Onboarding Dubai's Expat Coders to Cardano

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

Onboarding Dubai's Expat Coders to Cardano

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

60000

[Proposal Summary] Time

Please specify how many months you expect your project to last

6

[Proposal Summary] Translation Information

Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated

No

Original Language

en

[Proposal Summary] Problem Statement

What is the problem you want to solve?

Dubai's large community of expat coders is an untapped resource for Cardano. Without targeted training and support, their potential to build on the ecosystem is lost.

[Proposal Summary] Supporting Documentation

Supporting links

• https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Herma+plc
,
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/datascience-computing

[Proposal Summary] Project Dependencies

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

No

Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'

No dependencies.

[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source

Will your project's outputs be fully open source?

Yes

License and Additional Information

Our project will be fully open-source under the MIT License. All educational materials, developer resources, and tools created for the meetups and training programs will be available in a public GitHub repository. This includes any Cardano-related tutorials, code samples, and multilingual documentation tailored for the expat software developer community in Dubai.

[Theme Selection] Theme

Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal

Training

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Who you’re targeting, how you’ll reach them, and why this matters for Cardano.

We are targeting the diverse, and highly skilled community of expatriate software developers in Dubai, who have an interest in blockchain but are currently not building on Cardano

We will reach them through a multi-channel approach:

• Partnerships: Collaborating with existing developer meetup groups and tech hubs in Dubai.
• Digital Outreach: Targeted promotion on professional networks.
• Local Collaboration: Partnering with co-working spaces.

This matters for Cardano because it directly addresses the need for more skilled developers by tapping into a concentrated pool of global talent.

Provide a list of key activities of your project?

Our project is centered around a clear set of interconnected activities designed to create a functional and sustainable developer pipeline:

• Curriculum Development: Create a comprehensive, open-source curriculum
• Hands-On Workshops: Organize project-based coding workshops to provide practical skills
• Community Building & Management: Establish and actively manage a dedicated Telegram channel to serve as a support network
• Partnership & Outreach: Proactively engage with local tech communities
• Open-Source Publishing: Publish all educational materials and resources to a public GitHub repo

What are your success metrics?

Quantitative Metrics

• Developer Onboarding: Successfully enroll 15-50 unique developers.
• Community Growth: Achieve a membership of 100+ active developers in our online support channel.
• Open-Source Output: Publish at least 3 complete, high-quality tutorials
• Project Incubation: Track the number of new GitHub repositories started by workshop participants.

Qualitative Metrics

• Participant Feedback: Positive outcomes from post-workshop surveys
• Community Testimonials: Collect and share success stories from developers detailing their learning experience and their plans for contributing

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

Dubai is a global magnet for tech talent, attracting a large, diverse, and highly skilled community of expatriate software developers. We see this community as a significant untapped resource for the Cardano ecosystem. Currently, these developers lack a structured, localized entry point to learn and build on Cardano. This "onboarding gap" means a valuable pool of potential innovators is being missed, slowing Cardano's adoption in one of the world's most forward-thinking tech hubs.

Our Focused Approach

To solve this problem effectively within a 6-month timeframe, our solution is built on two core, interconnected pillars:

Pillar 1: Hands-On Coding Workshops

We will organize and run a series of free, practical workshops designed to take expat developers from zero to one on Cardano. These sessions will be project-based, ensuring participants leave with tangible skills and a working piece of code.

Workshop Content Will Include:

• Intro to Cardano: Understanding the EUTXO model and what makes Cardano different.
• Setting Up the Dev Environment: A practical guide to getting started with essential tools.
• Building Your First dApp: Hands-on sessions using accessible toolkits like Plutus and Lucid to build a simple smart contract or transaction.

Format: We will conduct a series of in-person workshops in accessible Dubai tech hubs to foster direct interaction, complemented by virtual sessions to include a wider audience.

