Last updated 7 months ago
Millions of Ethiopians lack access to financial literacy and safe investment tools, leaving them vulnerable to scams and inflation.
Deliver workshops, guides, videos, and a fiat-to-ADA demo to teach Ethiopians financial literacy and safe blockchain investing on Cardano.
This is the total amount allocated to From Birr to Blockchain: Ethiopia’s Investor to Cardano.
Please provide your proposal title
From Birr to Blockchain: Ethiopia’s Investor to Cardano
Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA
29000
Please specify how many months you expect your project to last
6
Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated
No
Original Language
en
What is the problem you want to solve?
Millions of Ethiopians lack access to financial literacy and safe investment tools, leaving them vulnerable to scams and inflation.
Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?
No
Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'
No dependencies
Will your project's outputs be fully open source?
Yes
License and Additional Information
We will publish all financial literacy content, workshop slides, videos, and blockchain investment guides as open-source under a permissive license. These will be shared on GitHub and other accessible platforms.
Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal
Education
Who you’re targeting, how you’ll reach them, and why this matters for Cardano.
We target Ethiopian youth, students, and small business owners who lack financial literacy and safe blockchain knowledge. We’ll reach them through 5 local workshops, Amharic videos, and Telegram. This matters for Cardano because it builds trust, wallets, and adoption in a high-potential African market.
Provide a list of key activities of your project?
Develop an Amharic financial literacy + blockchain guide, deliver 5 workshops, produce 3 explainer videos, and launch a Telegram community. We’ll run a fiat-to-ADA demo to show real use cases, then release all content open-source and provide a final adoption report.
What are your success metrics?
Train 50 people in workshops and reach 500 online. Create 50 new ADA wallets and record 20 on-chain transactions. Grow Telegram to 1,000 members. Track downloads of our guide (target 50) and measure learning gains through pre/post surveys
Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem
Our solution is to deliver practical financial literacy and blockchain investment training using Cardano as the foundation. We will conduct 5 workshops in Addis Ababa and nearby cities, focusing on money management, blockchain basics, and responsible participation in decentralized finance (DeFi). To reach beyond in-person sessions, we will create digital learning content in Amharic: short videos, a simple PDF guide, and a Telegram community for ongoing engagement.
A fiat-to-ADA payment gateway will also be integrated as a demonstration tool, showing participants how to safely convert birr into ADA and use it in real-world scenarios like savings, payments, and staking. This ensures our program is not just theoretical but hands-on and directly relevant.
By delivering locally tailored workshops, illustrated guides, and accessible digital content, we ensure Ethiopians gain the knowledge, trust, and tools to take their first steps into the Cardano ecosystem. With limited funds, we’ll prioritize quality materials, impactful training, and scalable online distribution, creating a model that can be replicated nationally with future support.
Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community
This project directly strengthens Cardano adoption in Ethiopia by addressing the trust and knowledge gap that keeps new users from participating. Instead of speculative hype, we will provide practical education, ensuring participants understand wallets, self-custody, and how to responsibly use DeFi protocols.
Impact will be measured by:
50 direct participants trained through in-person workshops
1000 indirect learners reached through Telegram and YouTube content in Amharic
50 wallet downloads and ADA transactions as part of practical sessions
Open-source publication of training guides and videos for reuse
By the end, participants will not only understand financial literacy but also actively use Cardano tools staking, payments, and DeFi proving Cardano as a trusted platform for economic empowerment. This lays the foundation for wider African adoption.
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?
Our team consists of financial educators, blockchain trainers, and community organizers. We have previously collaborated with university clubs, youth associations, and small business networks.
Nataniem Seyoum (Program Lead) brings experience in curriculum design, blockchain awareness, and event organization.
Firaol Gezahegn (Financial Literacy Educator) specializes in explaining finance concepts in simple, culturally relevant ways.
Translator & Illustrator ensures all content is accessible in Amharic with engaging visuals.
Community Coordinator organizes workshops, manages logistics, and connects with local youth/women’s groups.
Media Assistant manages Telegram, YouTube, and content distribution.
The feasibility is high because we are focusing on a lean, cost-effective structure: a smaller number of impactful workshops, digital-first learning content, and open-source materials for reuse. We also have existing partnerships with youth clubs and local organizations that will help us mobilize participants quickly and at low cost.
With a well-defined scope, local expertise, and proven demand for financial education, this project is realistic, achievable, and impactful within the proposed budge
Milestone Title
Curriculum & Guide Development
Milestone Outputs
“ADA Investor Guide,” workshop slides, and Telegram setup ready for use. The materials explain financial literacy, blockchain basics, and safe Cardano usage in a simple, illustrated format tailored to Ethiopian learners.
Acceptance Criteria
The acceptance critera will be curriculum reviewed by at least 2 financial educators and 2 blockchain trainers; guide uploaded to GitHub under open-source license; Telegram group established and moderated.
Evidence of Completion
Public GitHub repository link, downloadable PDF guides, screenshots of Telegram channel, and confirmation of peer reviews by named educators.
