Last updated 5 months ago
Most students in Goma (DRC) lack awareness of blockchain and its opportunities. Cardano can support their onboarding through our existing education program
Educate and onboard students in Goma to Web3, blockchain, and the Cardano ecosystem through structured, accessible learning programs.
Please provide your proposal title
Cardano and Web3 Onboarding Program in the DRC
Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA
60000
Please specify how many months you expect your project to last
12
Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated
No
Original Language
en
What is the problem you want to solve?
Most students in Goma (DRC) lack awareness of blockchain and its opportunities. Cardano can support their onboarding through our existing education program
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?
No
Please provide details on the intellectual property (IP) status of your project outputs, including whether they will be released as open source or retained under another licence.
No
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?
Our project targets youth in Goma (DRC), a community full of potential but with limited access to blockchain knowledge. As an active Cardano Hub, DRep, and Stakepool, we aim to educate and onboard young people to Web3, blockchain, Cardano, and decentralized governance. Through hands-on learning, local content, and community support, we’re empowering the next generation to engage meaningfully in the ecosystem and shape its future.
Provide a list of key activities of your project:
Here are the key activities:
Finalize website prototype.
Public Outreach & Marketing
Recruitment & Onboarding
Training delivery and Facilitation
Assessment & Feedback
Program Evaluation
Reporting
What are your success metrics?
Success Metrics:
Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem
Addressing Africa's Youth Potential in the Digital Economy
Demographic Opportunity: By 2050, Africa's population will double, with half under 25 (AFD). This presents a unique opportunity to empower young people with the skills they need to thrive in the digital economy.
Youth Unemployment Challenge: World Bank data reveals that 60% of Africa's unemployed are young, and most existing jobs are informal (report ILO, 2018). Equipping them with in-demand skills is crucial.
DRC's Young Workforce: The Democratic Republic of Congo boasts the world's 7th youngest population (UN). Our program targets this demographic to cultivate future blockchain entrepreneurs and architects.
Empowering Future Leaders in Blockchain
Meeting a Skill Gap: Blockchain was ranked the #1 in-demand hard skill in 2020. Our program addresses this gap by providing comprehensive training in:
Designing for Accessibility and Inclusivity:
Democratizing Technology Education: We believe technology education shouldn't be a privilege. Our program offers accessible learning opportunities for all.
Program Structure and Scalability:
Monthly Batches: To maximize participation and accommodate busy schedules, we propose 12 monthly batches with at least 20 participants each.
Dedicated Learning Schedule: Each month will follow a consistent structure:
Weeks 1-2: Registration Open
Week 3: In-Depth Training Sessions and Kahoot contest at the end of the cohort (12:00-2:00 PM)
Week 4: Post-Program Evaluation: We will conduct surveys after each batch to gather feedback and continuously improve the program.
Why Monthly Batches?
We've encountered high demand with scheduling conflicts. Monthly batches ensure inclusivity and cater to diverse schedules, ultimately maximizing reach and participation.
This refined version streamlines the information, focusing on the key points for Project Catalyst participants. It emphasizes the opportunity to address Africa's youth unemployment challenge and equip them with in-demand blockchain skills. It also highlights the program's accessibility and scalable structure.
Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community
This Project will have large impact on cardano community in the following ways:
Other ways, this proposal will have a positive impact on the lives of More than 300 youth in Congo in the following ways listed below:
Bring together young people aged between 18-25, to learn blockchain and bring out great ideas such as information on a technology they did not know existed.
Discuss great ideas that can turn into business and jobs after getting knowledge in Project Catalyst.
Train young people in marketable skills to boost their chances of escaping poverty.
Blockchain education will lead to reduction of dependence on government for job after school education.
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 Goma Hub stands as one of the most consistent and committed community-driven blockchain hubs in the Cardano ecosystem, with a strong track record of activities since 2020. Its deep local roots, technical capacity, and governance engagement make it highly capable of delivering this project successfully.
