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content/blog/"living-half-way".rst

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+:title: "Living Half-Way" Former Sex Worker Speaks out
+:author: Esther Achola
+:date: Oct 14, 2013
+:slug: living-half-way
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+:summary: Where should I start? I was in the industry for years. The main reason myself and most girls start sex work is because of poverty. I was...
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+Where should I start? I was in the industry for years. The main reason myself and most girls start sex work is because of poverty. I was an orphan at a young age. I had to drop out of school to support my 5 siblings. When I reached 18 years old, I had no other way. I started working at a salon, but the income was too little. At the end month I would get 1,000 KSH a month. So, I just woke up one day and took a bus to Nairobi. I didn't know what I was going to do. I was young.
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+I stayed in a guest house when I got to Nairobi and met a Rwandan girl. She would leave at night and come back the next day at 6am with lots of money. More than I had ever seen. I was wondering where she got this money. And she showed me. 
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+We just went to a bar in Westlands, a wealthy part of Nairobi. Girls just sat there, every age and type, even university girls. You just sit there, and if someone comes and likes, you start negotiating on a price. It was a very popular place called Bavaraia – owned by a German man.
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+This was the only way out of poverty for me. I had no degree, no experience. I was straight from school. So when you sit with other girls, you find a lot of reasons why they are pushed into sex work. There are many paying for university fees day by day through sex work.
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+It was very risky. You don't know who you are going with. They buy a few drinks and they often don't want to stay at the guest house to have sex, so you have to go to their place. One girl was taken, and we didn't see her for two days. We didn't know what happened. Was she now rich or dead? After a few days, we found out she was nearly dead. The client, after finishing with her, left her in the forest and she was attacked. 
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+Many of these girls have STIs like HIV, but can't tell anyone. Sometimes you think you have just one client, but then find a whole house full of men, and they rape you or start using objects inside you. But these girls are desperate. They have sick family members and have no other option. You are living half way. You don't know what can happen tomorrow.
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+You can't work on the streets in Nairobi, because you can be taken by the municipal council. They grab you in a small white pickup, and they take your money and force you to have sex with them so you don't go to prison. You have to do what you have to do to save yourself. Once the municipal has had its way with you, you have to start over at anytime of the day and you get more and more desperate. So women gang together in safer places like hostels and brothels that charge you on commission.
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+If you get a client in a brothel, the manager takes at least half the money. Clients call in, then come inspect the girls, then pick one. Because of the high commission, most girls seek to do it on their own in more risky situations.
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+I eventually came back to Mombasa to see my siblings, and I found out I was pregnant.
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+I was forced to stay out of sex work. But as soon as I had the child, I went back to FSW in Mombasa, even before my son was one year old. I had to leave him alone in the house and lock the door. 
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+That is when I met a rich German man. He just spotted me in a bar. Because I was still breast feeding, he was very attracted to my large breasts. We went to his place. After taking a shower I tried to hide it, but he saw my milk coming out. He asked me, “Do you have a small child?” I said “He is four months.”
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+Then he just gave me money and didn't do anything to me. He gave me enough money for a month’s worth of food and rent, packed for me some food from his fridge and dropped me off at home and gave me his number and told me to call if I needed anything.
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+I paid rent and bought food and stayed with my son for a whole month and didn't go out. That was the longest time I had been with my son. 
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+I lost the number of the German man and he never came back. So, I started going back out.
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+This is when I met another white man at a club called Tembo owned by a German. He was a Netherlander, a young boy, 28. When we went back to his hotel he asked me “why are you doing this, you are so beautiful?” and I told him about my son. I told him everything.
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+That is when he said he won't pay me for sex, but would help me with my son. But I didn't trust him. I knew he was so drunk, that I could steal what he had. By good luck, he blacked out, but I was afraid to steal the money. I couldn't sleep, so I just waited. When he finally woke up, he gave me some money and asked for my number. I gave him my neighbor’s number because I didn't have a phone.
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+That next day he called me in the afternoon. He was in the taxi coming to the place where I was living. I was in a small room in Mtwapa outside Mombasa. He came and he stayed for two weeks in my place. I had nothing but a mattress. He bought for me a stove, plates, cups and other things. So that was it.
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+Then he left and promised to take me back to Netherlands. He bought me a phone, but it was lost. And I never heard from him again. 
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+Then I met another German man that was teaching salsa. So I started practicing and dancing at the hotel. He would pay us to do shows at hotels. But the money was too little, and he was forcing us to sleep with him. So I left and went back to sex work.
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+But I knew I wanted a way out. A friend tried to recruit me for working with a non-profit NGO called ICRH. But because I was older then than most girls, I was excluded. I gave up, and started doing some work at a cyber-cafe at about one dollar a day.
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+But then one day the NGO made an exception and allowed me into their program.
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+We were 150 girls they interviewed. After the interview we were to get a letter if we were accepted. After one week I got my letter. I was excited, but hesitant, feeling like 'let's see what is next?' 
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+In a few months I was chosen as the group leader of 40 sex workers. I don't know what they saw in me. After that first experience I never stopped. I sought out trainings, more and more: counseling, business, entrepreneurship, computer skills, family planning, STIs (HIV and Malaria prevention), and as a paralegal.
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+This changed everything. 
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+Today: I am supporting my children. I am voice to reckon with. I've been an advocate for hundreds of women. I have gone to court to defend women who have been raped.
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+I've been asked to consult with international organizations. I've mobilized over 420 vulnerable women for counseling, HIV trainings, and reproductive health, sexual violence.
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+The Rwandan girl that brought me into sex work died from HIV. I've lost so many friends in the process. Sadly there are few organizations trying to reach the tens of thousands of sex workers in an industry here that is still growing rapidly. There are gaps that need to be filled. While the work being done is wonderful, it is not enough. Hard core sex workers are generally not affected by any of these ongoing programs. 
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+NGOs are only dealing with younger sex workers. Yet sex work doesn't have an age limit. The older sex workers who have been doing it for 20-40 years are often the ones getting the younger girls into the industry. They know the sex work industry in and out, and targeting them is one of the ways we can really help. 
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+There is no simple solution. We must understand the reality of what is going on and have real alternatives in place. I don't kid myself that any of this is easy, but this is my life's work to be there to help women just like myself.
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+	`#femalesexworker <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/femalesexworker>`_	
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+#femalesexworker
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content/blog/100-new.rst

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+:title: 100+ new Blockchain Wallets in One Day – Fighting Rural Food Insecurity
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Apr 10, 2019
+:slug: 100-new
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+:summary: Rural communities are adopting blockchain based community currencies at an astounding pace! 100+ new users in one day represents nearly...
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+.. image:: images/blog/100-new1.webp
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+Rural communities are adopting blockchain based community currencies at an astounding pace! 100+ new users in one day represents nearly half the heads of households in one village. Women are the main users and have been leading their communities in using the blockchain as much as 4 times a day for their basic needs – water, food, school and fuel. With nearly 2,000 blockchain wallets created in underserved communities so far in Kenya and over 11,000 transactions using feature phones with no internet - the excitement is tangible. **Something very fundamental about these economies is starting to change.**
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+The Miyani community, categorized as food insecure for over 10 years has had every development intervention thrown at it by dozens of NGOs including WFP and Red Cross. A group of farmers in Miyani began developing methodology and using Community Currencies in late 2018 and have grown their network to cover their entire village (showing tremendous change to food consumption and collective work for food security) and have spread into all their neighboring villages.
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+So far 2 new Community Currencies have started in the nearby regional markets of Mnyenzeni and Mkayeni and as more and more communities adopt these currencies local groups will be able to create their own – creating a decentralized economic network. This is enabling people to trade their goods and services even when there is no National Currency. Farmers are able to get community support for preparing their lands for rains and women are able to send their kids to school and support one another without scarce Kenyan Shillings.
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+.. image:: images/blog/100-new42.webp
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+In the past, traditional aid organizations and development programs have failed to address the fundamental problems plaguing the economic infrastructure of marginalized communities across the world. Pumping typical aid into these economies often exacerbates unsustainable food systems and market dynamics by reinforcing the existing economic structure. The bulk of the aid flows out of the community too quickly to provide lasting impact and key resources & community members remain largely underutilized.
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+These communities have developed a scalable solution based on blockchain enabled community currencies which has been shown to incentivize resilient local markets and promote regional food security. **We are proud to be part of this story and are excited to see where these indigenous solutions lead us!**
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+	`#foodsecuity <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/foodsecuity>`_	 `#development <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/development>`_	`#communitycurrencies <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/communitycurrencies>`_  `#aid <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/aid>`_
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content/blog/1st-community.rst

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+:title: 1st Community Currency Market and More
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Sep 14, 2015
+:slug: 1st-community
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+:summary: September 12th Community Currency groups in Mombasa and Nairobi both held simultaneous events. One was a community market and games day...
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+.. image:: images/blog/1st-community1.webp
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+September 12th Community Currency groups in Mombasa and Nairobi both held simultaneous events. One was a community market and games day and the other was a trash collection and feast.
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+Nairobi CC Market
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+September 12th was our first joint market between two community currency trading networks in Nairobi. We brought together 42 vendors and teachers and students from 10 schools, to trade goods and services and play games. Beyond the nearly 200 trade network members that were invited we also opened the event to the general public by allowing them to enter the market by exchanging their Kenyan Shillings for Community Currency. This was our first such market, but by the reaction of vendors, schools and the public, we will have many more.
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+Mombasa CC Clean-Up
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+On the other side of Kenya the Ng'ombeni-Pesa (Cow-money) women got together with the Matatu and Conductor Association (of more than 400 Conductors) to clean up Mikindani. The cleanup targeted the areas most afflicted around Trade Network Member shops, and ended with a Swahili-style pilau feat prepared by members of the network. After the feast there was a lively discussion about doing a market day similar to the one in Nairobi and also about helping the members get to know each other better and trade more.
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content/blog/2019-data.rst

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+:title: 2019 Data Release - 92k Kenyan blockchain translations
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Jan 3, 2020
+:slug: 2019-data
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+:summary: With every transaction being logged anonymously on a public blockchain we have unprecedented insight into what living below the poverty...
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+.. image:: images/blog/2019-data1.webp
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+With every transaction being logged anonymously on a public `blockchain  <http://blockscout.com/poa/core/>`_ we have unprecedented insight into what living below the poverty line means in rural and urban Kenya.
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+All the anonymous data from 2019 is freely available on `github <http://github.com/GrassrootsEconomics/TransactionDatasets>`_ : with 92,223 transactions of 7,630 users. Pulling out what represents distribution and redemption of community currencies we are left with roughly 168,000 USD of trade between Sarafu users. The voucher redemption cost was a total of 12,000 USD of Sarafu purchased from local hubs and savings groups by donors and then re-injected into the system. We've been blessed with all walks of researchers this year from anthropology, network science, economics and more - if you know someone interested in helping with research please let them know about this dataset!
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+**What does this mean?**
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+7,630 people living below the poverty line were each given 400 digital vouchers (~$4 USD) with a variable exchange rate to Kenyan Shillings. With little training - generally word of mouth - all kinds of people used these vouchers as a medium of exchange. Backstopping this trade was savings groups (generally 25 women) who would collect the vouchers as part of their own savings and loan repayment schemes and could cash out a limited supply 50% of their voucher balances per month. This financial guarantee was enough to give the surrounding markets confidence (building a social guarantee) and trade over 5x the entire amount of Sarafu in circulation.
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+Giving cash is often more direct and more effective than other types of aid. But with Community Inclusion Currencies like Sarafu we `leverage  <http://www.grassrootseconomics.org/single-post/Enabling-Leverage>`_ limited cash donations into variable rate vouchers. Farmers, teachers, fishermen and so on are accepting being paid in Sarafu (which is actually broken into 12 different community specific currencies), not because they would prefer it over Kenyan shillings but rather because there aren't enough Kenyan shillings to go around. Communities are using Sarafu to fill the gap and support each other
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+That's not all - in 2019 Grassroots Economics provided phone support and training across Kenya and began planning with Red Cross on disseminating this training to other marginalized areas such in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. We also began working with `sempo.ai <http://sempo.ai>`_ on building an open source platform for Community Inclusion Currencies which can be used by anyone.
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+`#data <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/data>`_	`#sataset <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/sataset>`_	 `#research <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/research>`_ `#transactiondata <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/transactiondata>`_	`#blockchain <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/blockchain>`_
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content/blog/2020-kenyan.rst

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+:title: 2020 Kenyan CICs in Review
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Jan 2
+:slug: 2020-kenyan
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+:summary: We’re extremely excited about using CICs for developing support networks for vulnerable communities and households, and especially food syst
+:tags: report,goals
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+.. image:: images/blog/2020-kenyan1.webp
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+Brief Historical Overview
+*********************************
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+Starting in 2010 Grassroots Economics worked with local communities to issue vouchers aka Community Currencies (CCs) as a medium of exchange with the belief that CCs could enable communities to develop a source of local credit based on productive capacity and local values, while creating a monetary system better suited to eradicate poverty and the multiple indicators of deprivation targeted by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. After working with over a dozen communities by 2018 we began to support communities in digitizing their CCs. 
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+2020 Survival Mode
+***********************
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+Starting in 2020 we embarked on the huge task of developing, refining and modularizing `open source  <https://gitlab.com/grassrootseconomics/cic-docs>`_ infrastructure that would enable communities to issue and manage their own Community Inclusion Currencies (CICs). CICs are blockchain contracts that enable a community to issue a digital voucher against claims of future production and create a possibility of conversion between that voucher to other similar vouchers.
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+.. image:: images/blog/2020-kenyan51.webp
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+With support from DOEN.nl, Innovation Norway and the Red Cross we grew our Kenyan support teams to 12 and our software development team to 5 people. While our teams have worked all year on supporting existing users and developing these systems (to be launched in January), all the existing CCs over the years were replaced with a single Basic Income token called Sarafu as a stop-gap while we continued technology development.
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+Due to `COVID and Red Cross involvement <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/post/covid-19-cic-response-500x>`_ the usage of Sarafu bloomed from around 1,000 users to reach over 41,700 users and 263 Million Sarafu (roughly 2.5 Million USD equivalent) have traded hands in over 335,000 transactions between users with feature phones (no internet). Sarafu is issued to new users and also recollected as a holding fee each month and redistributed to users. The total supply was based on population projections in targeted areas and has been as a bootstrapping mechanism for introducing the concept of community currency. In 2021 communities will be creating again their own CICs and can choose to use Sarafu as a way to connect their CICs to others. Note that Sarafu and CIC circulation data is anonymous and used to target humanitarian support such as cash transfer programs. Read more about `Sarafu Network <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/sarafu-network>`_ and check out the `data dashboard <https://dashboard.sarafu.network/>`_ and research `here <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/research>`_.
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+.. image:: images/blog/2020-kenyan88.webp
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+Using CCs to support the development and maintenance of communal farms has been one of the core concepts of our work since we started implementing in rural areas in 2014 – where the CC is a promise against future production of the farm and can be used to buy food after each harvest. In 2020 we began integrating Syntropic Agroforestry into demo farms which utilizes, bio-intensive mixed-crop planting, mulching on-site, and successional growth and rotations. These techniques have enabled us enter traditional maize farms and convert them into regenerative agriculture plots. These farms aka Food Forests create productive capacity and a foundation for resilient food systems. The CCs help organize the labor and care for these communal structures. 
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+Overall 2020 has taught us that a free medium of exchange that can be used in vulnerable communities is extremely important especially during times of crisis. ... 2020 We're glad it's over!
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+2021 Goals
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+We’re extremely excited about using CICs for developing support networks for vulnerable communities and households, and especially food systems. With hardened software and materials, we’ll be able more and more to support other organizations to develop, copy and use the CIC infrastructure. A few more goals are shown below:
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+	* Develop Training Materials
+	* Support Food Forest creation
+	* Enable communities to create their own interconnected tokens (January) (no connection to Kenyan Shillings)
+	* Develop web-based non-custodial systems (wallets and token creation interfaces)
+	* Develop the blockchain contracts for the Sarafu token to act as a type of UBI / Dividend
+	* Document and enable more interoperability with other protocols, APIs chat bots, market places
+	* Develop Voting systems for governance and tax redistribution
+	* Develop Standard Operating Procedures for humanitarian organizations.
+	* Develop different reserve pools (network tokens (Sarafu), stable tokens, carbon credits).
+	* Develop parametric triggers for aid injection
+	* Develop an SDG Impact Index related to CIC transaction data (categories, gender .. )
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+Keep reading for the brave techies:
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+.. image:: images/blog/2020-kenyan145.webp
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+The open-source infrastructure allows for both custodial and non-custodial systems where users can define and write contracts (which act as programmable currencies) onto a blockchain - such as `bloxberg.org <http://bloxberg.org>`_ - and enable those currencies to interact with each other.
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content/blog/2021-mid.rst

