Cardano Governance, Education and Outreach program in Colleges in Ghana (Northern Region)

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Abubakari Mahamudu

[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)

5

[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)

A well-structured blockchain education project that provides the foundational knowledge in blockchain and Cardano ecosystem (governance) and community and supports systems to encourage innovation.

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

Yes

[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.”

Approval from the institutional authorities: Obtaining approval to have access to the students, faculty, and facilities at the various institutions.

Expertise: Blockchain experts and public speakers from the Cardano ecosystem will be included (Cardano Ghana Ambassador).

[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

The outputs and results of this project will be made available to the community which will be publicly accessible to the Cardano ecosystem via (our social media handles).

[METADATA] Horizons

Education

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Blockchain education in Ghana, particularly in the northern region, is critically underdeveloped. While blockchain adoption globally is gradually increasing, the same cannot be said for African regions like Ghana. This gap is even more evident in the northern region, where educational and economic opportunities lag behind the rest of the country. Many students, especially in universities and colleges, have little to no exposure to blockchain technology or its transformative potential, despite their interest and aptitude for computer science and technology-related fields.

A broader cultural and governmental skepticism towards blockchain and cryptocurrencies exacerbates this lack of awareness. In Ghana, minute things like mentioning "blockchain" or "crypto" in financial transactions can trigger unnecessary investigations, which reflects the significant misunderstanding and mistrust surrounding these technologies. The absence of accessible blockchain education means that students are missing out on key opportunities to learn about and leverage blockchain in solving real-world problems, especially in a region that could benefit from innovative technological solutions to address challenges like financial inclusion, transparency, and governance.

Furthermore, while some students are enthusiastic about exploring blockchain, they are held back by financial and infrastructural limitations. Without the right resources, support, or knowledge, they struggle to convert ideas into impactful projects that could address both local and national issues.

Addressing this problem requires structured blockchain education that provides the foundational knowledge, the community, and support systems to encourage innovation. The project will engage students from the various colleges in the Northern region of Ghana with a target population of at least 50 students for each college. With the focus on students from the colleges where most students are pursuing educational and IT-related courses, this will help to bring onboard vibrant and active members to the Cardano ecosystem.

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

The success of this project has a significant impact it will bring on the Cardano Community some of which include the following;

Cardano Expansion initiative: The project seeks to promote and facilitate the growth of the Cardano ecosystem by encouraging its adoption and usage within Ghanaian colleges.

Foster Blockchain Education and Awareness: The project aims to provide in-depth knowledge and expertise on blockchain technology and the Cardano platform to college students in Ghana, especially Northern Ghana.

Financial Equity and Inclusion: Students become financially empowered and subsequently return to empower their rural communities, promoting financial knowledge equity and inclusivity.

Empower participants: The project seeks to empower participants with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to explore career opportunities, pursue entrepreneurial ventures, and contribute to the blockchain industry.

Cardano adoption and scalability: The project is aimed at bridging the knowledge gap and promoting the adoption of the use of the Cardano ecosystem among individuals from diverse backgrounds with various expertise.

To validate the feasibility of our approach, we will ensure the following;

 

Monitoring and Evaluation: Implement a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the progress, outcomes, and impact of the project.

Partnerships and Collaborations: Collaborate with universities, the Cardano Ambassadors, industry professionals, and key opinion leaders to assess their interest and willingness to support the project.

Here are some potential metrics to assess the project's effectiveness:

• Onboarding of college students: We will measure the success of the project firstly via student onboarding. The project aims to have 50 registered members for each of the 3 in-person events so we expect a minimum of 45 onboarded members from each college. A telegram and WhatsApp group will be created for the students and that will mainly be for those who have been successfully onboarded to the Cardano ecosystem. This will also help the team offer more help to the students we would have successfully onboarded.  

 

• Idea submission and participation in reviews: IdeaScale will be one of the main platforms by which the students will be onboarded. The team will onboard these people so they can contribute positively to the growth of the ecosystem by submitting their ideas in future funding rounds and also helping in project reviews. From the team’s initial findings, we have observed that the students in these 2 training colleges and one technical university where we will be hosting our events have very good ideas. Science and technology are the most improving subjects that the education system has focused on over the last few years. The teacher trainees are being taught to use more creative ways to teach their pupils and the students in the technical universities are being taught various skill-based courses. These people have fantastic ideas that will help the ecosystem grow. As a way to measure the project’s success, we will encourage and monitor the number of people who will submit ideas for funding and also those who will register to take part in reviews.  