We have developed and delivered high-impact educational content through our Onboarding Program, which has been running since 2020, producing videos and practical resources on Cardano and Project Catalyst.
We're currently organizing a Hackathon for the Cardano Africa Tech Summit 2026, building from our local cummunities with Cardano, Builders are hands on Code to propose Cardano
solutions to local problemes.
In May 2024, we hosted a Catalyst Working Group that brought together local actors and Cardano community members to co-design future participation strategies. In July 2024, Goma Hub was selected to participate in the DRep Pioneer Education Program, reinforcing our role in educating future decentralized representatives.
We also launched and currently host the Intersect Wada Hub in Goma, further aligning our community with the evolution of Cardano governance structures. In August 2024, we hosted anIntersect Local Meetup, strengthening engagement with governance topics at the grassroots level.
Our consistent governance engagement since 2023, with workshops, meetups, training sessions and participation to the Constitutional Convention in Nairobi, ensures our team and local participants are not only informed but actively contributing to decentralized decision-making.
Other Key Capabilities:
We have the infrastructure, team, community, and long-term experience to scale this new initiative. Our success in hosting governance events and educational programs proves our feasibility and reliability as a local Cardano actor.
Milestone Title
Pre-Launch Phase
Milestone Outputs
Acceptance Criteria
A fully functional website is launched showcasing the program's activities, including:
Evidence of Completion
Delivery Month
1
Cost
6660
Progress
20 %
Milestone Title
Training Delivery Phase
Milestone Outputs
Monthly Milestones (Months 2-11- can be repeated for each month):
Week 1-2:
Cohort Recruitment and Selection:Review applications and finalize participants for the upcoming cohort.
Onboard new participants with program information and access to the learning platform.
Week 3: Training Delivery
Facilitate interactive learning activities and provide support to participants.
Week 4: Contest and Feedback: Administer assessments to gauge participant understanding of the training content and share.
Collect feedback from participants on the training experience.
Refine training materials and delivery methods based on feedback.
Acceptance Criteria
Week: 1-2 : Cohort Recruitment and Selection
Week 3: Training Delivery
Week 4: Contest prizes and Feedback
Evidence of Completion
Week 1–2: Cohort Recruitment and Selection
Week 3: Training Delivery
Week 4: Contest Prizes and Feedback
Delivery Month
11
Cost
48000
Progress
90 %
Milestone Title
Program Evaluation and Reporting
Milestone Outputs
Program Evaluation and Reporting
Analyze data from Contests and participant feedbacks. Prepare a report summarizing program outcomes and participant success, to be share to the Catalyst team and community.
Acceptance Criteria
Evidence of Completion
All contest results and feedback data collected and analyzed Exported Kahoot contest data (PDF, Excel, screenshots)
KPIs measured (success rate, retention, satisfaction)
Report showing:
-Participant completion rate
-Cohort retention rate
-Satisfaction rate (e.g., from feedback survey)
Comprehensive final report prepared, including:
Report shared publicly with Catalyst and community
Delivery Month
12
Progress
100 %
Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
The total budget requested is 60000 ADA
TOTAL : 60000ADA Conversion rate 0.4275
More details in the sheet here.
How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?
The costs are based on industry standards, the complexity of tasks, and local market rates, to provide a reasonable budget.
The project team is skilled and experienced with creation of educational content, project management and web designinig, this reflects the costs in the budget.
Contingency Plan: We introduced a miscelous amount of 1225 ADA as It is prudent to allocate a portion of the budget for contingency planning. Unforeseen events, such as changes in requirements, or fluctuation of Ada, delays, or unforeseen challenges, can impact the project's timeline and budget. Having a contingency fund provides a safety net, enabling us to address unexpected circumstances without hindering project progress or compromising quality of the outcomes.
I confirm that the proposal is a non-technical initiative, with ≤20% of the budget for tech support.