Pillar 2: Building a Local Support Network

A one-time workshop is not enough to build a community. Our second pillar focuses on creating a sustainable support network that lives on after the events.

• Dedicated Communication Channel: We will establish and manage a dedicated Telegram or Discord group for Dubai's Cardano developers.
• Purpose of the Network: This hub will serve as a place for peer-to-peer problem-solving, sharing resources, announcing local job opportunities, and for our team to provide ongoing mentorship long after the initial workshops are complete.

Who We Will Engage

Our target audience is specifically expat software developers living in Dubai. This includes backend, frontend, and full-stack developers who have an interest in blockchain but may not have experience with Cardano. We will reach them by partnering with existing developer meetup groups, promoting through professional networks like LinkedIn, and collaborating with local co-working spaces.

What is Unique and Important to Cardano?

Our solution is unique because it is hyper-focused. Instead of a broad awareness campaign, we are creating a targeted talent pipeline in a strategic global location.

Benefits for Cardano

• Grows the Developer Base: Directly increases the number of developers capable of building on Cardano.
• Fosters Grassroots Innovation: Empowers local devs to start building solutions for regional problems.
• Establishes a Strategic Footprint: Creates a self-sustaining Cardano community hub in the Middle East, a region with significant financial and technological influence.

By the end of this project, we will have established an active, engaged, and technically capable community of Cardano developers in Dubai, turning the current "untapped potential" into a tangible asset for the entire ecosystem.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

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

This project’s primary value is the creation of a tangible, grassroots developer pipeline in the strategic tech hub of Dubai. By transforming a pool of untapped expat talent into active Cardano contributors, we directly address the need for more skilled developers in the ecosystem. The success of this initiative will result in a self-sustaining community capable of producing new dApps, contributing to open-source tools, and driving Cardano's adoption in a key global market.

How We Will Measure Impact

Our impact measurement is focused on clear, verifiable outcomes.

Quantitative Metrics:

• Developer Onboarding: Target of enrolling 15-50 unique developers across our workshop series.
• Community Growth: Target of 100+ active members in our dedicated Telegram/Discord support network by the end of the project.
• Open-Source Contributions: At least 3 complete, high-quality tutorials and associated code examples published to a public GitHub repository.
• Project Incubation: Track the number of new GitHub repositories or simple dApp concepts started by our workshop participants.

Qualitative Metrics:

• Participant Feedback: Post-workshop surveys to assess the quality of the training and measure participants' confidence in building on Cardano.
• Community Testimonials: Collect and share stories from developers about their learning journey and what they plan to build next.

How We Will Share Our Outputs

Transparency and contribution to the wider community are core to our mission.

• Open-Source Educational Hub: All workshop materials, presentation slides, and code samples will be published in a public GitHub repository under an MIT license, making them a free resource for any Cardano community group globally to use and adapt.
• Regular Community Updates: We will provide monthly progress reports via Linkedin and Telegram, sharing key metrics and highlights from our workshops.
• Final Close-Out Report: Upon completion, we will submit a comprehensive report and a summary video detailing our achievements, challenges, financial breakdown, and the overall impact on the Dubai developer scene, providing a transparent account of our use of community funds.

[Your Project and Solution] Capabilities & 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?

1. Team Capability & Relevant Experience

Our team is uniquely positioned to deliver this project due to our blend of technical expertise, educational experience, and a proven history within the Cardano Catalyst ecosystem.

• Technical Credibility: As detailed in our team section, members like Tadesse are Cardano Blockchain Certified Associates (CBCA) and have successfully delivered previously funded developer tools. This ensures our workshop content will be technically accurate, practical, and up-to-date.
• Educational Experience: Team members have direct experience creating and delivering technical curricula for past Catalyst projects, ensuring the educational materials will be effective and engaging for a developer audience.
• Proven Delivery: Our team consists of multiple proposers who have a track record of successfully managing Catalyst funds and delivering projects from concept to completion.

