## About Us

Grassroots Economics is a non-profit foundation that seeks to empower marginalized communities to take charge of their own livelihoods and economic future. We focus on community development through economic empowerment, basic income and community currency programs. Beneficiaries of our programs include small businesses and people living in informal settlements as well as rural areas.

Our goal is to improve the lives of those who are most vulnerable.

Sarafu network History Team Sponsors

Our work builds on a rich history of community programs in Africa. We have implemented community currency programs in 45 locations across Kenya and assisted with 2 in South Africa and helped more than 40,000 small businesses, churches and schools take an active role in their own economy and development. We are currently developing programs all over Kenya and providing technical support for those outside Kenya.

## HISTORY

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### 2010

## ECO_PESA

This program was launched as a backed currency model with 75 Businesses taking part in three informal settlements near Kongowea, Mombasa. The currency was backed by donor funds and accomplished some amazing community service and environmental goals in partnership with Green World Campaign while increasing local trade for a year period.

On average profits increased in 20%

20 tonnes of trash collected 1000's of trees were planted

### 2012 and 2013

## BANGLA-PESA

Bangladesh is an informal settlement of approximatly 20 000 inhabitants located outside Mombasa Kenya. This was the first place where a program that was not fully dependent on donor funds was launched. After having had a dramatic start, with people being arrested under charges of forgery, this project currently holds 87,200 (ksh equivalent) vouchers in circulation and a network of 218 businesses.

### 2014

## GATINA_PESA

Gatina-Pesa in Kawangware Nairobi, was the first to launch and first to replicate the Bangla-Pesa model

With an amazing march through the slum, starting from Congo and ending at Gatina Primary School,the entire community mobilized around their own voucher. Hon. Simba Arati, the area Minister of Parliament, officially cut the ribbon and launched the program. Currently the network is made up of 258 businesses and a strong wholesale shop that backs the system.

### 2015

## 3 MORE COMMUNITY CURRENCIES JOINED THE NETWORK !

Kangemi-Pesa

Lindi-Pesa

Ng'ombeni-Pesa

### 2016

## SARAFU-CREDIT

All of the 5 networks joined under a common umbrella called Sarafu-Credit. This allows members to exchange excess vouchers for Kenyan Shillings.

Some other exciting things happened this year:

- 5 supermarket that act as collateral and network hubs were created
- We began testing on platforms to go digital
- The initial stages to develop 2 country-wide cooperates (SACCOs) began

90% of users are very satisfied with Sarafu Credit and want to keep using it

### 2017

## OUR FIRST RURAL PROGRAM

This year we setup our first rural program in Miyani in partnership with Green World Campaign and we have also pulled all our best practices together into a Certificate Course to be able to help the movement spread faster!

### 2018

## SARAFU-NETWORK

Grassroots Economics Foundation helps communities and design, deploy, utilize and maintain Community Inclusion Currencies (CICs), which are customizable tokenized claims against redemption. We also support communities to connect CICs into decentralized economies and share certified data for markets and impacts. Read More

## MEET THE TEAM

Shaila

Director

Will Ruddick

Founder

Caroline Dama

Advisor

Sylvia Karanja

Data Quality Engineer

Damaris Njoroge

Program Coordinator

Amina Godana

Support Engineer

Louis Holbrook

Senior Software Developer

Spencer Ofwiti

Software Engineer

Philip Wafula

Software Developer

Joyce Kamauk

Support Engineer

Isavary Khabuqwi

Communications Engineer

Emmanuel Mbui

Support Engineer

Fransisca (Mami) Achieng

Field Support Engineer

Fennie Wang

Legal Counsel

Janet Treezer

Support Engineer

Grace Rachmany

Advisor

Gustav Stromfelt

Advisor

Our sponsors and partners include

### A special thanks to our advisors and individual sponsors

Holger Hoffmann-Riem

Jeff Emmet

Griff Green

Fennie Wang

Reba Chabeda

Counsel Reza Zain Jaufeerally

Carmen Mauk

Professor Jem Bendell

Robert Mutsaers

Ahmed Maawy

Thibaud Dezyn, Jimmy Heyns, Henk Van Arkel, Elvis Ogweno, Annette Loudon, Chris Lindstrom, Christina Bordes, Elizabeth Weiland, Gilfrid Powys, Loucéro Mariani, Jim and Ellen Wagner, The Ruddick Family, The Kowa Family, Dawn Richards, Edmond Oklahoma United Methodist Women, Prof. Dr. Margrit Kennedy, Prof. Declan Kennedy, Dr. Jeremy Bendell, Xenia Heinze, Association TAOA, Jamie Brown, Kevin Cox, Sergio Lub, Hayem Etienne, Edgar Kampers, DELAMARE, David Hall, MULLER, Marie-Hélène, Barbara Schiess, Eva Vander Giessen, Joseph Leonardi, Susan Steed, Guido Hosman, Gabriel Grimsditch, Tobias Fields, Nemo Curiel, Hugo Godschalk, Guido Hosman, Lorne Covington, Bob and Margaret Macemon, Sergio Lub, Mark and Julie Richards, Carla Lundberg, PINTO Romain, Scott Williams, Barbara Schiess, Aaron Vaillancourt, Leander Bindewald, Brent Ranalli, Eric Harris-Braun, Martin Kreidenweis, Georg Pluta, Arthur Brock, Daniel Quay, Guy Staniforth