Last updated 8 months ago
In Ethiopia, women face cultural, educational, and economic barriers to blockchain, limiting their access to Cardano’s empowering tools and opportunities.
Women on Chain Ethiopia will offer Cardano literacy, financial workshops, and access points for women, with safe spaces, mentorship, and Amharic content tailored to Ethiopian women’s needs.
This is the total amount allocated to Women on Chain Ethiopia: Cardano Literacy & Access.
Please provide your proposal title
Women on Chain Ethiopia: Cardano Literacy & Access
Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA
60000
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?
In Ethiopia, women face cultural, educational, and economic barriers to blockchain, limiting their access to Cardano’s empowering tools and opportunities.
Supporting links
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
all educational materials, presentations, and resources will be made open source under Creative Commons.
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 women — particularly students, entrepreneurs, and women-led organizations — through partnerships with universities, women’s business associations, and NGOs. Outreach will be done via community events, social media, and collaboration with existing women empowerment networks. Increasing women’s participation expands Cardano’s reach, strengthens community diversity, and unlocks untapped talent.
Provide a list of key activities of your project?
Recruit trainers and facilitators
Launch “Women in Cardano 101” literacy program
Host monthly women-focused blockchain meetups
Develop and translate open-source educational materials into Amharic
Organize “Women in Blockchain Innovation Day”
Create mentorship network linking women with Cardano developers and entrepreneurs
What are your success metrics?
Train at least 200 women within 9 months
Create 5 open-source educational resources in Amharic
Hold 9 monthly meetups with average attendance of 30+ women
Establish 3 formal partnerships with women’s organizations
80% of participants report increased knowledge and confidence in using Cardano tools
Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem
proposed solution is to establish “Women on Chain Ethiopia”, a dedicated Cardano literacy and empowerment program targeting Ethiopian women, with a focus on building financial and blockchain literacy, fostering active participation in the Cardano ecosystem, and enabling women-led initiatives.
The project will:
Create structured learning modules in simple Amharic and English, covering blockchain basics, Cardano-specific features, wallet usage, decentralized applications, governance, and funding opportunities like Project Catalyst.
Host in-person and virtual workshops across Addis Ababa and regional hubs, ensuring inclusivity for women with varying levels of tech experience.
Develop a mentorship network linking participants with experienced Cardano community members globally for skill transfer and guidance.
Facilitate practical onboarding by assisting women in creating wallets, making their first on-chain transactions, and exploring ways to use Cardano for business, social impact, and advocacy.
Create a community hub—both physical and online—where women can collaborate, share resources, and develop blockchain-based initiatives.
This solution directly addresses the problem of underrepresentation of women in Ethiopia’s blockchain space by providing them with tools, knowledge, and networks to actively contribute to the Cardano ecosystem. It fosters diversity, decentralization, and innovation, while empowering women to lead in technology adoption.
Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community
The positive impact of Women on Chain Ethiopia on the wider Cardano community will be both immediate and long-term, strengthening the network’s inclusivity, adoption, and innovation potential.
Expanding Cardano’s reach in an untapped demographic – By targeting Ethiopian women, a largely underrepresented group in blockchain participation, the project diversifies Cardano’s global user base and strengthens the principle of decentralization.
Building a pipeline of skilled female contributors – The training and mentorship provided will equip participants with the skills to become developers, entrepreneurs, educators, and governance participants within the Cardano ecosystem. This helps generate a consistent flow of community-driven innovation.
Driving localized adoption through cultural relevance – By delivering training in Amharic and using Ethiopia-specific case studies, the project ensures that blockchain concepts are accessible and relevant, increasing retention and real-world usage of Cardano-based solutions.
Strengthening global community ties – The mentorship and networking components will connect Ethiopian women to global Cardano experts, fostering cross-border collaborations and showcasing Ethiopia’s contributions to the ecosystem.
Enhancing Cardano’s reputation as a platform for social impact – This initiative demonstrates how Cardano can be a tool for economic empowerment, gender equality, and sustainable development, attracting more socially conscious users, partners, and investors.
This project not only grows the Cardano community in numbers but also enriches it with new perspectives, leadership voices, and locally inspired solutions.
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?