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+:title: 2021 Mid Year CIC Update
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: May 11
+:slug: 2021-mid
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+:summary: We grew from a few thousands users to over 50,000 and have seen roughly 3 Million USD worth of trade between users for basic needs.
+:tags: update
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+Transitions
+****************
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+Below is a summary for the entire country since 2020 till May 2021. At the end of 2019 we were forced off our old digital platform and onto a temporary one where we could only make one digital currency (Sarafu). We also started air-dropping this currency to anyone with a sim card in Kenya while trying all kinds of ways to connect Sarafu to humanitarian work. We grew from a few thousands users to over 50,000 and have seen roughly 3 Million USD worth of trade between users for basic needs - recorded in nearly 400,000 blockchain transactions. While the system has grown we've strive to return to the community based foundations we came from guided by a new director `Shalia Agha. <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/post/grassroots-economics-has-a-new-director-shaila-agha>`_.
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+Back to Basics
+******************
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+After over a year of sitting in this technical road stop (with only one currency) -  all I can say is how much I miss creating community currencies one village at a time! Hopefully this month we will release a fully open source and modular version of our software and by the middle of the year be able to facilitate communities to develop their own community currencies again. The `application process <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KdHyAoVwuookcb2ZZgoNiXBUkKSWQJO9ENQjvkF6luc/edit?usp=sharing>`_ for creating a CIC we've been working on together with community groups, takes some of our current learning and applies them to our older pre-2020 - programs. The basic idea of for a CIC to be a producer credit - or voucher for the goods and services of a well defined group and for that group to define how they will use these credits in community projects.
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+Foundations in Regeneration
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+2020 was also the year of `Syntropic Agroforestry <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/post/regenerative-mustard-seeds>`_ - where community groups use it as a basis for their local groups would pool together their Sarafu and use it for maintenance and farm inputs, and after circulation in the community for school fees, haircuts, church tithing, etc. ... people can use it again for food from communal farms. This has grown out to 50 acres of such farming! These types of programs that anchor community currency to communal structures we hope to see grow more and more.
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+Humanitarian Focus
+*************************
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+The Red Cross has just about completed a second pilot of CICs in informal settlements as part of COVID relief and resilience work. GIZ in Cameroon are working on their own CICs and we continue to consult many formal and informal groups on how to setup their own CICs digitally or with paper vouchers. Rather than connecting CICs to cash exchange, which creates an incentive to save them, connecting them to vulnerable assistance community asset development has remained the best practice. 
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+Data
+********
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+Below is a summary for the entire country since 2020 based on `research data <http://grassrootseconomics.org/research>`_:
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+.. image:: images/blog/2021-mid1.webp
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+Note that while 1 Sarafu is socially pegged to 1 Kenyan Shilling. The actual value of Sarafu compared to the Kenyan shilling will vary based on the user.
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+.. image:: images/blog/2021-mid82.webp
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+The above graphic shows COVID starting in April 2020 with increased Sarafu usage, eventually ebbing off by October 2020 - leading toward a more steady state by January 2021. While registrations continue to grow currently via airdropping Sarafu- without strong community anchors that growth isn't sustainable. 
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+Kisauni
+************
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+Zooming in on `Kisauni which started with Red Cross volunteers <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/post/red-cross-and-kisauni-community-currency>`_ early 2021
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+.. image:: images/blog/2021-mid112.webp
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+.. image:: images/blog/2021-mid123.webp
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+Note. Ignore the last data point for the morning the data was sampled.
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+Working in Kisauni started with the Kenyan Red Cross Cash Transfer Program (CTP)team going through and identifying the vulnerable households along with local leaders and community health volunteers. These 1,500 vulnerable householders were given cash transfers monthly while also being enrolled in CIC (Sarafu) along with their neighbors. Overall over 5,000 people in Kisauni joined the network and have traded basic needs with among each other over 13,000 times over roughly 4 months. These users are currently forming community groups that will support the program long term and also being supported by local industry partners. This is an example of airdropping 100 Sarafu onto vulnerable people in COVID crisis and working with them to form groups. 1,500 vulnerable households received cash aid (with no connection to Sarafu at all) . This cash aid helps but doesn't stay circulating in the community like CIC does. The, over 5000, users in the area form a resilient trade network that is growing daily and will continue supporting the vulnerable long term. 
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+.. image:: images/blog/2021-mid144.webp
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+Above are the 1,396 CTP users that signed up for CIC so far and how much Sarafu they have spent in various categories. CIC seems to be helping them longer term than we would expect the cash transfer to and it is connecting them into a larger community of support and stable markets.
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+Despite many doubts, this trial of running a cash transfer program in parallel with airdropped CIC has created significant impacts and continues to grow through the adoption of local stakeholders and community groups. 
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content/blog/2614-blockchain.rst

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+:title: 2614 Blockchain Transactions for Basic Needs
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Jan 23, 2019
+:slug: 2614-blockchain
+ 
+:summary: In our journey over the last few months building tools for community currencies on the blockchain to support healthy economies, a network...
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+.. image:: images/blog/2614-blockchain1.webp
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+In our journey over the last few months building tools for community currencies on the blockchain to support healthy economies, a network of 550 mothers, teachers, clinics, shop keepers and more have reached 2,614 trades among themselves to support each other while living below the poverty line. Over 10,900 USD worth of goods and services have been traded so far representing a significant increase to local trade at a time when Kenyan Shillings are scarce.
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+.. image:: images/blog/2614-blockchain32.webp
+
+
+
+550 users is a relatively small number of businesses, so far, piloting the currencies. As the networks grow we expect to seem much more trade as the year progresses and these networks fill out. Fundamentally this community currency trade shows that the existing fiat based economy only enables a small fraction of the full capacity of people.
+
+
+
+Of these transactions we see primarily food being traded. This is only the very beginning, as more and more schools and clinics as well as environmental organizations enroll we expect to see these proportions change. This data is updated live for every single blockchain transaction on `http://www.sarafu.cc <http://www.sarafu.cc>`_
+
+
+
+Our formula, *so far* ,for Blockchain Based Community Currencies:
+
+* Bancor Protocol built into the smart contracts enables each community currency to be connected to each other
+* The POA blockchain allows us to to cheaply and quickly write transactions to the blockchain
+* The `USSD systems via Africastalking <http://africastalking.com/>`_ allow us to make these tokens available to a huge population without smart phones or internet
+* Creating an initial supply of tokens relative to the population's daily consumption of food and airdropping it into micro and small businesses, schools and clinics that back the token's value.
+* Demurrage or negative interest rates - where if a user is not using their tokens for a  period of time a percentage of their balance is automatically sent to a community fund - which redistributes the tokens as a basic income and supports community programs
+* Community ambassadors that train and enroll community members and braid them together into trading networks.
+
+
+As we learn from community usage of these tools - we update and improve these systems and hope all best practices we gather are useful for other organizations and communities seeking to develop healthy economies. Please contact us if you would like to share your experiences, help or know more.
+
+
+
+ 
+

content/blog/300-bob.rst

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+:title: 300 Bob - a money story
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Feb 10, 2019
+:slug: 300-bob
+ 
+:summary: This is a story I often tell to being to discuss what money is and what it could be. It is derived from a German tale. One day a Mama...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/300-bob1.webp
+
+
+*This is a story I often tell to being to discuss what money is and what it could be. It is derived from a German tale.*
+`German tale <http://www.denkmal-film.de/inwhatwetrust/>`_
+
+ 
+
+
+
+One day a Mama Songa, a woman selling vegetables, is packing up her unsold tomatoes and finds that someone has placed a *300 Bob (Bob is the short form for ‘Shillings’ in Kenya) note.* She has never seen such a note, but it looks legit. (There are only paper notes in denominations of 50,100,200,500,1000 in Kenya).
+
+
+She decides to take it to her child’s schools where she is late on fees. The headmaster looks at the 300 Bob note and is shocked but finally accepts it as he trusts that he could return it for tomatoes later. He doesn’t need tomatoes through, and instead uses it to purchase some flour for the school lunch.
+
+The flour shop owner then realizes he needs tomatoes for dinner the next day and visits Mama Songa to buy 300 Bob of tomatoes. Mama Songa is pleased to see the 300 Bob return to her and decides she should save some money in the bank.
+
+
+The banker takes one look at the money and rips in half and throws it in the dust bin.
+
+
+
+Mama Songa is shocked, “But that 300 Bob bought school fees, flour and tomatoes! It enabled 900 Bob of trade”.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+“That is not official money” the banker says in disgust.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Mama Songa shakes her head and realizes that in the end she was at least able to pay for school fees and only lost some tomatoes that were going bad.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+	*I generally flavor this story with the various goods and services of the community I am working in and finally introduce the idea of a circulating voucher and ask the following questions?*
+	*What if Mama Songa could create a voucher for her tomatoes that could also be accepted for school fees and flour? What would the rules need to be for printing and distributing such vouchers? How much trade could be unlocked with these in circulation?*
+
+
+ 
+
+	*I often bring up the joke of the construction worker who didn’t finish his job and gives the excuse that he ran out of centimeters. If money, in the case of a circulating voucher, is just a record of who owes whom how much, then why should we ever have to run out? Perhaps the paper is expensive to print – enter digital vouchers and blockchain security.*
+
+
+ 
+
+	*Finally, I revisit the story’s banker;*
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Once Mama Songa leaves, the Banker grabs the two halves of the 300 Bob and uses some clear tape to stick them back together and walks over to go buy some flour.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+	*Where exactly do our shillings come from? What is money? What is official money?*
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+What is wrong with our society if people don't send their kids to school or eat an evening meal because they are missing pieces of paper? 
+
+	*What is wrong with our society if people don't send their kids to school or eat an evening meal because they are missing pieces of paper?*
+
+
+
+
+`#justsostories <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/justsostories>`_	 `#stories <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/stories>`_	`#story <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/story>`_	 `#whatismoney <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/whatismoney>`_	`#voucher <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/voucher>`_
+
+

content/blog/5-kenyan.rst

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+:title: 5 Kenyan Community Currencies Meet
+:author: Ruth Mwangi
+:date: Jul 1, 2015
+:slug: 5-kenyan
+ 
+:summary: Saturday, 27th June will remain a day to remember for various Business Networks in Kenya. A total of five Business Networks united by a...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/5-kenyan1.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Saturday, 27th June will remain a day to remember for various Business Networks in Kenya.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+A total of five Business Networks united by a Community Currency (CC) were represented at a single meeting in Mombasa, hosted by the Bangladesh Business Network. Community Currencies give business communities a way to create their own mutual-credit-clearing (barter exchange) system to build economic resilience and self-fund community development programs.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Present, were committee members of the existing community Currencies in Nairobi (Kangemi-Pesa, launched 3 months ago and Gatina-Pesa, launched 9 months ago) along with 2 of their volunteers; members of the committees about to launch new currencies in Nairobi (Lindi-Pesa) and Mombasa (Ng’ombeni-Pesa). And of course, the committee, volunteers and members of the Bangladesh Business Network from Mombasa (Bangla-Pesa, launched in 2013) and the founder of Grassroots Economics – GE (in charge of the implementation of the CC networks in Africa).
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The main objective of this meeting was to share ideas in an interactive setting and come up with ways to enhance trade in the existing businesses on a day-to-day basis. Faulu Kenya, a Micro-finance institution that offers a variety of financial solutions catering to both Retail and SME segments, was also in attendance to explain the terms and conditions of group and Chama loans. These loans would help small business owners within the GE networks expand their businesses. Other activities that took place during these meetings were entertainment from the Bangla-Pesa Volleyball team – a youth group that provides garbage collection services to the Bangladesh community - sponsored by the Bangla-Pesa community fund of Bangladesh Business Network. Members of the Gatina and Kangemi-Pesa also got a chance to be part of the planning meeting for the upcoming Ng’ombeni-Pesa launch which is set to take place in the month August.
+

content/blog/715-members.rst

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+:title: 715 Members and Growing Fast
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: May 7, 2016
+:slug: 715-members
+ 
+:summary: Sarafu-Credit users in five locations around Kenya have increased by over 83% since January 1st. Our Super Markets and Credit Clearing...
+ 
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/715-members1.webp
+
+
+
+Sarafu-Credit users in five locations around Kenya have increased by over 83% since January 1st. Our Super Markets and Credit Clearing Offices in five locations are beginning to develop a strong local presence but it is our users that do the most to grow these networks by simply showing how much their trade is increasing. Below are some recent examples of Sarafu-Credit users in Nairobi and Mombasa:
+
+
+
+	**Key Examples in Nairobi - by Daniel Mukosia our Nairobi Coordinator**	
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/715-members54.webp
+
+
+
+Dickson Mutashe has been a member of Gatina Business Organization for the last two years. He owns a computer training center at 56 Kawangware. He says he has been using Sarafu-Credit and so far he has been able to buy goods and services from other members who offer different services from his, such as paying tuition for his children. He also offers web surfing, printing, photocopy and playing computer games. He also uses Sarafu-Credit as change to his regular customers who also use the Sarafu-Credit to purchase food stuff such as Mama Mboga. "The circulation of Sarafu-Credit has enabled me to get more customers and increase daily sales." - Dickson Mutashe
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/715-members71.webp
+
+
+
+Mary Akothe (Mama Mboga) located at Gatina Check point started using Sarafu-Credit early this year. She noticed Sarafu-Credit after realizing that the credit has enabled most of the businesses around her to be able to save the money. She has been actively trading with Sarafu-Credit and says "My business has been improving on a daily basis by increasing sales due to increase of daily customers who have been using Sarafu-Credit backing up the Kenyan shilling to purchase goods and services within the network." She has also been contributing towards chama savings and will be in a position to get loans to expand her business. She has been able to purchase more stock using Sarafu-Credit and this has enabled her business to grow and she is active in recruiting more and more members along her entire supply chain.
+
+
+	**Key Examples in Mombasa - by Lydia Anyango our Mombasa Coordinator**	
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/715-members95.webp
+
+
+
+Kennedy Ongweko of Bangladesh community near Mombasa owns a kinyozi (barber shop) and he has many Sarafu-Credit customers. "I never used to have a lot of children customers but ever since I registered to be in the Business 
+
+
+
+Network all the mamas in the market bring their children to my knyozi because I accept Sarafu-Credit," he says. In return Kennedy uses Sarafu-Credit to buy food from the market and also pays for repairs with it.
+
+
+
+Francisca Ayieko or ‘Teclar’ as known by many people in Bangladesh community as Teclar uses Sarafu-Credit on a daily basis to sell fresh water. A 20litre gallon of water goes for 5/= and she accepts the full value in 5 Sarafu-Credit (in the form of Bangla-Pesa). She was one of the first traders of BP starting in 2013 and has been active ever since. "Sarafu-Credit (Bangla-Pesa) has been of great help to me because I receive a lot of customers fetching my water," she says. "I also sell a lot of my fish. Sometimes I accept only Sarafu-Credit when one does not have the Kenya shillings at all instead of accepting debts that I have to wait to get repaid", she adds.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/715-members118.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+

content/blog/a-new.rst

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+:title: A New Kind of Cash
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Jun 12, 2014
+:slug: a-new
+ 
+:summary: “Cash is the enemy of the poor,” wrote Rodger Voorhies, director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s program aimed at improving...
+ 
+
+
+“Cash is the enemy of the poor,” wrote Rodger Voorhies, director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s program aimed at improving financial services to the poor.
+
+
+
+While, I have a soft spot for technology - targeting cashas the enemy of the poor is sadly short sighted and self serving coming from the big money behind the Gates foundation.
+
+
+
+If all the poor in the world could suddenly switch to using debit cards, or mobile phone money transfer - would we really see a change to current level of inequality? Or would we just see a those who sell the services and hardware making a killing in profits? Turning that concept on 'developed' nations is equally ridiculous - Is cash the problem in Greece or Detroit causing economic devastation?
+
+
+
+Whatever the motives for pushing more and more tech solutions, the fundamental problem is definitely not cash, nor is it simply lack of cash - The problem is rooted in failing monetary system that gives private banks `the power to create money in-order to profit off peoples' debt <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04jV1zVROU8>`_	 in-order to profit off peoples' debt. What this means on the ground in places like slums in Kenya, is that to get money to grow your business you have to go into debt - which is likely to land you in a lot of trouble at usurious interest rates. People that do end up raising above unstable markets and horrible conditions have little trouble at all accessing financial services for their money.
+
+
+
+
+Promoting savings is the icing on the cake - the financial services promoted by tech giants are really of one main variety, like M-Pesa, they offer money transfer services with middle men raking in huge profits. The financial service that no one seems interested in providing is currency issuance, not transfer. Mainly because it involves empowering communities and less profits rising up the pyramid.
+
+
+
+Articles `like this one <http://www.humanosphere.org/social-business/2014/06/bitcoin-for-the-poor-a-no-cash-business-plan-for-the-next-billion/>`_ tout Bitcoin for could work for the poor. Yet Bitcoin has shown the same flaw in `mirroring the inequality of our current failing  <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/03/03/forget-the-1-percent-in-the-bitcoin-world-half-the-wealth-belongs-to-the-0-1-percent/>`_ system. Who gets to mine Bitcoins? Who gets to issue credit? Certainly not the poor - unless we change that.
+
+
+
+This key financial service can be provided to communities at little cost and doesn't need mobile technology.
+
+
+
+With minuscule cost to develop or implement - and zero cost to run and transact Bangla-Pesa, a community currency, has hundreds of 'poor' people trading more than 10,000 shillings of paper/cash Bangla-Pesa daily. This is a currency issued and back by a local community with their own goods and services. It isn't purchased. It isn't mined. It is issued and guaranteed by a local business network and starting to be adopted areas across Kenya.
+
+
+
+Perhaps down the road services like Bangla-Pesa could be offered via mobile phone (this really depends on the cost to users) - but the tech aspect is secondary to the innovation of giving communities the key financial service they lack - the ability to issue their own credit not tied to debts in national currency.
+
+
+
+Each year we see big businesses and big money trying to push the new tech revolution on the poor - are they simply pushing technology or are they actually interested in ending poverty?
+