 

• Workshop and webinar participation: Though the number of participants we would aim to have for each workshop will be 50, we will make provisions for more in case we get more people attending the workshops. From what we have observed from the programs we have attended and organized in our various universities, there are always more people who attend. So, to track the success of the project, we will provide a registration sheet and attendance sheet at the workshop venues to make sure we get the exact number of participants for each workshop. Webinars will also be organized when needed to help the participants understand the ecosystem some more. 

• Feedback from participants: The team will conduct several surveys to receive feedback and thoughts from participants about the project. We will also design google forms and questionnaires which will help us easily collect feedback from the participants. We will encourage the participants to suggest to us ways we can improve the delivery of our presentations and the quality of the learning materials that may be provided for them.

To ensure that the outputs, results, and milestones of our project reach the general public, we aim to make use of the following channels:

• Online publications: We plan to document our progress and milestones through in-depth reports and articles on key public platforms to ensure transparency and accountability while also allowing learn and grow through our impact.

• Progress reports: Through our monthly milestone reviews, we will provide documentation and reports on our progress over the month to the entire Cardano ecosystem and the general public.

• Partnerships and collaborations: We will partner with initiatives that seek to empower students in the Ghanaian educational system

[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?

CAPABILITY

Abubakari Mahamudu is a fellow of Cardano Blockchain Certified Associates CBCA, a paid-associate member of Cardano Intersect MBO. Co-founder of EA Research Group aimed at mentoring students and Researchers on Natural Products and Pharmaceutical Research.

Scientist and Software Developer: Abubakari is a graduate of Biochemistry and has strong skills in computer science (Frontend Software Developer), Good at writing web design frontend code. He has over five (5) years of experience in Blockchain & Cryptocurrency education.

 

Abubakari has been an active participant in the Cardano project catalyst since fund twelve(12), he has been a community reviewer with a hundred (100%) percent score after successfully reviewing 32/32 proposals. He has also participated in the Cardano Governance Constitutional Review in Ghana. Our team includes Public Speakers and expertise in project management with over 5 years of experience as far as blockchain is concerned.

 

FEASIBILITY

  

Dedication

Our team comprises highly skilled professionals, including developers, seasoned project developers and managers, crypto enthusiasts, and university students and instructors. Our combined knowledge enables us to complete the project with the utmost integrity and responsibility.

Our team is made up of five active participants in the Cardano ecosystem, the lead of the team is myself (Frontend Software Developer). We are also vibrant members of the Cardano Ghana community where we attend every meeting regarding Cardano Activities. Our team is a group of Blockchain Public Speakers with expertise who have handled many blockchain projects with transparency, trust, and accountability. Some of our works include; the Hive Blockchain Empowerment Event, the Hive StudentsHub Project, and the Hive Tech Conference.

 

The milestones of this project will be made clear for measurement of its progress. We have structured the project into three milestones with its associated estimated cost. Our budget is clearly broken down showing how funds will be used to ensure accountability and the success of the project. The timelines are also clearly stated and enough for us to execute the project within the span of four months. 

To validate the feasibility of our approach, we will again ensure:

 

Partnerships and Collaborations: Collaborate with universities, the Cardano Ambassadors, industry professionals, and key opinion leaders to assess their interest and willingness to support the project.

Monitoring and Evaluation: Implement a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the progress, outcomes, and impact of the project.

Other Relevant Links to support or provide more evidence of our team's potential and capabilities include the following:

• https://steemit.com/hive-187593/@zology69/learn-and-earn-seminar-on-my-university-campus-to-promote-steem-10-to-steem-ghana
• https://ecency.com/hive-176874/@depressedfuckup/how-do-you-add-value-to-hive
• https://ecency.com/hive-176874/@depressedfuckup/hive-ghana-maiden-meetup-the
• https://www.linkedin.com/posts/hamza-fuseini-769961281_hiveghana-sdg6-sdg4-activity-7112115524880195584-oRUY?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
• https://ecency.com/hive-144782/@hivestudentshub/report-on-books-and-t
• https://ecency.com/hive-144782/@hivestudentshub/second-update-on-the-book
• https://www.linkedin.com/posts/hamza-fuseini-769961281_blockchaineducation-youthempowerment-hiveblockchain-activity-7128698451197849601-0cDB?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
• https://ecency.com/hive-144782/@depressedfuckup/navigating-web3-with-hive-blockchain
• https://www.linkedin.com/posts/hamza-fuseini-769961281_blockchaineducation-empoweryouth-web3future-activity-7130927076483698688-UJjy?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
• https://ecency.com/hive-176874/@depressedfuckup/attending-the-hive-tech-conference
• https://ecency.com/hive-144782/@hivestudentshub/the-hive-empower-project-in-uds-nyankpala-tamale-ghana