2. Accountability and Financial Management

We are committed to the highest levels of trust and transparency in managing community funds.

• Milestone-Based Delivery: Funding will be managed strictly according to the milestones outlined. We will only proceed to the next phase upon successful completion and reporting of the previous one.
• Transparent Reporting: We will provide monthly updates to the community and a detailed final close-out report.
• Open-Source as Proof-of-Work: All educational materials, code samples, and resources will be published to a public GitHub repository under an MIT license, creating a permanent and auditable record of our work.

3. Feasibility and Validation

Our approach is designed to be lean, targeted, and validated early to ensure success.

• Focused Scope: We have deliberately narrowed our project's scope to two core activities (workshops and a support network) that are highly achievable within the 6-month timeline and 60,000 ADA budget.
• Pilot Workshop: We will validate our approach by running a small-scale pilot workshop in the first two workshops. This allows us to test our curriculum, gauge interest from the expat community, and gather direct feedback before scaling up.
• Iterative Improvement: Feedback from the pilot and subsequent workshops will be used to iteratively refine our content and delivery methods, ensuring the program becomes progressively more effective and valuable for participants.

This structured, validation-first approach de-risks the project and ensures that the funds are used efficiently to build a lasting and impactful developer community in Dubai.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Foundation & Pilot Workshop

Milestone Outputs

To establish the project's core infrastructure, develop the initial curriculum, and validate our approach with a pilot online or in-person workshop to gather direct feedback from the target community.

Outputs

• Develop the detailed curriculum for the first two workshop modules (e.g., "Intro to Cardano" and "Your First Transaction").
• Create the public GitHub repository to host all open-source educational materials.
• Set up and promote the dedicated Telegram/Discord channel for the Dubai Cardano developer community.
• Organize, promote, and execute the first pilot workshop for a select group of expat developers.

Acceptance Criteria

• A public link to the GitHub repository containing the finalized curriculum and materials for the first two modules.
• A public link to the created community Telegram channel.
• A summary report detailing the pilot workshop's execution, attendee count, and key insights gathered from participant feedback surveys.

Evidence of Completion

• The curriculum and materials link will be share
• Link to the community channel (telegram)
• Link to the pilot workshop report

Delivery Month

2

Cost

18000

Progress

30 %

Milestone Title

Main Workshop Series & Community Growth

Milestone Outputs

To execute the main series of developer workshops, incorporating feedback from the pilot, and to actively foster growth and engagement within the online support network.

Outputs

• Refine the curriculum for all workshops based on pilot feedback.
• Organize and conduct two additional, hands-on online or in-person developer workshops.
• Actively manage the community channel by posting resources, answering questions, and encouraging peer-to-peer support.
• publish the materials to the GitHub repository.

Acceptance Criteria

• Public links to the materials of the two main workshops.
• The GitHub repository updated with all presentation slides and code samples from these workshops.
• A brief progress report showing the engagement within the community channel.

Evidence of Completion

• Link to training and presentation slide materials
• Github repo** **link to sample codes
• Link to the prief progress report

Delivery Month

4

Cost

21000

Progress

60 %

Milestone Title

Final Resources, Sustainability Plan & Project

Milestone Outputs

To consolidate all project materials into a permanent, high-quality open-source resource and complete all final reporting requirements for Project Catalyst.

Outputs

• Clean up, organize, and finalize all workshop tutorials and code samples in the GitHub repository for long-term use by the global community.
• Develop a simple sustainability plan for the community channel to continue beyond the funding period.
• Prepare and submit the final Project Close-out Report and a summary video.

Acceptance Criteria

• A finalized and well-documented GitHub repository serving as a complete, open-source onboarding kit.
• The official Project Close-out Report submitted as per Catalyst guidelines.
• The link to the public Project Close-out Video summarizing the project's journey and achievements.