content/blog/a-wonderful.rst

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+:title: A Wonderful Experience in Miyani
+:author: Marion Cauvet
+:date: Jan 16, 2018
+:slug: a-wonderful
+ 
+:summary: I am a French researcher involved in an MSc Agricultural Development at the University of Copenhagen. I am very interested in Community...
+ 
+
+.. image:: images/blog/a-wonderful1.webp
+
+
+
+I am a French researcher involved in an MSc Agricultural Development at the University of Copenhagen. I am very interested in Community Currency, especially regarding their potential to foster sustainable agriculture, food security and endogenous development in developing countries. 
+
+
+
+In this context, I am currently doing amazing fieldwork in the rural area of Miyani (near Mombasa, Kenya) where a community currency -the Miyani-Pesa (MP) (part of the Sarafu-Credit system)- has been launched last August. Grassroots Economics has, indeed, supported a local agricultural cooperative in (1) investing in a posho mill; (2) launching the MP (which is backed by the milling service) and an inital network of 40 local smallholders.
+
+
+
+Objective: The main objective of my research was to examine the current and potential impacts of MP on the agricultural cooperative development, food security and local farmers livelihoods. Methods: (1) transect walk and mapping of the area (territorial resources analysis); (2) semi-structured interviews with 36 MP users regarding users’ characteristics; MP use, perceived benefits and challenges of the MP); (3) distribution of one hundred food consumption booklets among non-members and members (control and treatment) of the MP (comparison in terms of daily meals and daily food purchases); (4) semi-structured interviews with key informants (Red Cross, Green World Campaign, officials (interests, needs, challenges; perceptions about MP); (5) Workshops with members of the agricultural cooperative (objectives, operations, activities, history, partnerships, benefits and challenges); (6) Workshop and participatory training with the MP members (networking, further actions); (7) direct observation by living fifteen days with a local family and by participating to some activities at the cooperative.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/a-wonderful47.webp
+
+
+
+Although the MP is still at an early development stage, 14 out of 36 interviewees mentioned that MP helps them on their daily food purchases by allowing them to buy food or mill their maize even when they experience a lack of Kenyan shillings. More astonishing, 60% of users noticed that they could already buy more diverse food thanks to the MP. Inital analysis of the food consumption booklets shows that in average, the non-users spend 23 Ksh per day per household member for food while the Miyani-pesa users spend 41 Ksh.This is an astonishing difference after only a few months!
+
+
+
+
+Besides, 60% of interviewees also underlined that, by using MP, they could increase their savings in Kenyan Shillings. They would use the savings for paying the school fees, developing their farm and/or increasing their business stocks. For instance, one of the respondents underlined that he saved 300 Ksh (more than a weeks wage for him) since September and could, therefore, invest on his farm by buying one chicken.
+
+
+
+Jacob, 44 years and father of 7 children, is both a farmer and a fisherman. Cooperative’s committee member, Jacob has been employed at the posho mill since February 2017. In addition of earning 100/150 Kenyan Shillingsper working day, he has daily received 50 MP (equal to 50 Kenyan Shillings) since last September. Jacob expressed his enthusiasm regarding MP (Sarafu-credit). At first, he mentioned that he could make more savings by using Sarafu-credit for his daily purchases. He would use the savings for paying for school fees while using the sarafu-credit for buying more food. He also underlined that he could buy more diverse food thanks to the Sarafu-credit. For instance, he buys more often wheat flour for making “chapatis” or rice and therefore, eats more than three times a week chapatis compared to once per week before; more than three times per week rice compared to twice per week before:
+
+
+
+“I DON’T HAVE TO EAT UGALI EVERY DAY NOW. I COULD BUY MORE OFTEN RICE, BEANS, WHEAT FLOUR ETC.”
+
+
+
+Besides, he underlined that his business as a fisherman has been supported: before, he received 2500 Ksh in a good day; now it earns 3700 Ksh in a good day because of more MP clients. Jacob finally underlined that he expects these benefits to be multiplied when there will be more users, as the program is only a few months old.
+
+
+
+It is expected that these impacts would be fostered by scaling up the network of users. 
+
+
+
+On the other hand, while the MP orientates the local consumption of milling services toward the agricultural cooperative, the latter uses the received MP to support its operational costs by partially remunerating two of its employees at the posho mill in MP. The cooperative has also organized a tree planting event along which the participants were partially paid in MP. In the future, it is expected that the cooperative better systemizes the use of the MP by paying community services such as waste collection, tree planting, water-pound digging etc.
+
+
+
+Finally, while the local use of MP is still challenged by it being so new and the size of the users’ network, there is a strong potential for fostering the local food security, the farmers’ living standards and the agricultural cooperative.
+
+
+
+To conclude, I would like to point out that my fieldwork in Miyani is more than a research project: it is an incredible human experience. I could meet wonderful people who have so openly and nicely welcomed me, as if I was one of them. They allowed me to participate to their daily activities such as cooking, farming or fetching water; are always willing to help me for my research activities; and, the most important it is that we laugh and have fun together although we do not speak the same language! Besides, it is amazing for me that Grassroots Economics has put my research into actions and encouraged me express my theories and ideas for further development. More than that, GE has provided me with the keys to design and implement successful and innovative community currency schemes which have such a potential in terms of food security and sustainable endogenous development. I am now eager and ready to spread this model and thus, participate in “prospering economies built by thriving communities”!  
+
+
+
+`#miyani <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/miyani>`_	`#agriculture <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/agriculture>`_	 `#maize <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/maize>`_	`#research <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/research>`_
+
+
+

content/blog/accolades-for.rst

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+:title: Accolades for Kenyan Community Currencies
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Jun 30, 2016
+:slug: accolades-for
+ 
+:summary: Community Currencies in Kenya have gotten a lot of lime light this month! Ruth Mwangi our Program Director has been honored to visit the...
+
+.. raw:: html
+
+    <iframe width="740" height="416" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fPAUFVgtMwM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+ 
+
+Community Currencies in Kenya have gotten a lot of lime light this month!
+
+
+
+Ruth Mwangi our Program Director has been honored to visit the US ambassador in Kenya and has received a Mandela Washington Fellowship for her work! We're very proud of her and expect her to lead us with newfound ideas and energy. The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). President Obama launched YALI in 2010 to support young African leaders as they spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa.
+
+
+
+We are often asked what the benefits of these programs are and as usage continues to grow we like to use current examples to demonstrate the impacts:
+
+
+
+Siprosa - a Teacher using Sarafu-Credit in Nairobi - interviewed by Daniel Musioka our Nairobi Coordinator
+
+
+
+Siprosa Odanga is a Teacher at Sifa Children’s Centre in Nairobi. She says "Sarafu-Credit has enabled the children in the community to get education and that is promoting education. Children pay their tuition using the Kshs and fill in the missing money with Sarafu-credit." She also receives part of the Salary in Sarafu-Credit. She uses SC to purchase food such as Chips from Rebba Muyeshi who is an Active member. She also purchases goods (Products) from the GBO shop. She says that SC has enabled the children in the community to get education if they lack enough KSHS to pay for tuition. More than 25 parents use SC as part of their tuition fees. 10 teachers use the SC as part of their salaries and to buy food stuff and shop. Sifa Children's Centre receives roughly 1600 SC a month.
+
+
+
+Caren and Margaret - Chapati Business Women using Sarafu-Credit in Mombasa - interviewed by Lydia Anyango our Mombasa Coordinator
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/accolades-for1.webp
+
+
+
+Caren Otaya (left) and Margaret Odera (right) are both members of the Bangladesh Business Network outside Mombasa since 2013. They are both happy with the local Sarafu-Credit (SC) (Bangla-pesa). Caren says, “I am glad that there are a lot of SC users in the community now because we get a lot of customers coming to eat from us. We have thus increased our sales and stock.”. “Also nearly all the people selling at the market and school children come to eat from us. This has made others who sell chapatti and beans like us to register in the network so that they get customers”, says Margaret. Their business has increased by over 50% since joining the network!
+
+
+
+
+What's happening here?
+
+
+
+
+The women above join a local group of schools and businesses that are trying to support each other by co-guaranteeing vouchers that rotate among all the members. Each member joins the network and receive a private credit line from the other members in Sarafu-Credit that is only usable within the network. With over 1000 businesses in these networks, these credits enable a vast amount of underutilized trade to take place by allowing people to back a credit with their goods and services.
+
+
+
+
+`#sarafu <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/sarafu>`_	`#obama <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/obama>`_
+
+

content/blog/african-community.rst

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+:title: African Community Currencies Update
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Jul 23, 2015
+:slug: african-community
+ 
+:summary: Kenyan Community Currencies Nairobi Gatina-Pesa – The Gatina Business Network's members have been saving their Kenyan Shilings together...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/african-community1.webp
+
+
+Kenyan Community Currencies
+
+
+
+Nairobi
+
+
+* Gatina-Pesa – The Gatina Business Network's members have been saving their Kenyan Shilings together since there launch last October and are using it as collateral to self-issue small loans to members. Sub-groups within the Network are also applying for micro-finance loans from SMEP-Oikeo. Information booths about the program are beginning to go up this weekend around Kawangware.
+* Kangemi-Pesa – The Kangemi Business Network did their first community community Clean-Up with the support of several schools in the area that use the currency.
+* Gatina and Kangemi groups are planning a shared market day where people will be invited to temporarily exchange their Kenyan shillings for community currency and shop at a special market for members only. In addition Robin Gerbaux has developed a Directory for both networks to help members find eachother.
+* Lindi-Pesa – The Lindi Business Network is prepared to launch August 8th in Kibera. With well over 150 businesses already pre-registered, this looks to be the largest launch so far. The currency was printed in Germany with the help of our German partners Nyendo-lernen, and Chiemgauer.
+
+
+Mombasa 
+
+	* Bangla-Pesa – The Bangladesh Business Network is currently undergoing research from the University of Lyon. They have planned their weekend clean-up and Volleyball match as well as an annual reassessment of membership and issuance of Bangla-Pesa with expiry dates in late August. 
+	* Ng'ombeni-Pesa – Prepared to launch August 15th! They are preparing a fashion show as well as a new Mkokoteni trash collection group. Women and youth have been trained by the group as tailors and will showcase their goods at the launch. This currency was also printed in Germany with the help of our German partners Nyendo-lernen, and Chiemgauer. 
+
+
+
+South African Community Currencies 
+
+	* Bergrivier - The Brand or Bergrivier-Rand has had it's first month of trading. 
+	* Kokstad - The K'Mali or Kokstad-Rand launched on Mandela's birthday July 18th. 
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+

content/blog/bangla-committee.rst

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+:title: Bangla Committee Meeting
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Mar 16, 2013
+:slug: bangla-committee
+ 
+:summary: Koru Kenya is working to capacity build the the Bangladesh Business Network (BBN) to create it's own complementary currency. The...
+ 
+
+
+
+Koru Kenya is working to capacity build the the Bangladesh Business Network (BBN) to create it's own complementary currency. The committee of the met today to work on it's draft constitution, membership registration process and next general meeting.
+
+
+The meeting was held at St Mary's Secondary school with the attendance of: James Ochieng (Treasurer) representing Mens' Business, Sylvia Osodo (Vice Chairperson) representing Elders' Business, Alfred Sigo (Chairperson) representing Youths' Business, Emma Onyongo (Vice Secretary) representing Womens' Business, Rose Oloo (Secretary) representing Community Health Workers' Business. 
+
+
+
+After corrections and translations to kiswahili the comittee will meet again on the 23rd to begin work on registration, targeting 200 business. The Committee also decided on a second community for control group data collection to compare to their own called Gana Hola roughly 30 minutes away by foot.
+
+`#bangla <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/bangla>`_
+
+
+

content/blog/bangla-pesa-anticipating.rst

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+:title: Bangla-Pesa Anticipating November
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Oct 20, 2013
+:slug: bangla-pesa-anticipating
+ 
+:summary: On May 29th 2013 we were arrested and charged with forgery. On August 23rd 2013 the case against Bangla-Pesa was dropped. A month after...
+ 
+
+
+.. raw:: html
+
+    <iframe width="740" height="416" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UaspBGmsdLE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+
+
+
+On May 29th 2013 we were arrested and charged with forgery. On August 23rd 2013 the case against Bangla-Pesa was dropped. A month after acquittal, the Central Bank of Kenya's Currency Department had finally made contact with us to ask us for information about the program (which they received). After nearly two months of misplaced court files, this last week of October we were finally given an `official copy <http://grassrootseconomics.org/sites/koru.or.ke/files/field/image/Bangla-Pesa-Court-Ruling_scan-800.jpg>`_ of the court order to drop the case against us. Receiving this court order signifies the end to prosecution and continuing the program under the guidance, if any, from local authorities and the Central Bank.
+
+
+
+When the government decided Bangla-Pesa was illegal, with no prior investigation, they raided our one room office with over 20 police officers. The items taken from our office by police included Bangla-Pesa vouchers and identification stickers for businesses. These items are still being held by the police 5 months later! Given there is no case against us and the matter was investigated by the Director of Public Prosecution holding program materials makes no sense.
+
+
+
+The police under OC Banking Fraud Investigations insists that they have the right to continue holding any materials as long as there is still an investigation. These investigations, which resulted in the case being dropped, may still never end we are told. Contrary to the police, the local administrative government officials have been very supportive and as of October there is no authority local, national or police telling us not to relaunch the program.
+
+
+It seems doubtful that we'll ever receive the Bangla-Pesa and other materials taken from us by police, so, in order for the Bangladesh community to relaunch the program, they are working on a new design for the vouchers, which should be ready by our prospective launch date November 23rd. We look forward to support from many local stakeholders!
+

content/blog/bangla-pesa-charges.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+:title: Bangla-Pesa Charges Dropped!
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Aug 23, 2013
+:slug: bangla-pesa-charges
+ 
+:summary: THE CASE IS OVER! Today the Director of Public Prosecutions announced that all charges against Bangla-Pesa are hereby dropped! This is a...
+ 
+
+
+
+THE CASE IS OVER! Today the Director of Public Prosecutions `announced <http://grassrootseconomics.org/files/Bangla-Pesa-DPP-statement-1024.jpg>`_ that all charges against Bangla-Pesa are hereby dropped! This is a huge success for Bangladesh and for poverty reduction programs in Kenya. We are incredibly grateful for the huge amount of support in Kenya and around the world. Without it, this program could have easily been forgotten and the accused held in prison. There is no doubt that we are part of an International Complementary Currency movement that is growing daily!
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/bangla-pesa-charges1.webp
+
+
+**What does this mean for Bangla-Pesa?**
+
+* That there are no laws in Kenya that have been broken by this program.
+* Before re-launching the program we are waiting on two things: confiscated Bangla-Pesa to be returned from the Central Bank, and official government recognition of the program.
+* Community Meetings will commence next week to get begin the process of putting Bangla-Pesa back to use.
+* We are asking for continued support of these programs, as communities around Kenya and East Africa wish to duplicate the successes of Bangladesh.
+* With the support raised so far via Indiegogo we hope to finalize all legal matters and relaunch the program with detailed monitoring and evaluation over the coming years.
+
+
+Why is Bangla-Pesa so important? As a poverty reduction program, Bangla-Pesa points in a new direction for community development by fundamentally re-thinking our means of exchange and how it issued. It gives those living in dire conditions the ability to create their own means of exchange and stabilize their own economy.
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/bangla-pesa-charges64.webp
+
+
+
+`Watch News coverage on YouTube <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_agUT3PvNI&list=PLPUExzwZAUpZgrTqH55aAV2tjlohT_qlD&index=6>`_
+
+`Read in English News <http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Opinion+and+Analysis/Move+on+Bangla+Pesa+unwise/-/539548/1968688/-/71gdv1/-/index.html>`_
+
+`Read in Swahili News <http://www.swahilihub.com/habari/HABARI+ZA+MAHAKAMANI/-/1333066/1965446/-/p2stju/-/index.html>`_
+
+`Read the letter from the DPP. <http://grassrootseconomics.org/files/Bangla-Pesa-DPP-statement-1024.jpg>`_
+
+
+
+`#complementary currencies <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/complementarycurrencies>`_	 `#bangla <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/bangla>`_
+
+
+

content/blog/bangla-pesa-launch.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+:title: Bangla-Pesa Launch
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: May 11, 2013
+:slug: bangla-pesa-launch
+ 
+:summary: Today's launch of Bangla-Pesa was a great start to an empowering community process!  137 local business owners attended. Of the 137 local...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/bangla-pesa-launch1.webp
+
+
+Today's launch of Bangla-Pesa was a great start to an empowering community process!
+
+137 local business owners attended. Of the 137 local business owners that attended, 56 members completed their registration and backing process and created 400 credits each. At least 150 pending registrations will be completed in the next week.
+
+
+
+Prior to the launch, members of the business network processed through Bangladesh, led in song by the Bangladesh Business Network (BBN) Committee, and following the Bangla-Pesa basket, which was escorted by local security officials.
+
+
+
+During the launch, the Alpha and Omega youth group performed a drama detailing the uses of Bangla-Pesa and debunking community concerns about this relatively novel approach to community development. The dramas left people laughing, clapping, and better informed. Afterwards Will Ruddick presented the some results of the baseline data collection, helping members of the Bangla Business Network understand the size, seasonal and weekly fluctuations, and gender inequalities in the economy. Members also listened to speeches by the Committee Chairman and Josephat Kioko, who talked about the benefits of a Eco-Pesa, the predecessor to Bangla-Pesa used in Kongowea, Kenya. Then, the Bangladesh Businesses Network's constitution was read and discussed in detail. Members of the Network asked pointed questions about issues like voting rules, tribal equity in leadership, clearly communicating their understanding and investment in the Network.
+
+
+Finally, members possessing completed registration forms, with 4 co-signers and the approval of the BBN's committee, received 400 Bangla-Pesa and a marketing sticker for their shops. 200 Bangla-Pesa was returned by each member as their registration fee. This registration fee will go toward community activities such as trash collection and health care, after an initial three month period to first strengthen the network's use of Bangla-Pesa.
+
+
+The meeting ended with a hearty meal and a strong commitment to and excitement about using Bangla-Pesa. Koru-Kenya's monitoring and evaluation team, led by Morgan Richards, will perform surveys over the next weeks and months to determine the extent of Bangla-Pesa used, any problems that need addressing, and how the community has benefited from the use of Bangla-Pesa. And, in 3 months, the Business Network will have their next General Meeting to discuss further changes to their operating rules.
+

