanitarian demining action by the international community.

300,000 square kilometres of Ukrainian land (equivalent to almost the entire area of Germany) are contaminated by mines and explosives, as a result of large-scale military invasion. Full demining of affected territories will take many years and billions of dollars to complete, but the rapid and effective demining of critical infrastructure and agricultural land in the coming months can play a critical role in the socio-economic recovery of Ukraine.

As of June, 540,000 items of unexploded ordnance have already been cleared, but making Ukraine safe is a difficult and very expensive long-term prospect. Almost 10.7 million people are in need of mine action services, according to UNDP. The World Bank estimates that the full demining package will cost more than $37 billion. 

From "Demining Ukraine": https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/07/1138477

Ukraine is one of the leading exporters of agricultural produce including #1 in Sunflower Oil (46% of Global exports) and #3 in Rapeseed (20% of Global exports). Many of the world’s major international corporations, particularly in the food sector depend on these supplies. At present, it is estimated that 30% of agricultural land in Ukraine will not be cultivated this year due to occupation, military operations, mines and lack of fuel. This will have a significant impact on food markets for years to come, including potential significant food shortages in the near term.

It is expected that major financial organisations and international corporations shall become a source of significant financial support intended to both expedite the socio-economic recovery of Ukraine itself, as well as help resolve global food-shortages and restore vital supply chains and markets that these organisations and their businesses depend on. Every dollar invested in demining today will save hundreds and thousands of dollars of economic damages in the coming years.

https://www.globsec.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/Demining%20in%20Ukraine%20report%20ver5%20web.pdf

Our Mission: Help rapid socio-economic recovery and rebuilding of Ukraine from the horrors and destruction inflicted by the large-scale invasion. Providing lifesaving information to the citizens today and capturing information that will enter into the history books of tomorrow.

The proposed information management and DeFi platform will form an integral part of a major 5-year programme that will be carried out in close collaboration with the State Emergency Services of Ukraine to deploy a systemic solution for rapid large-scale humanitarian demining of Ukraine that will also include recruitment and training programme for demining personnel, as well as the development and deployment of autonomous demining equipment.

 

Specifically, as part of the proposed project we will develop and deploy a comprehensive information system for reporting, collection of data, planning of demining operations, removal of threats and clearance of contaminated land, as well as certification of cleared territories for civilian use.

The envisioned reporting and information management system will comprise three main components:

1: Mobile application for civilian crowd-sourced reporting, mapping and tagging of suspicious objects, including remains of machinery, ammunition, mines or suspected mines, as well as potential human remains, or military personnel-related item. Already deployed and has 50,000 active users

The submitted reports will be accompanied by automatically generated geolocation information that would dramatically simplify the collection and assimilation of relevant information. The reports will be identified by the user’s mobile number providing a mechanism for authentication, security, protection against misuse, as well as mechanism for potential communication with the reporting user. 

The mobile application will also include educational material that will inform the public about the extent of affected territories, presence of potential threats and instructions pertaining to the safe conduct in affected areas. Users will be able to check whether particular locations are safe for civilian activity and will receive automated alerts in case of proximity to zones of danger. The users will further receive an acknowledgement of their submissions and the subsequent updates on the status of their reported locations, providing incentive for active reporting of suspected objects. 

2: Centralised database for management of geospatial and contextual data, including an interface for reception and approval of incoming reports as well as an interface for planning and deployment of demining operation

The system will provide an infrastructure for blockchain-based distributed financing of humanitarian demining action, where the international community and the general public will be invited to engage and contribute financial support of the demining action. Specifically, platform will provide the following functionality

• Collection of philanthropic donations in support of humanitarian demining action
• Reporting of up-to-date information regarding the progress of the demining operations
• Donors, including global financial institutions, international corporations, as well as the general public will be able to to financially support the demining of a specific area of land, as well as track the progress of the demining action
• In the case of agricultural land, field boundaries will be provided that will allow for the support of demining action of a specific field, and subsequent tracking of agricultural activity on that field
• Local communities and farmers will be able to engage the international community and the general public to mobilise financial support for local demining action
• Donors will be able to engage directly with the land owners provided the consent of the owners
• Accountability and transparency reports on the use of finances

3: Mobile application for use by demining professionals for in-field mission planning, reporting and certification of cleared territories

• GIS-based mission planning and coordination
• Automation and digitalisation of reporting
• On-chain tracking of documentation and certification
• Transparency and accountability of demining action-related financial transactions

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

The proposed system will showcase a quality Dapp with rapidly scalable adoption and immense socio-economic significance and will position Cardano as a leader in impact and government blockchain applications. The system will demonstrate effective integration with existing National Government Systems, including GICHD Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) and Digitalisation of Public Services of Ukraine (DIA). The system will further demonstrate a strong use case for impact DeFi infrastructure.