Evidence of Completion

• Link to the complete onboarding kit
• Project closeout report based on Project catalyst guidelines
• Link to closeout video, published on youtube

Delivery Month

6

Cost

21000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Our 60,000 ADA budget is carefully allocated across our three key milestones to ensure every ADA is used effectively to achieve our goals. The costs are primarily for the personnel time required to develop high-quality educational content and manage the community.

Milestone 1: Foundation & Pilot Workshop (Months 1-2) — Total: 18,000 ADA

• Personnel Costs: 14,500 ADA (Covers the time for our 3 core team members for 2 months to develop the curriculum, establish partnerships, create the community channels, and run the pilot.)
• Software Subscriptions: 500 ADA (Professional subscription for Zoom or Google meet to host high-quality virtual workshops and other collaboration tools.)
• Digital Marketing: 3,000 ADA (Initial targeted ad campaign on telegram groups to recruit skilled expat developers for our pilot program.)

Milestone 2: Main Workshop Series & Community Growth (Months 3-4) — Total: 21,000 ADA

• Personnel Costs: 15,000 ADA (Covers the team's time for 2 months to execute the main workshops, provide mentorship, and actively manage and grow the online community.)
• Digital Marketing: 4,000 ADA (Expanded campaign to promote the main workshop series to a wider developer audience in Dubai.)
• Community Engagement Fund: 2,000 ADA (Small incentives in ADA to reward active participation, such as prizes for the best mini-project or most helpful community member.)

Milestone 3: Final Event, Resources & Close-out (Months 5-6) — Total: 21,000 ADA

• Personnel Costs: 15,000 ADA (Covers the team's time for the final 2 months to consolidate all resources, finalize the open-source toolkit, and prepare all Catalyst reporting.)
• In-Person Event Logistics: 4,000 ADA (A contribution towards our local partner for hosting the final in-person event. This covers costs like refreshments, printed materials, and marketing support.)
• Administrative & Reporting: 2,000 ADA (Costs associated with professional video editing for the final summary video and preparing the comprehensive close-out report.)

TOTAL: 60,000 ADA

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?

This 60,000 ADA proposal represents a strategic and highly efficient investment in Cardano's long-term growth. Instead of a large, speculative budget, we have designed a lean plan that delivers maximum impact by focusing on two key areas: creating skilled developers and producing permanent, reusable assets.

1. Lean & Focused Resource Allocation

Our budget is carefully structured to prioritize direct, high-impact activities.

• Personnel Costs: The majority of the budget (45,000 ADA) is allocated to compensate our three core team members for their dedicated part-time work over six months. This breaks down to 2,500 ADA per person, per month, a very modest rate for experienced technical educators and project managers. This ensures the team is committed while keeping costs far below typical industry freelance rates.
• Operational Efficiency: Our virtual-first strategy for the initial workshops drastically reduces costs by eliminating the need for expensive venue hire, travel, and logistics in Dubai. Funds are directed towards what matters most: quality content and effective outreach.

2. Creating Permanent, Reusable Assets

The value of this project extends far beyond the workshops themselves.

• Open-Source Toolkit: A significant portion of our work involves creating a comprehensive, open-source educational toolkit (tutorials, code samples, guides). This entire repository will be published under an MIT license, making it a permanent and free resource for any individual or community group in the entire Cardano ecosystem to use and adapt for their own onboarding efforts. This multiplies the value of the initial investment globally.

3. A Strategic Investment in a Key Market

While Dubai is a higher-cost region, targeting it provides a unique strategic advantage. It is a major global hub for technology and finance, attracting top-tier developers from around the world. Establishing a grassroots Cardano developer community here creates a vital foothold and enhances Cardano's reputation in a region at the forefront of innovation.

In summary, every ADA in this budget is directed toward creating tangible, long-lasting value. We are not just running events; we are building a sustainable talent pipeline and a permanent library of educational resources. This represents a low-cost, high-impact investment in the future of the Cardano developer ecosystem.

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

Terms and Conditions:

Yes