content/blog/bangla-pesa-market.rst

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+:title: Bangla-Pesa Market, Shoes and Permaculture
+:author: Lydia Anyango
+:date: Dec 8, 2015
+:slug: bangla-pesa-market
+ 
+:summary: Finally! The Bangladesh Business Network Market Day was a big success. Bangla-Pesa members gathered together to sell their goods and...
+ 
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/bangla-pesa-market1.webp
+
+Finally! The Bangladesh Business Network Market Day was a big success. Bangla-Pesa members gathered together to sell their goods and invited the general public to take part. At first people were hesitant to bring their goods but after realizing that clients were coming, vendors went back to add more goods as what they had brought had all been sold out. The Master of Ceremony at the event did a great job by ensuring that the event remains fun and active. There were 27 buyers who attended the market event and bought from more than one person. All the goods sold on this day were worth 3,310 BP and was paid back with the equivalent amount in Kenyan Shillings. Some of the Band Pesa used by buyers were earned through emerging as winners in the competitions held during the event.
+
+
+
+Nthoki Ndindu one of the vendors says, “I hope this continues every month because I have met new customers and they have said that they will be coming to buy things from my ‘kibanda’. This day has given me the opportunity to advertise my business.”
+
+
+
+Frank Goya one of the market clients says, “I have never had the opportunity to buy something with Bangla Pesa but today I have. I feel happy about this and at least I now know that it is just like Kenyan shillings”.
+
+
+All went well on the event apart from one thing that I noted; It is important to have a first aid kit just in any case minor accidents occur like when one is peeling a fruit using a knife. Also ‘in every market there is a mad man’. Some people just have to create conflicts out of nothing so it is advisable to have security around. I had to assign 3 youths from the community to help maintain peace in the event.
+
+
+
+This is Francis Odengeya. He is a cobbler in Bangladesh and a member of the Bangla Business Network. He registered as a member in 2013 and has not stopped using Bangla Pesa ever since. His customers bring him Bangla Pesa for him to repair their shoes. His common price for shoe repair is Khs. 10. For this he accepts 5 Bangla-Pesa and 5 Kenyan Shillings. “I take this amount because I don’t need to buy stock often, I mostly use materials that I get from old ‘scrape’ shoes to repair shoes,” he says. “I eat chapatis and buy omena with the Bangla Pesa I collect from my customers.”
+
+
+
+Permaculture report from Caroline Dama
+
+
+Our work to help create food gardens around schools using Bangla-Pesa is still in progress. With the swales done the schools have been concentrating on adding dry grass and manure to have some fertile soil ready by January also the dry grass will act as a cover to ensure when it rains the soil stays moist so we could bring in some soil friendly organisms like millipedes, earth worms among others.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The schools are closing for the holidays so we spent the past week capacity building the children on how to build and maintain a nursery bed, why we need one, how to collect wildings from trees that are already in their environment, seed collection and agroforestry. We envision that by the time the schools open they will be able to hit the ground running. We have not done more as we are worried about the holidays and security especially of sprouting seedlings from nursery beds. Otherwise we are confident that we are laying the foundation through capacity building.
+
+
+
+ 
+

content/blog/bangla-pesa-relaunch.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+:title: Bangla-Pesa Relaunch
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Nov 23, 2013
+:slug: bangla-pesa-relaunch
+ 
+:summary: Bangla-Pesa was officially relaunched today in partnership with the Kenyan Government. Represented by Hon. Badi Twalib Minister of...
+ 
+
+
+
+Bangla-Pesa was officially relaunched today in partnership with the Kenyan Government. Represented by Hon. Badi Twalib Minister of Parliament, Ward Representatives, the Speaker for the County Assembly, Women's Representative, the Chief of Police (OCS) and the Mombasa County Secretary. Other guests included Human Rights representatives from Muhuri, the artist Carol Opondo and many others. There was a unanimous request from government representatives to replicate these programs to other areas in the County.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/bangla-pesa-relaunch1.webp
+
+
+
+After waiting for 6 months since members of the program were arrested, the community danced, sang, performed dramas and and recited poetry. The team is extremely happy about the turn of events. On the Matatu home from the event I was happy to overhear some women talking about the program as a means of poverty reduction and it's complementary nature to the Kenyan Shilling to create local stability. Traditional Peke Dancing.Chief of Police (OCS) that once arrested us - now endorsing the Bangla-Pesa.Registration for the program will being afresh next week. Thanks for everyone's help making this event happen!
+
+
+
+
+`#bangla <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/bangla>`_	`#relaunch <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/relaunch>`_   `#complementarycurrencies <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/complementarycurrencies>`_
+
+

content/blog/bangla-pesa-reloaded.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+:title: Bangla-Pesa Reloaded
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Dec 10, 2013
+:slug: bangla-pesa-reloaded
+ 
+:summary: We've been waiting since May 29th 2013 for this and it is finally here. Bangla-Pesa is back moving through the community. We've...
+ 
+
+
+
+We've been waiting since May 29th 2013 for this and it is finally here. Bangla-Pesa is back moving through the community. We've re-registered from scratch 100 members so far, since the official relaunch. The newly designed Bangla-Pesa just arrived in the mail today (to replace those that the police took and refused to return) - featuring a shiny hologram. Our team has also been working around the clock to reestablish a set of baseline data so we can gauge the programs impact. Registration and allocation of Bangla-Pesa will continue over December and we hope to see a positive shift in January's market stability. 
+
+
+
+
+January is when schools fees are due. These fees generally empty the community of scare national currency - so we hope to see and measure (via our M&E Specialist, Morgan Richards) Bangla-Pesa starting to fill this gap by allowing the business community to trade their underutilized goods and services.
+
+
+
+
+We're also happy to have the support of several churches that will be accepting tithing in Bangla-Pesa and using it for community services. There is a strong sense of community building and the beginning of something beautiful. 
+
+
+
+
+We are also happy to congratulate Caroline Dama and welcome her back home after representing the team and winning the top innovations in Africa award in Paris last week.
+
+
+`#bangla <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/bangla>`_
+
+
+

content/blog/bangla-pesa-survey.rst

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+:title: Bangla-Pesa Survey Results February 2014
+:author: Morgan Richards
+:date: Feb 14, 2014
+:slug: bangla-pesa-survey
+ 
+:summary: Bangla-Pesa Follow-up Survey - February 2014 Results Two months since our re-launch in late November. Bangla-Pesa Re-IntroducedResilience...
+ 
+
+
+Bangla-Pesa Follow-up Survey - February 2014 Results Two months since our re-launch in late November. Bangla-Pesa Re-IntroducedResilience and ingenuity are trademarks of impoverished communities here in Kenya. When we first introduced Bangla-Pesa it had a few ups and downs, but now it is being used in ways we had never imagined. We recently completed a follow-up survey asking members of the business network who are using Bangla-Pesa about how they are spending it, how they are making sales with it, and how it is impacting their business. The survey data back up the apparent success of case studies like that of Marciana.
+
+
+
+What Bangla-Pesa is Doing?
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/bangla-pesa-survey1.webp
+
+
+
+Currently 123 surveyed businesses conduct on average 7% of their daily trades using Bangla-Pesa. Assuming these sales would not have occurred without the voucher, we can call this a 7% increase in local sales revenue. And, given that members have actually experienced an overall increase in sales revenue in Kenyan shillings compared to baseline data**, we believe these sales in Bangla-Pesa are “new” trades due to the program's ability to utilize excess capacity. Further, overall trade for businesses in the network has increased on average by an astonishing 83% compared to baseline data**. While we don't claim this increase is solely due to the program, based on interviews, we believe greater liquidity and stability of the market created by the complementary currency has helped tremendously, since this survey period covers one of the worst market seasons of the year. With roughly 9,600 KSH ($111 USD) worth of Bangla-Pesa transacted daily, the increase growth in the local economy can surpass the cost of the program implementation in about 3 months! This survey indicates that Bangla-Pesa not only increases overall trade in the community, but also specifically increases the trade in the national currency (Kenyan Shillings). This indicates that the program has measurable benefits for economic development and could subsides services otherwise provided by county governments. This shows that empowering communities to issue their own means of exchange is a simple and effective tool for reducing poverty and creating market stability by providing a way of trading which can be used even during harsh economic conditions and market stagnation. We will continue monitoring the effects of this program over time to see that these benefits hold true. With more than 2 billion people project to be living in slums by 2030 and over a billion people living in dire poverty now, this affects everyone on the planet. Who’s Using Bangla-Pesa? Bangladesh is a community of roughly 20,000 residents. The business network using Bangla-Pesa has a total of 141 small scale businesses as members. The “typical” network member is a 35 year-old mother who identifies herself as the main provider of 2-3 children. She has never gone to secondary school, and supports her family either by selling cooked food like flatbread, pastries, fried potatoes, or through a stand selling fruits and/or vegetables. She earns around 600ksh ($7 USD) a day. Despite long days minding her shop, she also spends 2-3 hours a day on household chores like cooking, cleaning, and childcare. The market in Bangladesh is extremely volatile, with business reporting their average daily sales revenue varying from 200ksh (~$2 USD) during bad periods to 1200ksh (~$14 USD) during good periods, as shown in the volatility graph.
+
+
+
+This fluctuation tells us that businesses could meet a much higher demand for goods and services (as demonstrated
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/bangla-pesa-survey47.webp
+
+
+
+during good times) than they are during bad or even average per
+
+
+
+We keep registering businesses! We know there are more than 200 small businesses in Bangladesh which are eligible for inclusion in the network. Given the benefits these initial findings attribute to the Bangla-Pesa, we would like to register all these businesses. Further, just over half of the businesses in the network report that there is not enough Bangla-Pesa in circulation. 200BP per business member is kept in a community fund for social services. The community will begin using these funds for health, sanitation, education, or other services, spending the vouchers into the community and providing more opportunities for businesses to trade, grow, and meet their families’ needs. As positive findings and reports continue to flow out of Bangladesh, we hope to one day replicate this program in other vulnerable informal settlements in the area. We also hope that other communities are inspired to take up their own complementary currency programs in Kenya and beyond. What this means for you: 
+
+* NGOs and International Aid Organizations. Communities don't need aid forever! Helping communities tap into their own abundance is cost effective and sustainable, without long term dependence on aid funding.
+* Local and National Governments. Empower your people! This is a cost effective tool to increase local economies and help subsidize the need for government funding.
+* Communities You can do this yourself! Don't wait for outside resource when you can tap into your own.
+
+
+These findings will be published in more detail in the next few months. Contact us if you would like to be informed when the data is published. Baseline data collection started in November and continues for new members. Data were collected by three trained surveyors using Android phones and Open Data Kit. Report compilation and data analyses was done by Morgan Richards (M.A. Sociology) and Will Ruddick (M.S. Physics).
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+

content/blog/bangla-pesa-turmoil.rst

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+:title: Bangla-Pesa Turmoil
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Jun 3, 2013
+:slug: bangla-pesa-turmoil
+ 
+:summary: The Bangla-Pesa, a complementary currency created and backed by a local business network, offers a glimpse of true sustainable...
+ 
+
+
+
+The Bangla-Pesa, a complementary currency created and backed by a local business network, offers a glimpse of true sustainable development. After only a week of circulation, Bangla-Pesa was able to help community members tap into an estimated 22% increase in their sales through excess-capacity trading. This is a substantial increase in a community of people living in extreme poverty. We hope to see this program continue to benefit the people of Bangladesh, who have devoted their efforts in its formation.
+
+
+
+A network of mico-enterprises coming together to co-own and create their own complementary currency could be considered the next step bringing together cooperatives and micro-finance. While positive results in a short time make complementary currencies like Bangla-Pesa an appealing sustainable development solution in poverty-stricken areas, we also have an immediate need for international support to promote legislation and understanding at national and central banking levels.
+
+
+
+Sadly, because of a misunderstanding by local authorities, community members Alfred Sigo, Emma Onyango, Rose Oloo, Paul Omolo, Carolin Dama and Will Ruddick were jailed on suspicion that they were part of a secessionist terrorist group (nothing could be farther from the truth). After this was found to not be the case, and seeing no other reason to keep them in jail, the group of six (including two mothers, a grandmother, and a grandfather) were charged by the Central Bank of Kenya, with forgery for holding a printed voucher. This charge is baseless, and they in fact have a printing receipt from Kenya's top printer (Punchlines Ltd.). They are now out of jail on bail and awaiting trial.
+
+
+
+Since this disruptive reaction from local authorities, there has been an outpouring of support. Please keep it coming! Without it, this matter could get stuck in court for years and deny Bangladesh businesses a tool that business networks worldwide use.
+
+
+
+
+
+Thanks so much to all our supporters! And we hope very much that the community of Bangladesh continues to be supported. `Click here if you can help us raise legal fees to keep these six people out of jail. <http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bangla-pesa>`_
+
+
+
+
+
+Resources below:
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/bangla-pesa-turmoil56.webp
+
+* `Petition Signed by over 100 delegates at The Hague during a conference on Complementary Currency Systems <http://koru.or.ke/sites/koru.or.ke/files/The-Hague-CCS-Bangla-Pesa-Petition.pdf.pdf>`_
+* `Read a short letter on the issue by Annette Riggs, President of the IRTA. <http://koru.or.ke/sites/koru.or.ke/files/IRTAKenyaAnnetteRiggs-TR06052013.pdf>`_
+* `Note on the program by Hamish Jenkins, of United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service. <http://koru.or.ke/sites/koru.or.ke/files/UN-NGLS-note-on-the-Banglapesa-vouchers.pdf>`_
+
+
+
+* For media coverage please see: Kenyan Television Network and also read `Kenyan News. <http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-123201/bangla-pesa-use-alternative-currency-kenya>`_.
+* For an understanding of Bangladesh and informal settlements `read this piece by Father Gabriel Dolan. <http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/Of-the-Pattni-billions-and-Bangla-Pesa-/-/440808/1875002/-/hedr6hz/-/index.html>`_
+* For more up to date news check Twitter #banglapesa and see our Facebook page: `https://www.facebook.com/KoruKenya <http://www.facebook.com/KoruKenya>`_
+
+
+

content/blog/bangla-pesa-waste.rst

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+:title: Bangla-Pesa Waste, Volleyball and Nairobi
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Jun 8, 2014
+:slug: bangla-pesa-waste
+ 
+:summary: Community Waste Collection This weekend the Bangladesh Business Network, the more than 180 people who trade their goods and services with...
+ 
+
+**Community Waste Collection**
+
+
+
+This weekend the Bangladesh Business Network, the more than 180 people who trade their goods and services with Bangla-Pesa, came together to start a regular community cleanup. They swept and collected community waste to a municipal waste collection area. Youth participating in the event were rewarded with Bangla-Pesa from the community fund to which each member contributes. Equipment, like rakes and wheelbarrows, were also rented using Bangla-Pesa.
+
+
+
+
+After the cleanup, the community celebrated with a volleyball match and much laughter during light afternoon rains. 
+
+
+
+
+**Study**
+
+
+
+A major study is nearly completed with interviews of each of the businesses using Bangla-Pesa. In a recent interview with several female business owners, participants reported that each time they used Bangla-Pesa for a purchase, they saved their Kenyan Shillings increasing the funds available to pay their children's school fees. These and other indicators suggest a steady improvement in this large, but marginalized community though the simple, cost effective tool of community currencies.
+
+
+
+**Nairobi's Bangla-Pesa**
+
+
+About 8 hours away by bus, three communities from separate sub-locations in the Kangemi and Kawangware slums of Nairobi started their first community discussions on creating their own Bangla-Pesa program. These communities will create business networks similar to the Bangla Business Network in Mombasa County, issue their own community vouchers, and use increased revenue to support tuition costs of children in surrounding schools.
+
+
+
+
+Alfred Sigo and Will Ruddick did three workshops in Nairobi over the last week and are excited to see the community there taking the program into their own hands.
+
+
+
+**Fundraising**
+
+
+
+We ended our yearly crowd fundraising, raising nearly $3,000 USD. While this was only a fraction of our goal, we are extremely grateful for the chance to keep going even on a shoe string budget. If you didn't get a chance to donate please visit `http://koru.or.ke/donate <http://koru.or.ke/donate>`_
+

content/blog/bangla-pesa.rst

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+:title: Bangla-Pesa - Can we do it again?
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Mar 25, 2014
+:slug: bangla-pesa
+ 
+:summary: After winning court battles, relaunching the program, hearing heart breaking stories and finding amazing results the local government...
+ 
+
+
+
+After winning court battles, relaunching the program, hearing heart breaking stories and finding amazing results the local government through the Kenya National Assembly Minister of Parliament (Hon. Badi Twalib) as well a County Assembly representative (Hon. Duncan O. Onyango) have expressed their desire that Koru-Kenya focus on replicating the benefits of the Bangla-Pesa program in a nearby informal settlement named Ganahola.
+
+
+
+Ganahola is in a dire condition. We talked with 208 small business in Ganahola and found that their sales revenue per day fluctuates between 100 Kenyan shillings per day during bad periods and 700 ksh in good periods. While the community of Bangladesh has seen as much as an 80% increase in sales, Ganahola is in dire straights.
+
+
+
+With the introduction of a complementary currency like Bangla-Pesa (for which the community will create their own name for) we are allowing commerce to continue even when Kenyan Shillilngs are scarce. Businesses in Ganahola will be part of a small business network that uses an alternative means of exchange via a voucher that is redeemed for their own goods and services. Based on our results in Bangladesh, we project roughly 10,000 Kenyan shillings of trade to be facilitated daily. This comes to roughly 70 shillings of new trade per day per small business and means the difference between putting good food on the table and going hungry.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The full impact of allowing hundreds of micro-businesses in Kenya to trade without depending on scarce money, is a revolution in how we think about sustainable development and poverty reduction. People living in slums have a huge untapped capacity for trade and they only need a means of exchange to unlock their economy. Like its predecessor Bangla-Pesa, a similar program in Ganahola will put development in the hands of the people and help stabilize the local economy by allowing people to utilize their untapped capacity.
+
+`#bangla <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/bangla>`_
+
+
+

content/blog/bangla-pesas-fate.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+:title: Bangla-Pesa's Fate in the hands of the DPP
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Jul 22, 2013
+:slug: bangla-pesas-fate
+ 
+:summary: We are still being charged with forgery under penal code 367(e). For Kenyan Laws see page 121. On July 15th - the Kenyan Dirctor of...
+ 
+
+
+
+We are still being charged with forgery under penal code 367(e). For Kenyan Laws see `page 121 <http://www.kenyalaw.org/klr/fileadmin/pdfdownloads/Acts/PenalCodeCap63.pdf>`_.
+
+
+
+
+On July 15th - the Kenyan Dirctor of Public Prosecutions, `Keriako Tobiko <http://www.statehousekenya.go.ke/government/attoneyG.htm>`_ recalled our case file and hence the trial was not allowed to proceed.
+
+
+
+
+Apparently this was due to a large amount of interest in the case and a recent `petition <http://grassrootseconomics.org/petition>`_ . More in the `news <http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/DPP-recalls-case-against-Bangla-Pesa-informal-currency/-/539546/1917800/-/949nai/-/index.html>`_
+
+
+
+
+So we are currently praying for a positive verdict from Keriako Tobiko so that these programs can continue.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/bangla-pesas-fate1.webp
+
+
+
+
+`#complementarycurrencies <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/complementarycurrencies>`_	 `#bangla <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/bangla>`_
+
+
+