Yes
I confirm that the proposal provides verifiable evidence (portfolio, links, reports) of the team's ability to deliver the project.
Yes
I confirm that the proposer and all team members are in good standing with prior Catalyst projects.
Yes
I confirm that the proposal includes clear objectives with both Output Metrics (what proposal did) and Adoption-Focused Metrics (what effect proposal had).
Yes
I confirm that the proposal clearly explains the user journey and provides a credible plan for how the project will equip and motivate users for future on-chain activity.
Yes
I confirm that the initiative clearly demonstrates how it will grow the Cardano ecosystem or onboard users.
Yes
I confirm that the project plan and timeline (≤ 12 months) are realistic and well-defined.
Yes
I confirm that the proposal commits to public outputs and justifies any exceptions.
Yes
I confirm that the budget adheres to all policies: it is for future work, follows the merchandise rule, and excludes establishing local treasuries, incentives/giveaways, re-grants.
Yes
I Agree
Yes
Martin Musagara
Project Lead, Trainer| Goma DRep
Martin Musagara is a blockchain educator and community builder based in Goma, DRC. Active in the Cardano ecosystem since 2020, he leads the Goma Hub, where he has coordinated impactful initiatives in education, governance, and community development.
He leads the Goma Onboarding Program, produced multilingual educational content, and has been active in Project Catalyst since Fund 8. Martin participated in the DRep Pioneer Program, Co-hosted the Catalyst F14 Bootcamp, and several other Cardano related activities.
X account is here.
Bandu Balume Boaz:
Trainer
Graduating student at ISDR/GL(www.isdrgl.org), his passion for environmental sustainability led him to explore blockchain technology, particularly Cardano’s commitment to a greener future.
He has played several key roles in Cardano’s development, including co-proposing Funds 8 and 9, significantly advancing community-driven projects, and coordinating an NFT project in Fund 9, where he managed its development and execution.
As a community reviewer for Funds 10 and 11, he verified Proof of Life and moderated discussions in Fund 11.
He has also focused on expanding Cardano’s reach in Africa by authoring a research paper in March 2023 that analyzed African Stake Pools to highlight Cardano’s potential in the region.
In June 2023, he facilitated virtual and in-person workshops on governance improvements in Accra, Ghana, and co-organized governance workshops in Goma in 2021 and 2022 to emphasize local engagement.
As the Goma Stake Pool Manager, he has demonstrated his commitment to growing Cardano’s presence in Africa.
Additionally, he has been active with Intersect as a member and reviewer, contributing to the assessment and guidance of proposals, and co-hosting workshops such as the DReps Pioneer Program and the launch of the Central Africa Regional Hub.
Recently, he was honored to be elected to represent the community in Buenos Aires in December 2024, following a workshop on the Cardano Constitution. ( Clic here to see his X profil, Clic here to see is linkdlin profil)
Akilimali Cizungu Innocent
Technical support
He is a technical analyst within ISDR/GL (www.isdrgl.org) and holds a degree in computer science from ISIG (https://www.isig.ac.cd/)..)..)) Akilimali is also the technician supporting the Goma Stake Pool. Akilimali has experience in front-end, back-end developments, web design. https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/akili-innocent-7649951a8 https://github.com/Innocent-Akim He'll design the website.
Olivier Mwathsimulamo
He holds a Bachelor's degree in Environment and Sustainable Development from ISDR GL.
Since 2021, he has been integrated into the Cardano blockchain, showing his passion for environmental solutions related to the innovation of the Cardano blockchain.
Since Fund 9, he has held the position of Community Reviewer in Project Catalyst, and during his journey, he became a Moderator in Fund 11 and Fund 12, and he currently plays the role of Milestone Reviewer in Project Catalyst.
In addition, since 2023, Olivier has been contributing to the Goma Cardano Hub as a trainer for new members of the Cardano ecosystem, helping them participate in the Catalyst project process through the onboarding Program.
Clic here to see his X profil.