Capabilities to Deliver with High Trust and Accountability
The Women on Chain Ethiopia project will be managed by Getachew Haileslas as the Project Manager, ensuring oversight, coordination, and transparent reporting to the Cardano community. While all other team members will be recruited, they will be selected through a transparent hiring process prioritizing relevant experience, proven community engagement, and alignment with Cardano’s values. Key measures to ensure high trust and accountability include:
Transparent recruitment – Publicly advertised positions for trainers, outreach coordinators, and technical support, with clear selection criteria.
Clear roles and responsibilities – Each team member will have documented duties, KPIs, and reporting schedules to ensure deliverables are met on time.
Financial accountability – All fund usage will be tracked in detailed expense reports, with periodic budget updates shared with the community via Catalyst channels.
Regular progress reporting – Bi-weekly updates and milestone reports will be published to the Cardano community and Project Catalyst dashboard.
Community oversight – Key stakeholders and local Cardano advocates will be invited to review progress and provide feedback during implementation.
Feasibility Validation Approach
To ensure the approach is realistic and achievable, the project will:
Pilot the program with a smaller group before scaling, testing training methods, materials, and delivery platforms for accessibility and comprehension.
Collect participant feedback during and after training to identify strengths, challenges, and improvements needed.
Track measurable indicators such as number of women trained, blockchain wallets created, and project ideas developed.
Benchmark against similar blockchain education initiatives in Africa and globally, adapting best practices to the Ethiopian context.
Conduct a post-pilot review to assess cost efficiency, engagement, and skill outcomes before expanding to a larger audience.
These measures will ensure the project remains both practical and impactful, with clear evidence of success before full-scale deployment.
Milestone Title
Project Setup & Recruitment
Milestone Outputs
Recruit, select, and train a minimum of 10 Ethiopian women as local facilitators. These facilitators will be equipped to deliver the Cardano literacy curriculum, operate blockchain tools, and guide participants through practical, hands-on blockchain projects, ensuring the program reaches diverse communities effectively.
Acceptance Criteria
Facilitators complete the structured training program in full, pass formal knowledge and skills assessments with a satisfactory score, and independently conduct a sample workshop that meets the program’s defined standards for quality, participant engagement, and accurate delivery of Cardano-related content.
Evidence of Completion
Signed contracts confirming facilitator engagement, verified training attendance records for all sessions, documented assessment score reports, and short video recordings capturing each facilitator conducting a practice workshop with a group of participants, demonstrating competence and readiness.
Delivery Month
1
Cost
25000
Progress
20 %
Milestone Title
Delivery Pilot Training
Milestone Outputs
Milestone Output: Delivery of a 2-week blockchain literacy training to an initial group of 25 women, focusing on Cardano fundamentals, wallet creation, security, and opportunities for women-led blockchain initiatives. Includes interactive sessions, hands-on practice, and peer learning activities to maximize engagement and retention.
Acceptance Criteria
Acceptance Criteria: At least 90% of registered participants complete the pilot training and demonstrate understanding of core topics via a post-training quiz. All participants create functional Cardano wallets and complete at least one practical blockchain-related task.
Evidence of Completion
Evidence of Completion: Attendance records, training session photos, screenshots of newly created wallets, quiz result summaries, and feedback forms from participants confirming knowledge gain and satisfaction.
Delivery Month
3
Cost
20000
Progress
50 %
Milestone Title
Program Expansion and Community Integration
Milestone Outputs
Program Expansion & Community Integration
Milestone Output: Expansion of training to reach a total of 100 women across different Ethiopian regions, including both in-person and online modules. Integration of Cardano-focused project-building workshops to guide participants in developing blockchain-based business or community impact ideas.
Acceptance Criteria
Acceptance Criteria: At least 80 women complate the full program. Each participant presents a concept note for a potential blockchain project. Community networking sessions held to connect trainees with existing Cardano initiatives and potential mentors.
Evidence of Completion
Evidence of Completion: Participant completion certificates, a collection of 100+ project concept notes, recordings of networking sessions, and documentation of mentor-participant connections.
Delivery Month
5
Cost
3500
Progress
80 %
Milestone Title
Final Review, Impact Assessment and Reporting
Milestone Outputs
Milestone Output: Comprehensive review of the project’s outcomes, including an impact assessment detailing skills gained, blockchain adoption progress, and potential long-term contributions to the Cardano ecosystem. Finalized documentation, budget reconciliation, and a public report for the Catalyst community.