content/blog/banking-on.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+:title: Banking on the SILC Road
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Sep 11, 2019
+:slug: banking-on
+ 
+:summary: Rarely in development work do you see an intervention that sprouts its own two legs and starts running across the country without donor fund
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/banking-on1.webp
+
+
+
+Rarely in development work do you see an intervention that sprouts its own two legs and starts running across the country without donor funds. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has done just that with their Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC) model. We've been seeing it spreading across Kenya before we even knew CRS was involved - it has grown so viral that many people don't even know where it came from. 
+
+
+**What's happening?** CRS has found a way to turn community savings groups into their own banks with several loaning products and sustainable finances.
+
+
+**Here is the CRS 'SILC Field Agent Guide 5.0**: `https://www.crs.org/our-work-overseas/research-publications/silc-field-agent-guide-50 <http://www.crs.org/our-work-overseas/research-publications/silc-field-agent-guide-50>`_
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/banking-on51.webp
+
+
+Groups of roughly 25 (mostly women) come together and save weekly and loan out their savings in different forms to each other, and redistribute all the funds (fees and interest) to those same members at the end of each year. They have a great governance model and sharing practices that help train the next community group. 
+
+
+
+**What's wrong with SILCs? Well nothing** - but there simply isn't enough money to save. What if these groups could issue credit?
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/banking-on75.webp
+
+
+
+So far 21 SILC groups have taken up Community Currencies as an alternative to saving their SILC funds in a metal box or using expensive bank or MPESA accounts. But more importantly we are learning how they are using Community Currencies as a way to leverage their savings into a local credit. This means that these SILCs which are already like small community 'banks' are actually able to do something that generally only banks can - that is leverage their reserves to create their own credit.
+
+
+
+
+
+Using a variable exchange rate (via Bonding curves) their credit (in their own unique community currency) gains exchange value to the Kenyan shilling the more they save and visa versa, giving them an incentive to maintain the value of their credits and to make something like a bank-run impossible. In essence they are investing in the value of their own local currency which is also backed by local goods and services. The better their economy does the better their investment does. 
+
+
+
+
+These 21 SILC groups using Community Currencies have selected Trainers of Trainers to be trained by CRS to go out and create more SILC groups. We're so appreciative of CRS for bringing this to Kenya and really excited to see how these groups take Community Currencies as a tool in their already thriving kit.
+
+
+
+
+`#Catholicreliefservices <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/Catholicreliefservices>`_	`#CRS <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/CRS>`_	 `#SILC <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/SILC>`_   `#banking <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/banking>`_  `#lending <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/lending>`_  `#savings <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/savings>`_	 `#credit <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/credit>`_  `#leverage <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/leverage>`_
+
+
+

content/blog/bbn-meeting.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+:title: BBN Meeting
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Feb 15, 2013
+:slug: bbn-meeting
+ 
+:summary: After two small business meetings and several focus group sessions, the Bangla Business Network (BBN) had it's first large group meeting...
+ 
+
+
+
+After two small business meetings and several focus group sessions, the Bangla Business Network (BBN) had it's first large group meeting on February 9th 2013 at the St. Patrick Hall.
+
+
+
+Based on previous meetings 5 facilitators were chosen, representing Community Health Works, Youth, Elders and Men's and Women's businesses. Moblization for this meeting was done by these facilitators.
+
+
+
+
+The 165 Business that attended the meeting consisted of: 
+
+* Water - 6
+* Transportation - 2
+* Hardware - 1
+* Soap - 1
+* Services - 17 (including tailoring, clobbering, manual laborer, house builders, salons, mechanical and electronic repairs, and porting)
+* General Shops - 23 (Selling a variety of local and non-local items)
+* Food Services - 49 (Selling cooked or processed food, on the road or in restaurants)
+* Raw Food - 21 (Including fish, meat, eggs, vegetables, fruits and grains)
+* Farming - 3
+* Energy - 21 (including charcoal and lamp oil)
+* Education - 1 (Primary and nursery school)
+* Clothes - 4
+* Drinks - 3 (including alcohol, soda and fruit drinks)
+
+
+The Agenda included: 
+
+* Plenary
+* Welcome and introductions
+* Warm-ups.
+* Brief Introduction to the program.
+* Reading of an information sheet. (`Here in swahili .pdf <http://grassrootseconomics.org/sites/koru.or.ke/files/BBN-meeting-flyer-swahili.pdf>`_ )
+* Discussing design of vouchers.
+* Open for initial thoughts and questions.
+
+
+Small group demonstrations and discussion 
+
+* People were broken into five groups. Each facilitator described the program and facilitated a demonstration.
+* Each demo participant was given 200/= of Bangla Pesa (represented by colors paper 2-5's, 3,-10's, 3,-20's 2,-50's)
+* Each demo participant was also given white cards where their goods and services were listed along with the cost.
+* 1. They should try to buy and sell as much as possible but stay within trading limits
+* 2. When they have less than 200 they should sell more
+* 3. When they have more that 400 Banglas they should buy more.
+
+
+Plenary Discussion. 
+
+* Registering the BBN. It was decided that the current 5 facilitators should continue as an interim board and register the network.
+* Moving forward. Business registration would start in the next month with a launch after the National Presidential Elections.
+* At the launch each business will be given vouchers representing 400/= Bangla Pesa and half of this will be retained as a membership fee.
+* Membership fees will facilitate the 5 board members with a monthly allowance.
+
+
+TheBoard of Directors (5 people): 1 Youth Representative, 1 CHW Representative, 3 Business Representatives (1 man 2 women) will perform the following functions: 
+
+* 1. Accounting and Administration
+* 2. Networking
+* 3. Care Taking
+
+
+* Organizing Community Service Work
+* Security printing of the vouchers for businesses will take place in March 2013, and distributed publicly at the Launch event.
+
+
+
+
+`#complementarycurrencies <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/complementarycurrencies>`_	    `#bangla <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/bangla>`_
+
+
+

content/blog/berg-rand.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+:title: Berg Rand Launches in South Africa
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: May 30, 2015
+:slug: berg-rand
+ 
+:summary: The Berg Rand or BRAND - which means 'Fire' Money in Afrikaans, had an amazing launch today! The FlowAfrica team lead by John Ziniades...
+ 
+
+
+
+The Berg Rand or BRAND - which means 'Fire' Money in Afrikaans, had an amazing launch today! The FlowAfrica team lead by John Ziniades and Anna Cowen of Meshfield spent over 6 months training local youth in topics of architecture, video creation (see their youtube channel), currency and businesses development. These youth helped mobilize a network of small businesses across 3 different towns in the Bergrivier region. The businesses formed the Bergrivier Exchange Network (BEN) and designed their own medium of exchange. Similar to Bangla-Pesa and the other community currencies in Kenya the members of the BEN must be local prosumers and guaranteed by four other members of the network and must contribute to a community fund with their BRAND for social service programs, like trash collection and alien vegetation clearing.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The BRAND will flow through the community connecting supply and demand when the National Currency (Rand) are scarce. Beyond the empowerment of the small businesses in the region, the launch of the BRAND was special in Africa as being the first to be met with support from both a National Treasury and local municipality. Right now the monetary system of South Africa does not value 'local' - it values the price of corn in the US more than it does potatoes grown in South Africa and this is a huge problem. The Community Currency movemen
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+t takes over where Crypto-Currencies like BitCoin has faltered by building local community and valuing local goods and services and their connection to the environment. Creating community currencies that work in parallel to national currencies is a holistic grassroots economic model. It is built around community trust and backed by local goods and services. This type of money simply makes sense to local businesses by allowing them to trade even when there is not enough national currency.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+What is really exciting about the Flow Program in South Africa is that they have two very different municipalities taking part. Kokstad (KwaZuluNatal) (to launch in July) and Bergrivier (Western Cape). These programs are a new way to empower local businesses to lead the way and walk and in hand with local government. The BRAND launched today Pickterberg with spaza shops, farmers, creches, and more have formed an exchange network for their goods and services. With the levels of both business and governmental support we've seen in South Africa, we expect to see substantial increases in the local economy sales revenues and market stability. See more about the FLOW program at `http://flowafrica.org <http://flowafrica.org>`_
+
+ 
+
+
+Our hope is that these programs will create a network of interconnected community currencies across Africa - to build a truly grassroots economy.
+
+
+
+ 
+.. raw:: html
+
+    <iframe width="740" height="416" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YoEkNgXVQgg" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+
+
+ 
+
+`#SouthAfrica <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/SouthAfrica>`_
+
+
+

content/blog/berkshares-and.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+:title: Berkshares and Bangla-Pesa
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Oct 21, 2017
+:slug: berkshares-and
+ 
+:summary: The Schumacher Center for a New Economics has supported us with inspiration and advice since we began with Eco-Pesa in 2010. Before...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/berkshares-and1.webp
+
+
+
+
+The `Schumacher Center <http://www.centerforneweconomics.org/>`_ for a New Economics has supported us with inspiration and advice since we began with Eco-Pesa in 2010. Before starting our first currency, Eco-Pesa), I called Susan Witt (the Executive Director of the Schumacher Center) for advise, from one of those little international calling booths they used to have in Mombasa at 70 Kenyan Shillings a minute. The Schumacher Center is a pioneer in developing local currencies with their `BerkShares <http://www.berkshares.org/>`_	 a historic and leading example of a regional currency in Massachusetts. Susan told me the of the efforts over the years to get BerkShares flowing and that, while successful in so many way, it was continuing to evolve. She made it clear that developing community currencies in Kenya wasn’t going to follow a cookie cutter approach and that grit and hope would be my best companions.
+
+
+Seven years later, The Schumacher Center’s patient advice has paid off. Through hardship and collective action, we have developed Community Currencies in regions around Kenya and trained groups in South Africa, Nigeria and Uganda. We were lucky enough to develop on the lessons of the Schumacher Center and apply those teachings to a Kenyan setting. Now, in turn, groups, NGOs and municipalities are using our programs as a model for resilient community development across Africa. We train communities to develop cooperative businesses that form the foundations of a community currencies and enable communities to develop resilient economies that can withstand seasonal market volatility and more people out of poverty. Since 2010 we’ve worked with over 2000 businesses, community groups, schools and clinics across Africa to develop cooperative businesses and 8 regional community currencies.
+
+
+We believe that communities should be afforded the same privileges as nations and empowered to develop their own prospering economies with the stability of their own currencies. Because of our shared purpose, we are happy to announce that the Schumacher Center has agreed to serve as a sponsor of Grassroots Economics’ work in Africa. Donations are therefore tax-exempt under US law.
+
+
+
+We encourage those that are able to support the cause by making a `tax deductible donation <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/get-involved>`_ donation to the Schumacher Center for a New Economics. To make sure your support reaches our work in Africa please indicate "Community Currencies — Africa." on your check or online payment.
+
+
+
+
+Support for goes specifically to:
+
+* Developing cooperative businesses (which back and enable Community Currencies to flow).
+
+* Training leaders across Africa that communities have an alternative to debt-based finance.
+
+
+
+
+Please `contact <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/contact>`_ us to tell us about yourself.
+

content/blog/biz-dev.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+:title: Biz Dev - Inspired
+:author: Steve Okuku
+:date: Sep 17, 2017
+:slug: biz-dev
+ 
+:summary: Business development using community currency Being a business development coordinator whose main objective is to see communities’ assets...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/biz-dev1.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Business development using community currency
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Being a business development coordinator whose main objective is to see communities’ assets put into good use, I do feel motivated and inspired when I see retailers at one of our communities in Gatina, Nairobi seeking consultation from us on how best to use their savings and what type of investments to undertake. Currently, small business traders participating in the Sarafu-Credit community currency program are saving KES 50/week (Merry-go-round) and the lump sum weekly payments being strictly used for business purposes. The traders also under their own accord save an additional KES 200/month that they intend to use for business improvement with the help and training offered by Grassroots Economics. These community currency traders come up with various initiatives to see their businesses thrive and make my work in asset development quite enjoyable as we seek to build thriving communities with absolute support from the community members.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+It’s quite a motivating factor when traders at Gatina, one of our communities participate in programs to increase circulation of Sarafu-Credit as they have noticed that by accepting and using Sarafu-Credit, their volumes of trade get to increase. Just to give an example, a grocery trader called mama Desty who decided to trade using Sarafu-Credit less than a month ago has been excited by the progress she has made in terms of trade volumes - to the point of regretting why she didn’t get to join earlier. This type of excitement from traders, increasing trade volumes and trust among community members have been key reasons why our office at Kawangware has been receiving requests from neighboring communities to have the program expanded to cover them.
+

content/blog/blockchain-currencies.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+:title: Blockchain Currencies Fighting COVID-19 - Mukuru, Kenya
+:author: Antony Ngoka
+:date: Mar 20, 2020
+:slug: blockchain-currencies
+ 
+:summary: Giving people a medium of exchange can save lives. With blockchain based Community Inclusion Currencies communities can support...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/blockchain-currencies1.webp
+
+
+
+Giving people a medium of exchange can save lives. With blockchain based Community Inclusion Currencies communities can support themselves in times of crisis.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/blockchain-currencies32.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Everyone is cautious about the spread of coronavirus in our communities. Here is Faith Mwaka, one of the community health volunteers (CHVs) in Mukuru. She is training her children and those from her neighbors how they can wash their hands regularly to prevent the spread of the virus . She is able to buy water from Irene using Sarafu (a Community Inclusion Currency) when she runs out of Kenyan Shillings.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Sarah Wambui is selling kerosene to Irene Mutua, who is a mother of two, to prepare lunch for her kids as they are now at home due to school closure. Stella and Irene are active users of community inclusion currencies and they are following safety measures which include using digital payments to make transactions. 
+
+
+
+
+Issac Manu is known for his delicacies in preparing chapati. He is accepting Sarafu rather than cash as one of the precautionary measures to prevent the spread of corona virus and also helps people in his community get food.
+
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/blockchain-currencies58.webp
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/blockchain-currencies69.webp
+
+
+
+Hygiene is important in every community not only to fight coronavirus but also to fight other diseases like cholera. Grace Wandui sells cereals and she is a team leader in disaster response around the community. She is an advocate for cleanliness in the slums and has been paying people in Sarafu to clean ditches around her cereal shop. Grace has decided to help her community to get cereals using Sarafu even when their Kenya shillings run out.
+
+
+
+
+Anyone can sign up. To get an account dial 0757628885 or send a sms with your name and what you can sell and what is your nearest town. Example: Eva Songa 07278xxxxx Chapati, Kakamega. While supplies last, new users get 400 Sarafu and Chamas (saving groups) can register to convert a limited amount of Sarafu to Mpesa. If you are in, or know, a chama please let us know.
+
+
+
+`#corona <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/corona>`_	`#virus <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/virus>`_	  `#covid19 <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/covid19>`_	`#CIC <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/CIC>`_	 	`#Mukuru <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/Mukuru>`_		`#RedCross <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/RedCross>`_
+
+
+

content/blog/blockchain-in.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+:title: Blockchain in Clinics, Vegetables, Cafes and Shops
+:author: Ruth Njau & Antony Ngoka
+:date: Jan 18, 2019
+:slug: blockchain-in
+ 
+:summary: While the rest of the world wonders how blockchain will impact lives these people are using it daily to bring their community out of poverty
+ 
+
+
+
+While the rest of the world wonders how blockchain will impact lives these people are using it daily to bring their community out of poverty. Welcome to 2019.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/blockchain-in1.webp
+
+
+
+Dorothy Nyangara has been using Sarafu for the last one year. She owns a pharmacy and clinic in Lindi, Kibra (Kenya’s largest slum). She uses Sarafu to purchase food for her family at least four times a week. Dorothy accepts sarafu from users who come to purchase medicines for themselves or their children and seek medical checkups. She is happy that Sarafu is helping her save Kenya Shillings which she uses to pay for transport to Nairobi CBD whenever she is going to purchase medicines for her chemist. Her customers see Sarafu as a basic health insurance - they know that as long as they have it they can get the medicines and help they need.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/blockchain-in38.webp
+
+
+
+Ruth Bosibori sells vegetables around Sunday Studio area in Kibra, Lindi Community. She joined Sarafu over 3 years ago has been using paper money until when she received her digital tokens. Ruth is among the people who trade daily using Sarafu in Lindi. She was rewarded by the community in November for being one of the people who had supported the community the most with Sarafu. Ruth uses Sarafu to purchase medicine and food for her family on a daily basis. She is also able to use Sarafu as part of her child’s school fees.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/blockchain-in52.webp
+
+
+
+Edwin Makori is a hotel owner at Gatina in Kawangware. He joined Sarafu early 2018 but he was skeptical about using it because he had not seen its benefits yet. Around June, he started using the digital Sarafu (Community Currency). Edwin has seen the benefits of Sarafu because he can now save some Kenyan shillings when he goes to purchase fuel or food for his cafe. Now he is too excited about Sarafu since more people he trades with him daily also joined the network. Currently Edwin trades at least twice a week when he is missing Kenyan Shillings. He is able to buy raw food and also fuel using Sarafu.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/blockchain-in69.webp
+
+
+
+Isaac Naimbona is a shopkeeper in Gatina. He joined Sarafu early last year through a client that sells fruits using Sarafu. According to him, Sarafu is beneficial to him since he is able to get food he needs for his family. He trades daily either on fruits or vegetables just outside his shop. When asked about his views on Digital blockchain-based system, he said that it is easier for him since he doesn’t have to carry a lot of money in his wallet and he can see his account history. Also, he says that he is able to send the fruit seller or the vegetable vendor money without having to leave his shop. Isaac is excited that last year December the community he trades with gave him a Christmas gift of some stock to boost his business.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+