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

Milestone 1:

First College (Bagabaga College of Education, Tamale)

We shall be undertaking the following activities to complete this milestone;

Project Kickoff and Preparation:

• Project planning (Project Advertisement) - 1 week
• Engagement with Stakeholders - 1 week
• Build partnerships and collaboration with colleges - 1 week
• Cardano Education and Seminar Event - 1 day

Milestone Output:

• A Well-documented project plan is drafted
• Establishment with Institutional head and stakeholders successful
• Cardano Education and Seminar Events successful

Acceptance criteria:

• Well-defined roadmap for project execution
• Institutional heads and stakeholders successfully accept the project implementation
• Partnerships established with Bagabaga College of Education
• Cardano Education and Seminar launched successfully

Second Targeted College (Tamale College of Education)

We shall be undertaking the following activities to complete this milestone;

Project Kickoff and Preparation:

• Project planning (Project Advertisement) - 1 week
• Engagement with Stakeholders - 1 week
• Build partnerships and collaboration with colleges - 1 week
• Cardano Education and Seminar Event - 1 day

Output:

• A Well-documented project plan is drafted
• Establishment with Institutional head and stakeholders successful
• Cardano Education and Seminar Events successful

Acceptance criteria:

• Well-defined roadmap for project execution
• Institutional heads and stakeholders successfully accept the project implementation
• Partnerships established with Tamale College of Education
• Cardano Education and Seminar launched successfully

Third Targeted College (Tamale Technical University College)

We shall be performing the following activities to complete this milestone;

Project Kickoff and Preparation:

• Project planning (Project Advertisement) - 1 week
• Engagement with Stakeholders - 1 week
• Build partnerships and collaboration with colleges - 1 week
• Cardano Education and Seminar Event - 1 day

Output:

• A Well-documented project plan is drafted
• Establishment with Institutional head and stakeholders successful
• Cardano Education and Seminar Events successful

Acceptance criteria:

• Well-defined roadmap for project execution
• Institutional heads and stakeholders successfully accept the project implementation
• Partnerships established with Tamale Technical University College
• Cardano Education and Seminar launched successfully

 Our final milestone will comprise of;

Evaluation, Feedback analysis, Reporting, Project Conclusion, and Knowledge Sharing (2 months)

 

• We would Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of educational initiatives
• Gather participant feedback and assess knowledge/skill development
• Prepare progress reports and documentation of project activities
• Analyze project outcomes and identify areas for improvement
• Prepare a comprehensive project report summarizing activities, outcomes, and lessons learned
• Share project findings through conferences, Cardano Townhall meetings, and online platforms
• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to explore potential sustainability and future initiatives