Delivery Month
1
Cost
5500
Progress
20 %
Milestone Title
Workshop Series
Milestone Outputs
5 in-person financial literacy and blockchain workshops in Addis Ababa and 2 other cities. Each event includes wallet setup demos, DeFi basics, and fiat-to-ADA walkthroughs. Minimum of 500 direct participants engaged.
Acceptance Criteria
Workshops held with minimum 100 attendees each, at least 50 wallets created across sessions, and survey responses collected showing increased understanding and seeing the particiapnts interaction with the lerning material.
Evidence of Completion
Photos, signed attendance sheets, survey data summary, and on-chain wallet creation records with anonymized transaction hashes.
Delivery Month
2
Cost
9000
Progress
30 %
Milestone Title
Digital Content & Fiat Gateway Demo
Milestone Outputs
Production of 3 explainer videos in Amharic on Cardano basics, staking, and DeFi; public release via YouTube and Telegram. A live fiat-to-ADA gateway demo completed with 20+ participants successfully converting birr into ADA.
Acceptance Criteria
The acceptance will be videos uploaded with 1,000+ combined views, Telegram community reaches 1,000 members, and gateway demo confirmed with at least 20 test users participating in live transactions showing the result.
Evidence of Completion
YouTube video links and analytics screenshots, Telegram member analytics, and on-chain transaction hashes demonstrating successful fiat-to-ADA conversions.
Delivery Month
2
Cost
7000
Progress
20 %
Milestone Title
Reporting & Open-Source Release
Milestone Outputs
Final project report documenting workshop reach, wallet creation, community growth, and learning outcomes. All materials guides, slides, and videos published open-source for future use in Ethiopia and Africa.
Acceptance Criteria
Final report is submitted to Catalyst, clearly documenting adoption metrics, learning outcomes, and project impact. All educational content (guides, slides, videos) is uploaded to GitHub and shared publicly with open access. The materials must be easy to find, download, and reuse by educators and Cardano community groups.
Evidence of Completion
Catalyst final closeout report published with adoption data, photos, and surveys. GitHub repository link with open-source materials accessible. Screenshots of guide downloads, YouTube analytics, and Telegram community stats provided. All resources made permanently available with proof of license attached.
Delivery Month
1
Cost
7500
Progress
30 %
Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
The total requested funding is 29,000 ADA, carefully allocated to maximize efficiency and impact while remaining under budget. Curriculum and guide development is allocated 5,500 ADA to cover design, translation, and the creation of an open-source investor guide. Workshops are allocated 9,000 ADA to fund five in-person sessions across Addis Ababa and two regional cities, covering trainers, venue rental, logistics, and outreach. Digital content and community growth is budgeted at 7,000 ADA for producing three high-quality Amharic explainer videos, community moderation, and social media campaign management. Fiat gateway demo integration receives 3,000 ADA to enable live birr-to-ADA demonstrations using trusted providers like Chapa or Telebirr. Reporting, administration, and Catalyst documentation is budgeted at 4,500 ADA, ensuring transparent reporting, adoption data analysis, and the open release of all materials. This breakdown ensures every ADA requested contributes directly to education, adoption, and measurable Cardano ecosystem growth
How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?
This project represents exceptional value for the Cardano ecosystem because it focuses on grassroots financial literacy, direct adoption, and sustainable community engagement at a low cost relative to impact. For less than 30,000 ADA, we will train over 500 Ethiopians in person, reach more than 3,000 online learners, and directly onboard at least 50 new ADA wallets with real transactions conducted on-chain. Instead of focusing only on promotion, we provide practical, open-source materials that will continue to benefit communities long after project completion, including guides, videos, and a Telegram channel. By integrating a fiat-to-ADA demo, participants see real utility beyond theory, reinforcing trust and demonstrating Cardano’s usability in the Ethiopian context. Compared to traditional development or infrastructure projects, our lean approach delivers measurable outcomes in adoption, awareness, and ecosystem participation at a fraction of the cost. Every ADA invested multiplies in community impact, adoption metrics, and reusable educational resources for Cardano Africa and beyond.
Terms and Conditions:
Yes
Our project team is composed of local educators, blockchain advocates, and community organizers with direct experience in financial literacy and technology outreach in Ethiopia. Nataniem Seyoum will serve as the Program Lead, coordinating curriculum design, workshop delivery, and overall reporting. Firaol Sezahegn, our Financial Literacy Educator, will be responsible for simplifying complex financial and blockchain concepts into accessible lessons and training sessions tailored for Ethiopian youth and entrepreneurs. A Translator & Illustrator will ensure all content, including guides and visual materials, is engaging and accessible in Amharic, using culturally relevant examples and clear visuals. Our Outreach Coordinator will manage logistics, liaise with universities, youth clubs, and women’s groups to ensure maximum participation, while the Media Assistant will create and distribute content across Telegram and YouTube to extend project reach. Together, the team blends financial education, blockchain knowledge, and community engagement expertise, making us well-positioned to execute this initiative successfully.