content/blog/blockchain-powered.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+:title: Blockchain Powered Village Checkers Tournament
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Jan 19, 2020
+:slug: blockchain-powered
+ 
+:summary: How do you have a proper checkers tournament when no one can pay the entry fees? Jacob the organizer saw an opportunity. His neighbors in...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/blockchain-powered1.webp
+
+
+
+**How do you have a proper checkers tournament when no one can pay the entry fees?**
+
+
+
+Jacob the organizer saw an opportunity. His neighbors in several rural villages are in the worst time of the year because of the scarcity of Kenyan Shillings. Instead of shillings they are using their phones to exchange blockchain tokens (Community Inclusion Currencies) for basic needs. Jacob figured the many checkers (draft/draughts) players (a local tradition) who would be willing to pay an entry fee with those tokens which could be used as a reward for the top three players - and he was right!
+
+
+After dozens of dramatic checkers matches the top three players emerged victorious and won 5000, 3000 and 2000 Sarafu respectively. Their main goal when asked what they would do with their winnings: employ their neighbors to assist in farming their lands and stocking their businesses with local produce like flour, casava, peanuts and coconuts. 
+
+
+Everyone wins! Checkers prowess is rewarded, youth are encouraged to learn the game and the winners can employ their neighbors for farming and buy local goods and services with Community Inclusion Currencies. This is one of many community activities, including collective farming, religious gatherings, that are being revitalized using a local medium of exchange and removing money scarcity. 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/blockchain-powered51.webp
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/blockchain-powered68.webp
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/blockchain-powered79.webp
+
+
+
+That is me loosing horribly to Mr. Chibwara  ..... till next time.
+
+
+
+
+`#checkers <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/checkers>`_		`#blockchain <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/blockchain>`_	`#draft <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/draft>`_		`#draughts <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/draughts>`_	`#CIC <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/CIC>`_		`#Kenya <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/Kenya>`_		`#Zerosumgame <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/Zerosumgame>`_
+
+
+

content/blog/blockchain-without.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+:title: Blockchain without Internet
+:author: Lynda  Chalker
+:date: Dec 3, 2018
+:slug: blockchain-without
+ 
+:summary: We can't print enough paper notes for everyone who needs them. But nearly everyone has a phone (without internet). In order to reach a...
+ 
+
+.. raw:: html
+
+    <iframe width="360" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UqobcADSUTQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+
+
+We can't print enough paper notes for everyone who needs them. But nearly everyone has a phone (without internet). In order to reach a larger group of people across Kenya, Grassroots Economics has enabled feature phones with no internet, to have access to, trade and convert their blockchain-based tokens (Liquid Community Currencies (LCCs)) using the Bancor Protocol
+
+
+
+Community currencies came about as an integrative medium of exchange that would promote revitalization of the local economy and encourage community activities. Through the 1990s to 2000s community currencies emerged worldwide and to date hundreds of community currencies have been listed in the complementary currency  `Resource Center Worldwide <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_currency>`_
+
+
+
+According to `research <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/research>`_ , the trade volume of Sarafu-Credit circulating in Kenya since 2010, covers approximately 12,500 out of 3 million people living in poverty. These (CCs) which reach users by being airdropped to business owners across different regions, have helped establish over 1200 local businesses, schools, farms and co-operatives like Miyani in Kwale county. They have  also enabled households who live on less than a 100 shillings daily, afford at least one meal a day. But trading on paper meant that we could only have a limited reach.
+
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/blockchain-without1.webp
+
+
+
+**How it works:** A business owner receives community currencies  from field officers (as a voucher for that users goods and services), who monitor and educate the traders on full use of the credits in order to develop their business and community. This creates a network of businesses that rely on each other, increasing circulation of goods and services within the community hence boosting the local economy even when there are no Kenyan Shillings in supply.
+
+
+
+
+In order to scale and sustain this economic innovation, there needs to be a means of transaction that: 
+
+* Is cost effective without the expense incurred in printing paper vouchers
+* does not limit the user geographically, hence  encouraging trade among other businesses in neighboring communities (via Bancor Protocol),
+* can facilitate an increase in the amount of currency to at least offer 2 meals per day, compared to one as it is readily accessible,
+* Is cheap for the user without incurring the large transaction fees
+* and most importantly one that is both traceable (to measure SDG impacts) and scalable .
+
+
+Grassroots Economics is pioneering the use of blockchain technology based on the Bancor protocol, which caters for communities at the Bottom-Of-The-Pyramid in Kenya. 
+
+
+
+Sarafu Network, it is a decentralized liquidity network that provides users with a simple, low cost way to buy and sell tokens directly through  their wallets. This platform is the first of its kind to be USSD/SMS oriented which means that it is user friendly as it can be used on any phone without needing internet access.  After every carried out transaction an SMS is sent to the user’s phone which acts as a statement of account showing the money sent/received and the balance remaining. The POA.network blockchain - this guarantees fast transactions, enabling users to easily monitor their daily transactions, sales and account information.
+
+
+
+Furthermore, Sarafu connects digital currencies to each other across regions, with automated exchange rates based on productive capacity of the community.
+
+
+
+The use of digital community currency is aimed at bridging the financial inclusion gap. As an easy method to develop and trade interest free forms of credit, it fosters economic development in marginalized communities, by addressing inflation and currency fluctuation in emerging markets. This curbs chronic poverty and food insecurity the contributing factors towards zero hunger, one of the SDGs enlisted by the UN. 
+
+
+
+
+
+`#blockchain <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/blockchain>`_		`#nointernet <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/nointernet>`_	`#bottomofthepyramid <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/bottomofthepyramid>`_		`#Bancor <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/Bancor>`_		`#featurephones <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/featurephones>`_	  	`#digitalcurrency <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/digitalcurrency>`_
+
+

content/blog/borstal-boys.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+:title: Borstal Boys: Poi and Life Skills Behind Bars
+:author: Morgan Richards
+:date: Mar 18, 2014
+:slug: borstal-boys
+ 
+:summary: The MotoMoto Program is helping make a difference at the Shimo La Tewa Borstal Institution which houses 313 boys from all over Kenya....
+ 
+
+
+
+The MotoMoto Program is helping make a difference at the Shimo La Tewa Borstal Institution which houses 313 boys from all over Kenya. It’s one of only two such institutions in all of Kenya, with teenagers serving sentences for everything from petty theft (of even just a few dollars) to murder. For many, they came to the Borstal following conflicts with family, who then reported them to the police for petty theft or drug use. They would much rather be in the “Approved Schools,” which are also institutions for violent or unmanageable youth, but which offer secondary school services by government teachers. Instead, these boys stay in the Borstal, which does not offer secondary school and where the few years of primary school which are offered are taught by guards rather than teachers. The boys can, however, pursue one vocational skill; tailoring, farming, wiring, carpentry, or masonry, which they chose following their first 2 months in the institution.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The Borstal boys wake up around 5am every day. They cook their own breakfast (as they do with all other meals), clean the kitchen afterward, clean their rooms, sweep the common areas, and do whatever yard work is necessary for the compound. In the hours when they are not doing chores, they attend their vocational skills classes. At 4pm, they have diner and then return to their rooms, shared among 4 or more boys, for the rest of the evening.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+However, Koru recently introduced a new element to the routine for 20 Borstal Boys, poi performing art and life skills. Since February, our poi and life skills coaches have gone to the Borstal on Fridays for a 1 hour poi lesson and a 1 hour life skills session. They work with boys ages 13-17 in the prison yard, surrounded by fences, barbed wire, and guards at all times. Unsurprisingly, the boys love this distraction, begging both coaches to stay even after the allotted time is finished.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Antone Karuki is one of our most promising new poi students. Like most of the Borstal residents (less than 5% of whom come from Mombasa), Antone was arrested for smoking marihuana far from Shimo La Tewa, in his home region of Kiambu, north of Nairobi. He was sentenced to 3 years in November, 2013, but will be released on probation after 1 year. After the first poi lesson, Antone made his own poi from grass and flexible sticks, preferring to practice with a highly imperfect instrument, rather than wait for the next lesson. He’s now perfected forward weaves and actively teaches others, who listen because of this natural leadership skills. Antone also actively engages in life skills discussions. He’s learned how to identify and cope with challenges as they arise, as well as learning how to nurture high self-esteem despite these challenges. He’s working on his masonry certification and hopes to go back to secondary school in November, even though his classmates would be years younger than himself.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Most of the Borstal boys made one or two really bad decisions, which have long term, negative consequences for their lives, interrupting their education, separating them from their families, exposing them to all the indignities and dehumanization which comes from living in a total institution like a prison. Although the prison offers vocations skills, many of these boys will struggle to return to school, which limits their employment opportunities into the future. We hope to fight against the loss of self-esteem and despair which might accompany these setbacks by giving the boys something to be proud of, their poi skills, and providing them with life skills to cope with the heavier challenges of their lives now and in the future.
+
+`#poi <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/poi>`_
+
+

content/blog/building-a.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,195 @@
+:title: Building a Public Registry for Community Currencies(DeFi)
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Mar 21, 2020
+:slug: building-a
+ 
+:summary: Even when you have no money you are not poor. Building a Public Registry for Community Currencies.
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/building-a1.webp
+
+
+
+
+Even when you have no money you have resources. I’ve never met a poor woman in rural Kenya. They may have little resources compared to others but they aren’t poor. 
+
+
+
+
+Even when you have no money you have resources. I’ve never met a poor woman in rural Kenya. They may have little resources compared to others but they aren’t poor. 
+
+
+
+
+Even when you have no money you have resources. I’ve never met a poor woman in rural Kenya. They may have little resources compared to others but they aren’t poor. 
+
+
+
+
+
+When we do run out of money – and some people surely will and have already - how can we fairly offer and share our resources and time together?
+
+
+
+Community Currencies (or Community Inclusion Currencies CICs) are a way for us to value our resources and time. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The ultimate way to issue them is as a voucher for your own goods and services. The way a supermarket might issue a voucher, you too can do this and those vouchers can circulate as long as people trust that you will redeem them at some point and they will want your goods or services in the future. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Sates spend currency into existence and accept it back as taxation. Banks and community groups (like the one shown above) in Kenya issue currency and accept it back as loan repayment. Marketing companies issue currency and accept it back as advertising fees.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+A million people printing paper currencies is not going to be feasible. And a million different digital currencies aren't going to be practical either without a way to establish relative pricing and conversion.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The uniqueness of the blockchain in this situation is that it allows people and organizations to establish tokens that represent their goods and serves AND connect those all together into a decentralized economy.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+If I create 1 Billion Tokens and say they are worth 1 Billion Euros and I will back them with carpentry services – I might have trouble backing up that claim by just working myself. People who don’t know me might not be able to trust these vouchers in exchange for the goods or services they sell. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+But if those tokens are also backed by some real world collateral, then someone knows exactly what they can get out of those vouchers in case no one is accepting them.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+That real world collateral needs to be a guaranteed backer of last resort – like the government, or a major supermarket or a bakery. It could also be a bank account with National Currency as the backing. National Currencies are not perfect in how they are issued or valued, BUT they are a point of common trust we can use to establish our own credit systems. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Across Europe people have created digital community currency using `Community Forge <http://helpdesk.communityforge.net/en/request>`_ using a `drupal module <http://www.drupal.org/project/cforge>`_ module
+
+
+
+
+In Italy people use `Sardex.net <http://sardex.net>`_.
+
+
+
+
+In Japan right now elderly Japanese climb local mountains and thin out the dense forest. They use the Yen (National Currency) they get from timber sales and put it in a trust (at a local bank) then they create wooden chips called Enepo. These Enepo (energy points) are accepted by local businesses as a way to support the elderly. They flow around Takayama Japan and create their own small economy. If people want or need Yen they can go to the community bank and cash out their Enepo – which will go back into circulation when more wood is sold.
+
+
+
+The core example you will find from Community Currencies working – is some form of dedicated backing and or collateral (be it time, products or services or National Currency). For more on paper currencies see our `MOOC <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/mooc>`_.
+
+
+
+
+
+With the blockchain we can have a contract that monitors this collateral or reserve transaction by transaction. The reserve need not be a stable coin based on US dollars – but that is the best reserve we currently have that we can all agree on. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+**Now I’m going to get a little bit technical:**
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+What we do is take xDAI a USD backed stable coin and leverage it to make a local credit (`read more here <http://www.grassrootseconomics.org/single-post/Enabling-Leverage>`_). The National Currency forms our collateral but the primary backing is the communities that use and accept the tokens we call Community Inclusion Currencies (CICs). The main example of this right now is called Sarafu in Kenya. We work with over 11k businesses as well as the Red Cross to support marginalized communities to trade with each other in crisis even when they don’t have Kenyan shillings.
+
+
+
+
+We use collateral to back the currencies from donors so that people STILL have an option to cash out to National Currency. Doing so lowers the exchange value of the CICs but also gives donors and people a cheaper rate to buy more CICs and fill back up the collateral pool.
+
+
+
+
+In order to make a global CIC network of connected currencies there needs to be an index similar to DNS that allows them to find a path of common reserve between each other. This registry should allow people to write to it address of their tokens and what their reserves are without a centralized owner – i.e. a permissionless set of contracts.
+
+
+
+Luckily we have the powerful open source Bancor contracts. Sadly they are very much permissioned, giving full control over minting and network access to whomever deploys the contracts. But this can be changed.
+
+
+
+
+
+There are three key elements of the Bancor suite. 
+
+
+
+    • A Token – which we call a CIC Community Inclusion currency. Bancor calls them liquid tokens. They have the ability to give control over to another contract to mint and destroy them. 
+
+    • A converter – which holds some reserve (in our case xDAI) and also holds ownership over the liquid Token or CIC to be able to mint more and destroy them. The converter also holds a set of equations
+
+    • An Index – this records all the tokens on the network and how they can connect with eachother.
+
+It costs almost nothing to deploy a contract and create a token. On xDAI blockchain the cost is about 0.00001 cents. When you deploy the contract you mint an amount of tokens based on the reserve and the amount of leverage you are looking for. Those tokens belong to the issuer or group of issuers, but the converter once issued should be permissionless – Just because you deploy a contract doesn’t mean you should be able to extract a fee from people forever or manipulate the currency which is what is possible now with the Bancor contracts. Deploying a currency is actually as easy as a few lines of code but putting up the backing is what really counts - don't confuse the two.
+
+
+
+
+The index also should be permision-less so that people can find your currency without having to buy into or pay a toll bridge and be at the risk of the index contract holder shutting down.
+Creating a fully decentralized version of the Bancor suite (a Public Registry for Community Inclusion Currencies) would enable anyone in the world (including the Red Cross) to stake some reserve and create a credit system that can be connected to every other credit system on the planet. Localized reserves can connect regions of currencies while global reserve can connect larger and larger groups of currencies. This mountain range of decentralized currency networks represents and makes fluid and an echo system that can help humanity thrive even when some nations or their currencies fail.
+
+
+
+
+We can build the infrastructure to enable a decentralized financial system without toll bridges or giving undue power over such core aspects of our lives.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+We're working with the tools we have but can use a lot of support. The Bancor Contracts work well for a single network but need modification to make them more open for everyone without centralized risk (Permission-less converter, Open Indexer/ path registry, and modifications to bonding curves). If you are a programmer you can join `https://t.me/CICBlockchain <https://t.me/CICBlockchain>`_ to help us build up these system.
+
+
+---------------
+
+
+
+If you know someone in Kenya that needs help - please suggest they sign up for a Community Inclusion Currency account on the Sarafu network. Anyone can sign up. To get an account dial 0757628885 or send a sms with your name and what you can sell and what is your nearest town. Example: Eva Songa 07278xxxxx Chapati, Kakamega. While supplies last, new users get 400 Sarafu and Chamas (saving groups) can register to convert a limited amount of Sarafu to Mpesa. If you are in, or know, a chama please let us know.
+
+
+`#decentralized <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/decentralized>`_		`#defi <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/defi>`_	`#currency <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/currency>`_	`#economics <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/economics>`_		`#covid19 <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/covid19>`_		`#corona <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/corona>`_	`#virus <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/virus>`_
+
+
+

content/blog/celebrating-bernards.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+:title: Celebrating Bernard's Inspiration
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Feb 4, 2019
+:slug: celebrating-bernards
+ 
+:summary: Bernard’s vision of diverse monetary eco-systems that support communities and the environment rather than extract from them, as they...
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/celebrating-bernards1.webp
+
+
+
+Bernard’s vision of diverse monetary eco-systems that support communities and the environment rather than extract from them, as they continue to do now, is the spark that moved me from physics in the US into economics in Kenya and is still the vision that motivates me and countless other community currency developers, researchers and activists. His vision preceded crypto currencies by decades. Back then, the only way we could move toward Bernard’s vision was by trial and error – creating currency after currency using paper bills or centralized databases.
+
+
+
+I met Bernard Lietaer for the first time while implementing a small paper-based community currency program in three villages near Mombasa. He understood all the heart-wrenching challenges of fighting poverty and embraced me, knowing that the vision was true and we were doing our best with the sticks and stones we had to use. He spoke of Yin and Yang flows of different currencies for spending and savings and much more. The intricate dance and balance of these currencies working together was so tangible to him that you could feel it flowing through his whole being.
+
+
+
+
+Connecting those early community currencies together into the ecosystem he envisioned wasn’t possible without blockchain. Bernard was convinced that solutions like bonding curves which allowed currencies to communicate with each other through and across blockchains was the key to scaling and viral growth. With Bernard as President of the Bancor Foundation and his ability to cut through the sensationalism of blockchain to its potential to empower humanity to develop sustainable and healthy monetary ecosystems – there was and is no place I would rather be. When asked to direct the foundation’s efforts on community currencies under his guidance, it was a dream come true. It was a great honor to walk in his footsteps and without him it is a great loss to me personally and sadly his dream of what Bancor could be ended. 
+
+.. raw:: html
+
+    <iframe width="360" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T9EI2PrDpmw" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+
+The world has lost a visionary that inspired and united people to fix fundamental flaws in our monetary systems, which are the root causes of poverty and massive human and environmental strife. As we thank him for opening the doors and dedicate our work toward his vision, let us ensure his message continues to flourish and inspire future generations – that we banish the concept of monetary monoculture and embrace the values that are within each of us as the fundamental units of a diverse ecosystem of currencies that connect us all together in love and allow us to heal our planet and ourselves.
+
+
+Sincerely with Love, Inspiration and Celebration of a life well lived,
+
+
+
+Will Ruddick
+
+
+`#Bernard <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/Bernard>`_		`#Lietaer <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/Lietaer>`_		`#BernardLietaer <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/BernardLietaer>`_	`#communitycurrency <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/communitycurrency>`_		`#communitycurrency <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/communitycurrency>`_
+
+