The envisioned system will significantly improve the efficacy of humanitarian demining action in Ukraine, reduce the risk of further loss of life, increase confidence of the population and the agricultural professionals in particular, and accelerate the socio-economic recovery of Ukraine. It will allow for effective coordination between multiple state-funded and private demining operators, as well as provide an additional source of financial support for demining action.

Furthermore, the proposed system will increase the awareness of the public to the threats of mines and military conflict-related debris, provide a platform for discrimination of educational material and best practices for conduct and rules of personal safety in the danger zones, where many Ukrainian civilians are now forced to carry out their everyday activities.

The system will further maximise visibility, accountability and transparency of the nation-wide humanitarian demining action that will increase the confidence of the potential donors in the efficacy and positive impact of their support, thus helping the mobilisation of the required financial resources.

The mobile interface for demining personnel will help streamline reporting and certification of cleared territories by reducing the heavy load of existing pen-and-paper reporting methodology.

The broader scope of our 5-year programme is aiming at reaching the rate of 20 ha per day per team for clearance of agricultural land by the end of the first year of operations. Our objective over the entire 5-year period is to make a significant contribution to the clearing of 300,000 ha of agricultural land that will unlock EUR 100M worth of annual agricultural production, or equivalent to 3.2MT of wheat sufficient to feed 40 million people.

We aspire to work with the leading global experts in humanitarian demining, such as GICHD (https://www.gichd.org/en/) to extend the scope of the project beyond the current conflict in Ukraine and provide technological infrastructure for humanitarian demining action worldwide.

[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?

The success of the project will be measured as follows:

1. Performance criteria: The project has set specific targets for different time periods, such as six months and one year. These targets include the number of installations of the MineFree mobile application, the number of reports of suspicious objects, the area demined and certified using the MineFree platform, and the demining action area funded through the MineFree DeFi platform. These performance criteria will track the progress and impact of the project.
2. User engagement: The number of installations of the MineFree mobile application and the number of reports submitted by users will indicate the level of engagement and adoption of the platform. Increasing user participation and reporting will be an important measure of success.
3. Feedback and user satisfaction: Gathering feedback from users, including both civilians and demining professionals, will provide insights into the usability and effectiveness of the platform. Positive feedback, user satisfaction, and constructive suggestions for improvement will be indications of success.
4. Public awareness and educational impact: The success of the project will also be evaluated based on its ability to raise public awareness about the threats of mines and military conflict-related debris. The dissemination of educational material and best practices for personal safety in affected areas will contribute to enhancing public knowledge and safety.
5. Financial impact: The success of the DeFi platform component will be measured by the amount of philanthropic donations collected to support demining action. The platform's ability to provide transparency and accountability in financial transactions related to demining efforts will also be an important measure of success.
6. Alignment with project roadmap and milestones: The project has defined a detailed plan and timeline with specific milestones and deliverable. Meeting these milestones and delivering the planned outputs within the allocated timeframes will be an indication of progress and success.

By tracking these metrics and evaluating the project's ability to achieve its goals and targets, the team will be able to measure the success of the project and assess its impact.

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

System components updates to the existing MVP for Product release (2 months)

Tasks/Activities:

• Client interface
• API backend
• Indexer backend
• Smart contract (for hash saving)
• Monitoring

Timeline: 2 months

Success Criteria:

• Stable complete system ready for public release
• Completed testing with selected stakeholders

External services updates for the existing MVP for Product release (2 months)

Tasks/Activities:

• File storage (Infura IPFS)
• AWS (Cognito, Aurora, Lambda, ECS, Load Balancer, ApiGateway, Amplify, ec2, Cloudwatch)
• Decentralized blockchain (BSC)
• Stripe(Fiat payment system) - provide bank cards processing and other fiat operations
• TheGivingBlock(Crypto payment systems) - provide crypto operations
• Mapbox
• GitHub organization

Timeline: 2 months

Success Criteria:

• Stable complete system ready for public release
• Completed testing with selected stakeholders

Updates to the Micro-financing Infrastructure for Humanitarian Demining Operations (2 months)

Tasks/Activities:

• Ledger for site management
• Ledger for site reporting
• Ledger for site certification

Timeline: 4 months

Success Criteria:

• Micro-financing infrastructure implemented
• Ledgers for site management, reporting, and certification established

Cost: ₳60,000

Updates to the Mobile Application for Demining Professionals (2 months)

Tasks/Activities:

• User management and authentication
• Mission planning
• Mission reporting
• Site certification

Timeline: 3 months

Success Criteria:

• User management and authentication implemented
• Functionality for mission planning, mission reporting, and site certification developed
• Mobile application tailored for demining professionals

Cost: ₳60,000

Deployment and In-field Testing (1 months)

Tasks/Activities:

• Internal deployment and testing
• Limited deployment with stakeholders and testing
• Public deployment and testing

Timeline: 2 months

Success Criteria:

• Public deployment and testing of the platform

Cost: ₳40,000

Compile a comprehensive project completion report and create a video demonstration of the project. (1 month)

Success Criteria:

• Project completion report includes documentation of all implemented features, technical specifications, and user guides.
• Video demonstration showcases the functionality of the system, including data ingestion, NFT generation, blockchain integration, and API usage.
• Both the project completion report and video meet quality standards and are ready for dissemination to stakeholders.