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

1. Abubakari Mahamudu is a fellow of Cardano Blockchain Certified Associates CBCA and a paid-associate member of the Cardano Intersect MBO. Co-founder of EA Research Group aimed at mentoring students and Researchers on Natural Products and Pharmaceutical Research. Scientist and Software Developer: Abubakari is a graduate of Biochemistry and has strong skills in computer science (Frontend Software Developer), Good at writing web design frontend code. He has over five (5) years of experience in Blockchain & Cryptocurrency education. Abubakari has been an active participant in the Cardano project catalyst since fund twelve(12), he has been a community reviewer with a hundred (100%) percent score after successfully reviewing 32/32 proposals. He has also participated in the Cardano Governance Constitutional Review in Ghana. LinkedIn Profile, X Profile.
2. Zakaria Najlau: She is a Marketing and communications lead. With over 4 years of experience in project development and management, social media marketing, public speaking, and stakeholder engagements. Also, she has expertise in blockchain community management, organizing blockchain events in Ghana, and teaching. In charge of engaging various stakeholders, promoting and raising awareness of our upcoming events, and providing assistance to new members of the Cardano ecosystem while also ensuring our projects are implemented to their full capacity, she has also been a community reviewer for funds12. LinkedIn Profile, X Profile, Inleo Profile.
3. Rubilu Baako: He will be one of the main speakers and resource persons for the project event as he has over 3 years of experience in the blockchain space. He participated in the last project catalyst funding round as a community reviewer. He has extensive experience in organizing crypto-related events in Ghana of which organizing promotional events for the hive blockchain was among the first, over the last few years. He has been a major facilitator in helping to organize several hive blockchain events in Ghana, especially in the three Northern Regions with the help of the same people in this project. He has joined several Cardano workshops and webinars in Tamale, Ghana, including the just-ended Cardano constitution workshop in August. He is a crypto trader by night and a hive blogger by day; where he is involved In a whole lot more than just curating content as mentioned earlier. Twitter Profile, LinkedIn Profile
4. Hamza Fuseini: He is an experienced advocate for blockchain education, possessing a deep understanding of the technology and its transformative potential. His journey in the blockchain world began as a student at the Steemit Crypto Academy, where he engaged extensively with various blockchains, eventually becoming a content creator on the Steem and Hive blockchains. This experience has given him a strong foundation in decentralized communities and a dire passion for advocacy of decentralized communities. His involvement with the Cardano ecosystem solidified his belief in its capacity to revolutionize blockchain education in Ghana. As a proposal reviewer in the recent Fund 12 round, he witnessed firsthand how Project Catalyst can empower initiatives aimed at addressing educational equity in Ghana. This inspired his team to submit their current proposal focused on educating tertiary students in the northern region of Ghana about blockchain, with Cardano as their central case study. In addition to his blockchain work, he is dedicated to community service through his role as a Fellow and Northern Regional Representative for Lead For Ghana, where he actively addresses educational disparities. His passion for empowering others aligns perfectly with the project’s mission, and he is excited to leverage his experience and commitment to ensure the initiative succeeds in making a meaningful impact in the region. X Profile, LinkedIn Profile.
5. Baako Chantiwuni Yahuza: Event organizer, speaker, and resource person for Cardano. With over 4 years of experience in blockchain and cryptocurrency, he will be one of the main speakers and resource persons for the project. Although he entered the Cardano ecosystem last year, he was able to take part in the last project catalyst funding round as a community reviewer. He has extensive experience in organizing crypto-related events in Ghana of which organizing promotional events for the steem blockchain was among the first. Over the last 2-3 years, he has been a major facilitator in helping to organize several hive blockchain events in Ghana, especially in the Northern and Upper East Regions with the help of the same people in this project. He has joined several Cardano workshops and webinars in Tamale, Ghana, including the just-ended Cardano constitution workshop in August. He has also been able to successfully enrol into the Cardano Academy and complete the Cardano Blockchain Certified Associate (CBCA) Course. Yahuza LinkedIn, https://x.com/Yahuza81249809, Hive Bimbila Project

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

The Budget Breakdowns:

Project Planning

• Project Planning including Advertisement - ₳1000
• Stakeholder engagement - ₳300
• Identifying key partners for the event - ₳350
• Total: ₳1,650

Cardano Education and Seminar Event:

• Venue Rentals (3) ₳3,500.00
• T-shirt printing for 150 participants and Team ₳5,500.00
• Roll up banner (3) ₳5,000.00
• Handbooks and Pens (50 x 3) ₳4,500.00
• Events Brochure (150) ₳3,500.00
• Snack and Water for 150 participants & Team ₳2,000.00
• Lunch for participants 150 and team ₳5,000.00
• Transportation and logistics to (3 Colleges) ₳4,000.00
• Marketing & Publicity ₳3,000.00
• Photography including (Video) ₳3000.00
• Administrative Expenses ₳2,000.00
• Incentive for team (welfare) ₳1500.00 

Project Wrap-up and Reporting

• Feedback and Survey Data Collection - ₳500
• Finalization of project report (write-ups and videos) - ₳500
• Total: ₳1,000

Contingency Fund

• ₳2000

[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 in several ways:

• Education and Skill Development: The project's cost invests in providing comprehensive education on blockchain technology and the Cardano platform. By equipping individuals with knowledge and skills related to Cardano, the project contributes to the growth of a skilled workforce.
• Adoption and Awareness: The cost supports activities aimed at promoting Cardano's adoption and raising awareness within the target audience. By organizing meetups, seminars, and workshops, the project facilitates the dissemination of knowledge and understanding of Cardano's capabilities.
• Network Expansion: The project's cost enables networking events and collaborations with industry professionals, key opinion leaders, and other stakeholders.
• Innovation and Projects: The cost supports initiatives that encourage participants to explore and develop projects on the Cardano platform. By fostering innovation, the project drives the creation of practical applications, smart contracts, and other solutions within the ecosystem.
• Ultimately, the cost of the project represents value for money by investing in education, adoption, network expansion, innovation, and long-term growth within the Cardano ecosystem. It enables the ecosystem to develop a skilled workforce, foster widespread adoption, create a vibrant network, drive innovation, and build a strong foundation for future advancements.
• Many a time, people come into Cardano as reviewers on ideascale. We strive to educate the masses about the opportunities in the Cardano space. We also try to turn crypto illiterates into crypto literates. This will in the long term be beneficial to Cardano as we will be able to open up the interest of people in crypto essentially to come back and want to be more than involved in the Cardano ecosystem not just reviewers on ideascale.