content/blog/church-offerings.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+:title: Church Offerings (Sadaka) in Bangla-Pesa
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Dec 15, 2013
+:slug: church-offerings
+ 
+:summary: Faith based organizations (FBOs) are beginning to step up their usage of Bangla-Pesa to increase community services. FBOs act as a...
+ 
+
+
+
+Faith based organizations (FBOs) are beginning to step up their usage of Bangla-Pesa to increase community services. FBOs act as a conduit for community service when members of the Bangladesh Business Network use their Bangla-Pesa as an offering. The Legio Maria Church in Bangladesh (shown on the left) today took offerings (Sadaka in Swahili) in Bangla-Pesa. These Bangla-Pesa will increase the amounts the church collects on a weekly basis and be used to help feed community members with HIV/AIDS as well as support other community activities. The Legio Maria church puts hundreds of children through school and helps many in the community make ends meets.
+
+
+
+After being active again for a few weeks the lists of goods and services members offer for Bangla-Pesa is growing rapidly. The trade of everything from produce and cooked foods, to shoe and TV repair, is increasing as the community becomes more knit together into a barter network.
+
+
+As the community finds more ways to trade with each other, they also find more ways to give. Local faith based organizations struggle to raise funds for many basic programs, like feeding and schooling children. By accepting Bangla-Pesa as offerings they are allowing community members to contribute through their goods and services rather than scarce national currency. Needy community members then receive these offerings from the church, and can then spend it in the business network. This circular flow is one that both strengthens the local economy and provides a means for the community to help meet their own needs.
+
+
+
+`#bangla <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/bangla>`_		`#church <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/church>`_
+
+

content/blog/cic-covid-19.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+:title: CIC (COVID-19 Crisis) Cash Aid
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Mar 23, 2020
+:slug: cic-covid-19
+ 
+:summary: With unstable food systems and deteriorating markets and supply chains, knowing how to target aid is crucial to providing relief and buildin
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/cic-covid-191.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+**Community Inclusion Currency (CIC) based Aid works as a cash distribution method during a crisis.**
+
+
+
+With unstable food systems and deteriorating markets and supply chains, knowing how to target aid is crucial to providing relief and building more resilient communities.
+
+
+
+Sarafu, a Community Inclusion Currency (CIC) in Kenya, has a rapidly growing distribution network with 11k (mostly very small) businesses in some of the poorest regions. Users form markets to trade goods and services using the vouchers and the data is stored on the blockchain. Using the blockchain transaction data we can target specific health and food related businesses to receive aid based on how connected they are to their community. These businesses can convert their CICs to donor funds using Mpesa with local community groups.
+
+
+
+
+Farming, Food/Water, Health would be primary targets for CIC Aid. Grassroots Economics, the Sarafu CIC manager, processes data minute by minute on the most important parts of these networks and can focus in a way that can show tangible results - in terms of targeting cash distribution to hubs and promoting specific circulation, supply chains and markets.
+
+
+
+
+Since 2010 CICs have been used in Kenya and reviewed and deemed an acceptable means of transaction by the Government of Kenya without violating any Kenyan Laws. The system works over USSD so that anyone in Kenya with a sim card can use it - No Internet or Smartphone required.
+
+
+
+**Parameters:**
+
+
+* Anyone with a sim card can sign up for Sarafu and receive an initial 400 Sarafu
+* The weekly CIC Aid amount is determined by the amount of available aid funds and crisis projections.
+* CIC recipients will get additional CICs proportionally to how many people they trade over 20 Sarafu to on a weekly basis.
+* Users in specific business categories (Farming, Food/Water, Health) and deemed as hubs will receive double the Sarafu aid.
+* Users can refer other users for an additional 100 Sarafu.
+* Anyone can use Mpesa to buy Sarafu at a discount rate (based on how much Aid fund there is in total) and the current supply of Sarafu in circulation. We are giving out 2x the Mpesa sent to us in Sarafu for the next 90 days.
+
+
+ 
+
+**Outcomes:**
+
+
+* Aid funds are distributed and targeting fairly using verifiable parametric triggers based on need, market centrality and business type.
+* CIC circulation – not being cashed out is ~10x times larger than the Aid funds being used.
+* CIC Circulation data helps identify:
+* current and future targets for aid
+* avenues for trade, sharing and social cohesion
+* Reporting and Dashboarding:
+* GE provides weekly reports on targets, distribution and impact measurements.
+* A public dashboard shows the various effects.
+
+
+ 
+
+**Next Steps:**
+
+
+* Begin on data analysis and targeting
+* Inform existing key hubs
+* Begin larger test distributions
+* Monitor results:
+* Expected increased trade frequencies and volumes
+* Expected increased market size and density
+* Surveys:
+* User Feedback collected
+* User Stories
+
+
+**Needs:**
+
+* Mobilization
+* Using Sarafu now in Kenya:
+
+If you know someone in Kenya that needs help - please suggest they sign up for a Community Inclusion Currency account on the Sarafu network. Anyone can sign up. To get an account dial 0757628885 or send a sms with your name and what you can sell and what is your nearest town. Example: Eva Songa 07278xxxxx Chapati, Kakamega. While supplies last, new users get 400 Sarafu and Chamas (saving groups) can register to convert a limited amount of Sarafu to Mpesa. If you are in, or know, a chama please let us know.
+
+**Current Statistics: (pre COVID-19)**
+
+
+In January this year we tracked in one month roughly 18 Million Shillings worth of transactions among over 10,000 Sarafu users in what would normally have been the hardest month of the year.
+
+
+**Frequently asked Questions can be found** `here <http://docs.google.com/document/d/1FUPAM1dRY9TFP0c-LAh3WRP4NiBtDGBSlDF3GzFjRe0/edit?usp=sharing>`_
+
+
+
+`#covid18 <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/covid18>`_		`#corona <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/corona>`_	`#virus <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/virus>`_		`#cashaid <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/cashaid>`_		`#aid <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/aid>`_		`#Kenya <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/Kenya>`_
+
+
+

content/blog/cic-indices.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+:title: CIC Indices for SDGs
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Nov 17, 2020
+:slug: cic-indices
+ 
+:summary: By encouraging circular trade within communities humanitarian aid can build basic circulatory systems for support and resilience.
+:tags: SDGs,Humanitarian,Aid,Index,CIC Index
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/cic-indices1.webp
+
+
+
+The Kenyan `Sarafu <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/sarafu-network>`_ (a Community Inclusion Currency (CIC)) is distributed through an initial allocation to new users and continuous reward system – which is fed by a holding fee on CIC balances.
+
+
+In a typical community dependent on injections of national currency – trade will often just slow to a crawl and stop due to lack of national currency as commodity prices increase. As we’ve seen in Kenya where Sarafu has been distributed to over 40,000 people, in communities with a Community Inclusion Currency trade can continue; The less national currency available, the more CIC will be used.
+
+
+
+We posit that national currency unavailability can be evidenced in an increase of CIC volume per capita. Beyond that, CIC circulation meta data (the goods and services being bought and sold) tells us what commodities are in need due to the lack of National Currency in circulation. According to `studies <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/research>`_, CIC usage also shows people interacting by trading their goods and services when National Currency is not available, builds trust and local resilience. In the `CIC Whitepaper <https://gitlab.com/grassrootseconomics/cic-docs>`_ section 4.2.1 Proof of Impact for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) there are ways to add information to nearly all the SDGs using this `data <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/research>`_.
+
+
+Based on this evidence of need (increased CIC trade volumes per capita ~ lack of national currency) as well as specific usages (commodities) as well as networking (centrality and clustering), gender equality, and so on. We can derive various CIC indicies based on all that is possible to measure using CIC trade data.
+
+
+
+Consider a typical CIC user: a woman in her 30’s providing for a family of 3 children by buying and reselling vegetables. She begins to accept a CIC for payment – because her clients, also mothers like herself, simply don’t have enough Kenyan Shillings. If she can spend this back at the shops of those other women, and they can then spend it back at her shop, there is a virtuous circle created that makes this network stronger than others not using CIC in the face of economic downturns.
+
+
+
+This behavior is not only commendable, it is measurable and worthy of reward. The fact that a network of traders is using CIC is evidence for their lack of National Currency – and as well their ability to support each other without it. 
+
+
+
+What if this CIC Index could help us monitor and know how often, when and where to inject limited amounts of aid (and specifically cash transfer funding)? How best should aid be distributed? In cash transfer programming recipients are based on need assessments via surveys which are good at establishing needed recipients as well as a minimum expenditure baskets (MEBs) or basic allotments, but how can CIC data augment this?
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/cic-indices82.webp
+
+
+
+If we have 2 aid recipient populations that were equally qualified via survey work – and there was an opportunity to invest more aid (given they both receive a basic allotment) into one of these groups – our work suggests that the investment is much better placed with the one that accepts CIC from others to support their community (or chama as in the photo) and spends it to support their families. Such aid support could as well be given to vendors or specific productive capacity grants (like developing syntropic agroforestry (food forest) plots) where it can be tracked that they received CIC from such surveyed and in-need recipients.  
+
+
+
+By encouraging circular trade within communities (and even between communities by connecting CICs together) – humanitarian aid can help build and leave in place a basic circulatory system for community support and resilience. CICs could increase or decrease in usage relative to need and aid organizations as well as governments could monitor them and react surgically to support optimal market health.
+

content/blog/cic-pilot.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+:title: CIC Pilot Impacts and Plans
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Mar 1, 2020
+:slug: cic-pilot
+ 
+:summary: In the last 30 days we have had 3015 users making at least 1 trade. For a volume of 2,336,655 Tokens (~23k USD equivalent of goods and...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/cic-pilot1.webp
+
+
+
+
+
+
+In the last 30 days we have had 3015 users making at least 1 trade. For a volume of 2,336,655 Tokens (~23k USD equivalent of goods and services traded) … those 3015 users are holding 1,514,155 Tokens (~15k USD). That would be a monthly velocity of ~1.54 (CIC Supply/Trade) (that is 3x higher! than current M2 USD velocity `https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/M2V <http://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/M2V>`_ reported quarterly)
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/cic-pilot42.webp
+
+
+
+Note that currently no one can cash out their reserve yet (still building the software) – instead Grassroots Economics (GE) is buying tokens off the Groups accounts (groups of about 25 women who all run businesses and save together). In that same period we have bought 387,715 Tokens (~3.8k USD)
+
+
+
+* Currently → Trade / Cash-out-Cost = (~23k usd) / (~3.8k USD) is about 6x impact (as measured by increased purchasing power compared to Kenyan shillings).
+
+
+
+Again note that currently users can’t create their own CICs by adding reserve to their particular group’s CIC reserve nor can they cash out that reserve. In the next stage we are no longer buying off CICs (but rather users can cash out from their own reserves) and anyone (like a GE as a donor) can also add more reserve to mint CICs. We can then talk both amounts cashed out and cashed in (from/to reserves).
+
+
+
+So in the (we hope very near) future there is an initial seed fund of USD (DAI) going into reserve (which creates ~4x (leverage to) the number of CIC tokens to reserve based on risk/ size of reserve) – then cashing out from that (burning CICs) and adding back to it (minting CICs). See equations here: https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/single-post/Enabling-Leverage
+
+
+* Near Target → Trade / Cost = (~23k usd) / (~1.1k USD Cashed our minus cashed in) is about 20x impact.
+
+
+
+For a fully resilient CIC the Cashing-out and Cashing-in are equal over a time period (given adequate market size) – hence the cashing-out ‘cost’ here goes to zero. Leaving the cost to support the initial seed fund as well as maintain customer support/systems (Fixed costs of staff and services).
+
+
+* Future Target → Continuous Trade / (Once time cost + minimal support cost) = +100x
+
+
+
+* Preliminary studies (https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/single-post/eMoney-vs-CIC) using eMoney suggest that if you compare 15k USD worth of CICs entering the network of ~3000 traders vs 15k USD worth of eMoney (MPESA) injected you get comparable trade volume (23k USD). The distinction is that with eMoney over 90% of it ends up outside the network in the same time period while with CICs it stays in local circulation – only 25% (3.8k/15k) was turned into Mpesa (through GE purchases) and quickly leaves the community. Also important to note there that the 15k of CIC tokens were created with only 3.7k USD of collateral / reserve.
+
+
+
+Hence, currently we are able to get the same volume of trade as Mpesa with roughly 50% of the cost (3.7+3.8=7.6k USD) of injecting Mpesa directly, while also assuring that the trade will be at least 75% in the network. More effort to track cash and eMoney in these networks is needed to properly compare. This would double the trade volume / impact, based on the same donations given out of organizations like Give Directly that do cash transfer (and ideally much more than double in future iterations with more direct access to reserve).
+
+
+
+Finally note that our method of initial distribution of CICs, in lieu ofand eventually in addition to not yet being able to allow people to create their own, is to give each new user 400 (~$4USD roughly the cost of feeding a family of 5 for one day. Other distribution methods being developed include redistributing a collective tax chosen by a community, using a users connectivity to the network in different trade categories (I.e.. supporting social services with democratic participatory budgeting).
+
+
+Trade data can now be found here: http://grassecon.org/research Please bear with us. We are working on a new dashboard and faster live updates!
+
+
+`#pilot <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/pilot>`_	 `#reserve <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/reserve>`_	`#donation <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/donation>`_		`#impact <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/impact>`_
+
+

content/blog/cic-training.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+:title: CIC Training from Response to Recovery
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Jul 11, 2020
+:slug: cic-training
+:modified:  Jul 13, 2020
+:summary: The end effect is that communities have a way to create their own credit systems for supporting themselves responsibly with both social and 
+ 
+
+**Response:**
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/cic-training1.webp
+
+
+
+As support to vulnerable communities humanitarian organizations start by airdropping tokens to needy people in coordination with local authorities and village groups and elders, and facilitating periodic buy backs in Kenyan shillings (KSH) from those community groups. We also reward people with tokens for referring others and based on trading in network. The Sarafu token in Kenya is one such an aid-based Community Inclusion Currency (CIC) which is meant to bootstrap the creation of local CICs to be used toward recovery. Let’s call such an bootstrapping CIC (like Sarafu) ‘CIC_a’. 
+
+
+
+An aid program in Kenya has developed 16 Million Sarafu tokens in Kenya collateralize by 4 Million Kenyan Shillings ($40,000 USD) of a digital asset (DAI). (Note that CIC_a is collateralized by being bonded to a digital asset (DAI) using donor funds on a public blockchain – which can be extracted and used to create community based CIC, which we will discuss below. )
+
+
+
+In vulnerable communities across Kenya anyone joining the network receives 400 Sarafu as well as additional Sarafu based on trade and referrals. Community groups receive additional donor funds for a limited amount of Sarafu (CIC_a) collected.
+
+
+
+Note that using this technique alone in Kenya has produced more than 80 Million KSH ($800,000 USD) worth of trade in these communities so far.  (the photo above is from Sarafu usage in Nairobi read more about it `here <https://restofworld.org/2020/kenya-sarafu-local-cryptocurrency/>`_.)
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/cic-training55.webp
+
+**Recovery:**
+
+
+The community group is `trained <https://gitlab.com/grassrootseconomics/cic-docs/-/blob/master/README.md>`_ to use the digital assets bonded to CIC_a to create their own Community Inclusion Currency (CIC). They come up with a name, (Let’s call this new CIC, ‘CIC_b’) a vision and goals as well as community projects to be funded by their CIC_b. Note that there can be many community groups creating their own CICs (CIC_c ... d ... e, etc) depending on the scale of the CIC_a distribution. In Kenya the Sarafu distribution has reached over 27,000 household in dozens of communities so we expect many CICs to be created, while pulling out the digital assets from Sarafu. (the Photo on the left show a community discussion on projects tehy could fund with their own CIC)
+
+
+
+The members of the community group pull the digital asset (valued in Kenyan Shillings) out of their CIC_a (destroying CIC_a) and place it into a new contract for CIC_b.
+
+
+
+For each $1 Kenyan Shillings (KSH) (worth of digital assets pulled out of their CIC_a) placed in the new CIC_b contract, 4 CIC_b’s will be created. (Note that we require a minimum amount of collateral and a collateral to CIC_a ratio of 25% to start a CIC).
+
+
+
+The community group then comes up with audited commitments to accept their payment for goods and services for CIC_b with 1:1 value to Kenyan shillings. They also develop rules for managing those commitments and local arbitration. i.e. one community member will agree to accepting 100 CIC_b a day for 100 KSH worth of day care for toddlers.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/cic-training96.webp
+
+
+
+For each 1 CIC_b created there must be a commitment from the groups members to accepting 1 KSH worth of goods or services. Hence each CIC_b is 100% backed by commitments of local goods and services.
+
+
+
+Eg. So for 400,000 CIC_b created, there is full backing in commitments by the community group as well as 100,000 KSH (~1,000 USD) worth of collateral. Based on community discussion, generally half of these 400,000 CIC_b’s go to the contributing members and the other half goes to voted-on community projects managed by agreed on community project managers. (the photo on the right shows Ruth Njau teaching trainers on the usage of a hatch board, recording commitments).
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/cic-training121.webp
+
+
+
+The photo here shows Roy Awaho from Kenya Red Cross and comunity members learning about Bonding Curves - which explains the diminishing returns from pulling out of their collateral fund - explained below and more in depth in our `training materials <https://gitlab.com/grassrootseconomics/cic-docs/-/blob/master/README.md>`_.
+
+
+**Basic Usage:**
+
+
+Now that members of the community group have created their own CIC (CIC_b), they are now able to liquidate (cash out) their CIC_b against the collateral fund and receive Kenyan Shillings (via Mpesa eMoney). Each time they pull out of their collateral out it takes more CIC_b to pull out the same amount. For instance 1004 CIC_b (destroyed/liquidated) will pull out roughly 1000 KSH out of the collateral. After that it will take 1012 CIC_b to pull out 1000 KSH. After that it will take 1020 CIC_b to bull out 1000 KSH and so on. 
+
+
+
+This gives businesses some assurance that they can get Kenyan shillings when needed. As the amount of CIC_b to pull out KSH increases – there is an opportunity to add KSH back into the collateral pool. 1000 KSH in our last example added to the collateral would create 1020 CIC_b’s and as long as the community group is holding their commitments there is an advantage to doing so – in order to buy local products. This market effect stabilizes the exchange value.
+
+
+
+Impact investors and aid organizations can also support communities by adding to the collateral pool and minting CIC_b’s. Just by doing so they increase the exchange value of CIC_b. This is like an investment into the economy of CIC_b users. The CIC_b’s created in the process can be donated to needy community members as well. 
+
+
+
+Giving humanitarian organizations a way to respond to crisis and seed resilient economies is at the heart of CICs. The end effect is that communities have a way to create their own credit systems for supporting themselves responsibly with both social and hard collateral. 
+

content/blog/claims-currencies.rst

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 :date: Jun 22
 :slug: claims-currencies
 :modified:  Jun 29
+:summary: We need frameworks and protocols for various types of endorsed claims that can be held self-sovereignty by individuals and groups.
 :tags: impact claims,data,CIC,claim
 
 
@@ -23,11 +24,11 @@ Issuers, who are not nations or banks, with their own claims and tokens have pop
 
 
 
-Canadian Tire Money are simple vouchers denominated in Canadian dollars and have been in circulation since the 1950's with only one business as the backing. Because their supply and circulation (liquidity) is low compared to the size of the community they operate in, they don’t operate effectively as a medium of exchange - but for a village in Kenya or Cameroon they could, or when combined with producer credits from many other businesses they could span a market.
+`Canadian Tire Money <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Tire_money>`_ are simple vouchers denominated in Canadian dollars and have been in circulation since the 1950's with only one business as the backing. Because their supply and circulation (liquidity) is low compared to the size of the community they operate in, they don’t operate effectively as a medium of exchange - but for a village in Kenya or Cameroon they could, or when combined with producer credits from many other businesses they could span a market.
 