Cost: ₳10,000

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

The project team for the proposed MineFree platform includes the following members:

Vadim Lysenko

• Role: Treasurer and Marketing & Product Manager
• Experience: Vadim has comprehensive experience in directing marketing and product strategy, business development, and customer management in various fields such as data analytics, commodity trading, and FMCG.
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vadymlysenko/

Yosef Akhtman

• Role: Scientist and Founder
• Experience: Yosef has in-depth expertise in Geo-Information Systems, Remote Sensing, and Machine Learning. He has founded research companies focused on Earth Observation and remote sensing technologies for applications in environmental monitoring, precision farming, and demining.
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akhtman/

The team is also planning to collaborate with the following organizations:

The State Emergency Services of Ukraine

• Role: Collaboration and supervision of demining operations
• Experience: The State Emergency Services of Ukraine is a professional demining team with expertise in humanitarian demining and emergency response.
• Website: [The State Emergency Services of Ukraine](https://dsns.gov.ua/en)

The project team has engaged and collaborated with the State Emergency Services of Ukraine for the implementation of demining operations. Additionally, the team has experience and expertise in relevant fields such as marketing, product management, Geo-Information Systems, and remote sensing.

In addition to the core team, the project will collaborate with the following external resources:

Axicube: A web design UX/UI agency that will be responsible for the design of the web portal for data visualization and access. Website: https://axicube.io/

INC4: A software development company specializing in Web, DeFi, blockchain and GIS development. They will be responsible for the software development of the web portal. Website: https://inc4.net/

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

Milestone 1: System components updates to the existing MVP for Product release (₳20,000)

• Client interface
• API backend
• Indexer backend
• Smart contract (for hash saving)
• Monitoring

Milestone 2: External services updates for the existing MVP for Product release (₳20,000)

• File storage (Infura IPFS)
• AWS (Cognito, Aurora, Lambda, ECS, Load Balancer, ApiGateway, Amplify, ec2, Cloudwatch)
• Decentralized blockchain (BSC)
• Stripe(Fiat payment system) - provide bank cards processing and other fiat operations
• TheGivingBlock(Crypto payment systems) - provide crypto operations
• Mapbox
• GitHub

Milestone 3: Updates to the Micro-financing Infrastructure for Humanitarian Demining Operations (₳40,000)

• UI/UX design for the system portal: ₳12,000
• Development of the system portal: ₳12,000
• Ledger for site management, reporting and certification: ₳12,000
• Project management: ₳4,000

Milestone 4: Updates to the Mobile Application for Demining Professionals (₳40,000)

• User management and authentication: ₳12,000
• Mission planning: ₳12,000
• Mission reporting: ₳12,000
• Project management: ₳4,000

Milestone 5: Beta Deployment and In-field Testing (₳40,000)

• Internal deployment and testing: ₳15,000
• Limited beta deployment and testing: ₳15,000
• Project management: ₳10,000

Final milestone: (₳10,000)

• Project completion report: ₳5,000
• Video demonstration: ₳5,000

Total Cost: ₳170,000

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

The cost of the project represents value for money for the Cardano ecosystem for several reasons:

1. Impactful Solution: The proposed MineFree platform addresses a critical humanitarian and socio-economic challenge in Ukraine by enabling efficient demining operation
2. Comprehensive Approach: The project encompasses the development of a mobile application for civilian users, an operator interface for managing demining operations, a mobile application for demining professionals, and a micro-financing infrastructure
3. Cost Justification: While the budget breakdown provided in the proposal may seem high, it is important to note that the costs are estimated based on the project's specific requirements and the expertise needed to deliver the desired outcome

   a. Skill and Expertise: The costs reflect the need to engage experienced professionals in areas such as mobile application development, database management, UX/UI design, and blockchain integration. The expertise of these professionals is crucial for the successful implementation of the project.

   b. Market Rates: The estimated costs may align with prevailing market rates for specialized services in the industry. For example, the cost of hiring software developers, designers, and blockchain experts can be based on average freelance rates or industry benchmarks.

   c. Impact and Scale: The project's ambitious goals, such as demining 300,000 hectares of agricultural land, highlight the scale of the challenge and the corresponding resources required. The costs associated with achieving these goals can be seen as an investment in a high-impact initiative with long-term benefits for the affected communities.

   d. Transparency and Accountability: The budget breakdown provides transparency regarding the allocation of funds, ensuring that the resources are directed towards the key components and activities necessary for the project's success. This transparency enhances accountability and demonstrates responsible financial management.

By considering the value derived from the project's impact, the comprehensive approach, and the justifiability of the costs based on required expertise and market rates, the project represents value for money for the Cardano ecosystem. It aligns with the mission of driving positive change through blockchain technology and has the potential to deliver significant socio-economic benefits to the target region.