Acceptance Criteria
Acceptance Criteria: Report includes at least 3 case studies of women who have begun using Cardano for personal or community projects. Data shows measurable increase in blockchain literacy and engagement among participants. Full financial audit completed and approved..
Evidence of Completion
Evidence of Completion: Published impact report (online), financial statement, participant testimonials (written and video), and submission of required updates to Project Catalyst channels.
Delivery Month
6
Cost
35000
Progress
100 %
Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
Cost Breakdown (Total: 60,000 ADA)
Project Manager (Getachew Haileslassie) – 12,000 ADA
Responsible for overall coordination, ensuring milestones are met, managing communications with stakeholders, and maintaining project accountability.
Curriculum Developer – 8,000 ADA
Designs and develops the Cardano literacy training content, including learning modules, visual aids, and practical blockchain exercises tailored for women participants.
Lead Trainer – 7,000 ADA
Conducts training-of-trainers sessions for local facilitators, ensuring they are fully equipped to deliver Cardano-focused workshops and practical blockchain sessions.
10 Local Facilitators – 15,000 ADA (1,500 ADA each)
Facilitators will run community workshops, provide one-on-one mentoring, and support participants in real-world blockchain use cases.
Technical Support & Blockchain Specialist – 6,000 ADA
Provides hands-on support for wallet creation, on-chain transactions, and troubleshooting technical issues during training.
Community Engagement & Outreach – 4,000 ADA
Covers awareness campaigns, community mobilization, and partnership building to ensure strong participation from local women and grassroots groups.
Logistics & Operations – 5,000 ADA
Covers venue hire, refreshments, training materials, printing, and internet/data costs to enable smooth project delivery.
Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting – 3,000 ADA
Measures project success, collects participant feedback, and produces reports with evidence of learning outcomes and blockchain adoption impact.
How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?
The cost of this project represents strong value for the Cardano community because it directly invests in human capital, builds adoption, and opens new user bases in an underrepresented region. With 60,000 ADA, we will train 200 women in blockchain literacy, onboard at least 150 new active Cardano wallet holders, and integrate Cardano tools into local entrepreneurship and community projects.
By focusing on Ethiopia — a country with high mobile adoption but low blockchain access — the project targets an untapped growth area for Cardano. Every ADA spent builds long-term network effects by increasing the number of informed, capable users who can participate in staking, governance, and decentralized applications.
The cost covers facilitator recruitment and training, curriculum development tailored to local contexts, venue and logistical expenses for workshops, and community outreach to sustain engagement beyond the project period. These investments ensure that the outcomes are scalable, replicable in other African communities, and measurable through tangible adoption metrics.
In essence, this budget is not just for workshops — it’s seed capital for a self-sustaining network of Cardano-literate women who will act as multipliers in their communities, increasing demand for Cardano-based solutions and strengthening the global ecosystem.
Terms and Conditions:
Yes
Here’s the team composition for "Women on Chain Ethiopia: Empowering Women through Cardano Literacy and Access" with all members to be recruited except the main applicant (Getachew Haileslassie) as Manager:
Role:
Lead overall project coordination, planning, and execution.
Ensure alignment with Cardano community standards and Project Catalyst requirements.
Oversee recruitment, budgeting, reporting, and final deliverables.
Act as the main point of contact with stakeholders.
Role:
Design a culturally relevant Cardano literacy curriculum tailored for women in Ethiopia.
Incorporate blockchain basics, wallet usage, and hands-on exercises.
Ensure materials are accessible in both Amharic and English.
Role:
Conduct technical training sessions on Cardano tools, wallets, and smart contract basics.
Provide practical demonstrations for learners to engage with blockchain in real time.
Mentor facilitators and provide ongoing technical support.
Role:
Deliver in-person training sessions in local communities.
Assist participants in setting up and using Cardano wallets.
Provide mentorship and follow-up guidance.
Role:
Track project progress, measure learning outcomes, and gather participant feedback.
Compile data for reporting to Project Catalyst.
Identify areas for improvement to enhance impact and efficiency.
Role:
Develop promotional materials and manage social media presence.
Engage local community groups, women’s associations, and youth networks.
Coordinate events and awareness campaigns to attract participants.