-	`Canadian Tire Money <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Tire_money>`_	
 
-.. image:: images/blog/claims-currencies51.webp
+
+.. image:: images/blog/claims-currencies1.webp
 
 
 
@@ -35,50 +36,32 @@ In a credit system like Community Inclusion Currencies (CICs) we have an issuer
 
 
 
-The idea of taking such Producer Credits and combining them together into networks of CICs to build resilience in vulnerable communities, works well as long as there are strong foundational issuers and strong endorsements, such as groups of businesses and leaders. Towns issuing their own script (currency) were immensely effective at supporting local economies during depression eras. Had these depression era systems been taxable/integrate-able by larger states they might still be in use today. Now days, we have programmable tokens which can be taxed automatically (via demurrage/ holding taxes ). We also have systems that can network together servers to create censor resistant and secure ledgers. Decentralized economic systems could really change dynamics in areas with chronic shortage of money. Generally, brute force airdropping currency on a population doesn't create local ownership or stakeholders for good reason – because such a token is missing both: fundamental claims against redemption and endorsements. 
+The idea of taking such Producer Credits and combining them together into networks of CICs to build resilience in vulnerable communities, works well as long as there are strong foundational issuers and strong endorsements, such as groups of businesses and leaders. `Towns issuing their own script <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W%C3%B6rgl>`_ (currency) were immensely effective at supporting local economies during depression eras. Had these depression era systems been taxable/integrate-able by larger states they might still be in use today. Now days, we have programmable tokens which can be taxed automatically (via demurrage/ holding taxes ). We also have systems that can network together servers to create censor resistant and secure ledgers. Decentralized economic systems could really change dynamics in areas with chronic shortage of money. Generally, brute force airdropping currency on a population doesn't create local ownership or stakeholders for good reason – because such a token is missing both: fundamental claims against redemption and endorsements.
 
 
 
-The idea of taking such Producer Credits and combining them together into networks of CICs to build resilience in vulnerable communities, works well as long as there are strong foundational issuers and strong endorsements, such as groups of businesses and leaders. Towns issuing their own script (currency) were immensely effective at supporting local economies during depression eras. Had these depression era systems been taxable/integrate-able by larger states they might still be in use today. Now days, we have programmable tokens which can be taxed automatically (via demurrage/ holding taxes ). We also have systems that can network together servers to create censor resistant and secure ledgers. Decentralized economic systems could really change dynamics in areas with chronic shortage of money. Generally, brute force airdropping currency on a population doesn't create local ownership or stakeholders for good reason – because such a token is missing both: fundamental claims against redemption and endorsements. 
-
-
-
-The idea of taking such Producer Credits and combining them together into networks of CICs to build resilience in vulnerable communities, works well as long as there are strong foundational issuers and strong endorsements, such as groups of businesses and leaders. Towns issuing their own script (currency) were immensely effective at supporting local economies during depression eras. Had these depression era systems been taxable/integrate-able by larger states they might still be in use today. Now days, we have programmable tokens which can be taxed automatically (via demurrage/ holding taxes ). We also have systems that can network together servers to create censor resistant and secure ledgers. Decentralized economic systems could really change dynamics in areas with chronic shortage of money. Generally, brute force airdropping currency on a population doesn't create local ownership or stakeholders for good reason – because such a token is missing both: fundamental claims against redemption and endorsements. 
-
-	`Towns issuing their own script <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W%C3%B6rgl>`_		`demurrage <https://gitlab.com/cicnet/erc20-demurrage-token/>`_	
-
 Cryptographically Endorsing Claims
+**************************************
 
 
 
-How do we trust claims as well as tokens issued against them? If we think of a digitized claim as a declaration held by an entity/issuer and endorsed with an encrypted signature (private key) – we can treat that data object like a non-editable and encrypted file on a computer (or decentralized ledger system / non-fungible token) that only the owner can choose to show to others. That claim could declare anything, such as what a currency is being issued and redeemed for and it could be co-signed as an endorsement using the private keys of people and institutions that believe that claim. The number of tokens created against that claim could be determined by the endorsements (in a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) or old-school paper contract that is later scanned) as could the various parameters like demurrage and where the initial supply could go and linkages to other tokens or collateral. Finally, as someone looking to accept these tokens, I could look at the claim they are issued against as well as the entire supply and circulation history of those tokens on a ledger – as a form of peer to peer endorsement. These tokens could also be held in liquidity pools connecting them to other tokens and claims, meaning that even if the token issuer fails to redeem them there are other avenues for spending the tokens. We can even look at how these tokens circulate to get a lot of information about how they are distributed, how quickly are they redeemed and redistributed and so on. This gives us a way to de-risk and trust community currencies not issued by governments or banks by inspecting claims as well as endorsements and associated data. 
+How do we trust claims as well as tokens issued against them? If we think of a digitized claim as a declaration held by an entity/issuer and endorsed with an encrypted signature (private key) – we can treat that data object like a non-editable and encrypted file on a computer (or decentralized ledger system / `non-fungible token <https://gitlab.com/grassrootseconomics/cic-docs/-/blob/master/spec/020_redeemable_certifcate.md>`_	) that only the owner can choose to show to others. That claim could declare anything, such as what a currency is being issued and redeemed for and it could be co-signed as an endorsement using the private keys of people and institutions that believe that claim. The number of tokens created against that claim could be determined by the endorsements (in a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) or `old-school paper contract <https://gitlab.com/grassrootseconomics/cic-docs/-/blob/master/Sarafu_Network_Member_App_-_Draft__en_.pdf>`_	 that is later scanned) as could the various parameters like demurrage and where the initial supply could go and linkages to other tokens or collateral. Finally, as someone looking to accept these tokens, I could look at the claim they are issued against as well as the entire supply and circulation history of those tokens on a ledger – as a form of peer to peer endorsement. These tokens could also be held in `liquidity pools <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/post/static-vs-bonded-liquidity-pools-for-cics>`_	 connecting them to other tokens and claims, meaning that even if the token issuer fails to redeem them there are other avenues for spending the tokens. We can even look at how these tokens circulate to get a lot of information about how they are distributed, how quickly are they redeemed and redistributed and so on. This gives us a way to de-risk and trust community currencies not issued by governments or banks by inspecting claims as well as endorsements and associated data.
 
 
 
-How do we trust claims as well as tokens issued against them? If we think of a digitized claim as a declaration held by an entity/issuer and endorsed with an encrypted signature (private key) – we can treat that data object like a non-editable and encrypted file on a computer (or decentralized ledger system / non-fungible token) that only the owner can choose to show to others. That claim could declare anything, such as what a currency is being issued and redeemed for and it could be co-signed as an endorsement using the private keys of people and institutions that believe that claim. The number of tokens created against that claim could be determined by the endorsements (in a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) or old-school paper contract that is later scanned) as could the various parameters like demurrage and where the initial supply could go and linkages to other tokens or collateral. Finally, as someone looking to accept these tokens, I could look at the claim they are issued against as well as the entire supply and circulation history of those tokens on a ledger – as a form of peer to peer endorsement. These tokens could also be held in liquidity pools connecting them to other tokens and claims, meaning that even if the token issuer fails to redeem them there are other avenues for spending the tokens. We can even look at how these tokens circulate to get a lot of information about how they are distributed, how quickly are they redeemed and redistributed and so on. This gives us a way to de-risk and trust community currencies not issued by governments or banks by inspecting claims as well as endorsements and associated data. 
-
-
-
-How do we trust claims as well as tokens issued against them? If we think of a digitized claim as a declaration held by an entity/issuer and endorsed with an encrypted signature (private key) – we can treat that data object like a non-editable and encrypted file on a computer (or decentralized ledger system / non-fungible token) that only the owner can choose to show to others. That claim could declare anything, such as what a currency is being issued and redeemed for and it could be co-signed as an endorsement using the private keys of people and institutions that believe that claim. The number of tokens created against that claim could be determined by the endorsements (in a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) or old-school paper contract that is later scanned) as could the various parameters like demurrage and where the initial supply could go and linkages to other tokens or collateral. Finally, as someone looking to accept these tokens, I could look at the claim they are issued against as well as the entire supply and circulation history of those tokens on a ledger – as a form of peer to peer endorsement. These tokens could also be held in liquidity pools connecting them to other tokens and claims, meaning that even if the token issuer fails to redeem them there are other avenues for spending the tokens. We can even look at how these tokens circulate to get a lot of information about how they are distributed, how quickly are they redeemed and redistributed and so on. This gives us a way to de-risk and trust community currencies not issued by governments or banks by inspecting claims as well as endorsements and associated data. 
-
-
-
-How do we trust claims as well as tokens issued against them? If we think of a digitized claim as a declaration held by an entity/issuer and endorsed with an encrypted signature (private key) – we can treat that data object like a non-editable and encrypted file on a computer (or decentralized ledger system / non-fungible token) that only the owner can choose to show to others. That claim could declare anything, such as what a currency is being issued and redeemed for and it could be co-signed as an endorsement using the private keys of people and institutions that believe that claim. The number of tokens created against that claim could be determined by the endorsements (in a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) or old-school paper contract that is later scanned) as could the various parameters like demurrage and where the initial supply could go and linkages to other tokens or collateral. Finally, as someone looking to accept these tokens, I could look at the claim they are issued against as well as the entire supply and circulation history of those tokens on a ledger – as a form of peer to peer endorsement. These tokens could also be held in liquidity pools connecting them to other tokens and claims, meaning that even if the token issuer fails to redeem them there are other avenues for spending the tokens. We can even look at how these tokens circulate to get a lot of information about how they are distributed, how quickly are they redeemed and redistributed and so on. This gives us a way to de-risk and trust community currencies not issued by governments or banks by inspecting claims as well as endorsements and associated data. 
-
-	`non-fungible token <https://gitlab.com/grassrootseconomics/cic-docs/-/blob/master/spec/020_redeemable_certifcate.md>`_		`old-school paper contract <https://gitlab.com/grassrootseconomics/cic-docs/-/blob/master/Sarafu_Network_Member_App_-_Draft__en_.pdf>`_		`liquidity pools <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/post/static-vs-bonded-liquidity-pools-for-cics>`_	
-
 While we can look at currency through the lens of cryptographically endorsed claims, we can also look at all sorts of claims, i.e. I claim I live in Kenya, founded a non-profit foundation and have a daughter. Just like a claim against redemption, that claim can be digitized and endorsed directly by co-signers and as well by secondary data. Community Currencies when combined with other types of claims offer a huge amount of secondary data to support various claims about impacts and even identity. 
 
 
 
 Various claims can be supported using community currency data along with other survey or IoT data such as:
 
-	* Product offerings: How many people are buying those products and giving ratings on them.
-	* Organic supply chains: Following the purchases from farm to plate for specific foods.
-	* Currency risk: How circular is the economy, velocity of the tokens, distribution of the token supply, connection to other currencies
+* Product offerings: How many people are buying those products and giving ratings on them.
+* Organic supply chains: Following the purchases from farm to plate for specific foods.
+* Currency risk: How circular is the economy, velocity of the tokens, distribution of the token supply, connection to other currencies
 
 
-Rewarding Verified Claims 
+Rewarding Verified Claims
+********************************
 
 
 
@@ -90,30 +73,9 @@ Frameworks and protocols for various types of endorsed claims that can be held s
 
 
 
-Consumers of endorsed claims (organization that need trustworthy data) could include the UNICEF supporting SDGs, carbon offset purchasers, impact investors, loan and insurance providers and so on. Rewards or payment related to such claims also need to support the system of endorsements, (such as peer endorsements, web of trust and surveys), as well as the ledger systems that are holding those claims and providing data integrity and security. Such a claim market and reward system would promote people, institutions and even impact investors to seek out verified impacts. The same could also give people positive incentives for running servers (nodes) in order to validate data in order to mine impact rewards. 
-
-
-
-Consumers of endorsed claims (organization that need trustworthy data) could include the UNICEF supporting SDGs, carbon offset purchasers, impact investors, loan and insurance providers and so on. Rewards or payment related to such claims also need to support the system of endorsements, (such as peer endorsements, web of trust and surveys), as well as the ledger systems that are holding those claims and providing data integrity and security. Such a claim market and reward system would promote people, institutions and even impact investors to seek out verified impacts. The same could also give people positive incentives for running servers (nodes) in order to validate data in order to mine impact rewards. 
-
-
-
-Consumers of endorsed claims (organization that need trustworthy data) could include the UNICEF supporting SDGs, carbon offset purchasers, impact investors, loan and insurance providers and so on. Rewards or payment related to such claims also need to support the system of endorsements, (such as peer endorsements, web of trust and surveys), as well as the ledger systems that are holding those claims and providing data integrity and security. Such a claim market and reward system would promote people, institutions and even impact investors to seek out verified impacts. The same could also give people positive incentives for running servers (nodes) in order to validate data in order to mine impact rewards. 
+Consumers of endorsed claims (organization that need trustworthy data) could include the `UNICEF <https://www.unicefinnovationfund.org/portfolio?theme=blockchain>`_ supporting `SDGs <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/post/cic-indices-for-sdgs>`_	, carbon offset purchasers, impact investors, loan and insurance providers and so on. Rewards or payment related to such claims also need to support the system of endorsements, (such as peer endorsements, web of trust and surveys), as well as the ledger systems that are holding those claims and providing data integrity and security. Such a claim market and reward system would promote people, institutions and even impact investors to seek out verified impacts. The same could also give people positive incentives for running servers (nodes) in order to validate data in order to mine impact rewards.
 
 	`UNICEF <https://www.unicefinnovationfund.org/portfolio?theme=blockchain>`_		`SDGs <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/post/cic-indices-for-sdgs>`_	
 
-While Grassroots Economics is working to implement these concepts, the creation of open source frameworks and protocols for claim endorsement and rewards, is a vision held by many people and organizations. We’re proud to join the ranks of inspiring humanitarian organizations like the Red Cross, UNICEF, World Food Program and GIZ who want to enable local resilience and measure and reward impact, as well as technical groups like IXO.world and Regen.network who are building open source application specific systems on Cosmos meant to give humanity the infrastructure we need to solve real problems and live in harmony while navigating a world of claims.
+While Grassroots Economics is working to implement these concepts, the creation of open source frameworks and protocols for claim endorsement and rewards, is a vision held by many people and organizations. We’re proud to join the ranks of inspiring humanitarian organizations like the Red Cross, UNICEF, World Food Program and GIZ who want to enable local resilience and measure and reward impact, as well as technical groups like `IXO.world <https://www.ixo.world/>`_ and `Regen.network <https://www.regen.network/>`_ who are building open source application specific systems on `Cosmos <https://cosmos.network/>`_ meant to give humanity the infrastructure we need to solve real problems and live in harmony while navigating a world of claims.
 
-
-
-While Grassroots Economics is working to implement these concepts, the creation of open source frameworks and protocols for claim endorsement and rewards, is a vision held by many people and organizations. We’re proud to join the ranks of inspiring humanitarian organizations like the Red Cross, UNICEF, World Food Program and GIZ who want to enable local resilience and measure and reward impact, as well as technical groups like IXO.world and Regen.network who are building open source application specific systems on Cosmos meant to give humanity the infrastructure we need to solve real problems and live in harmony while navigating a world of claims.
-
-
-
-While Grassroots Economics is working to implement these concepts, the creation of open source frameworks and protocols for claim endorsement and rewards, is a vision held by many people and organizations. We’re proud to join the ranks of inspiring humanitarian organizations like the Red Cross, UNICEF, World Food Program and GIZ who want to enable local resilience and measure and reward impact, as well as technical groups like IXO.world and Regen.network who are building open source application specific systems on Cosmos meant to give humanity the infrastructure we need to solve real problems and live in harmony while navigating a world of claims.
-
-
-
-While Grassroots Economics is working to implement these concepts, the creation of open source frameworks and protocols for claim endorsement and rewards, is a vision held by many people and organizations. We’re proud to join the ranks of inspiring humanitarian organizations like the Red Cross, UNICEF, World Food Program and GIZ who want to enable local resilience and measure and reward impact, as well as technical groups like IXO.world and Regen.network who are building open source application specific systems on Cosmos meant to give humanity the infrastructure we need to solve real problems and live in harmony while navigating a world of claims.
-
-	`IXO.world <https://www.ixo.world/>`_		`Regen.network <https://www.regen.network/>`_		`Cosmos <https://cosmos.network/>`_	

content/blog/collateral-bonded.rst

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+:title: Collateral Bonded Gas for Block Validation
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Jun 14, 2020
+:slug: collateral-bonded
+ 
+:summary: In order to spread adoption of a new economic models that heal economic trauma and use blockchain as a source of truth that connects us...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/collateral-bonded1.webp
+
+
+
+We are co-creating an eco-system of connected blockchain based tokens across Kenya to help communities build their own economies in times of crisis and recovery – and we need an entire  technical blockchain eco-system to do it.
+
+
+
+A Community Inclusion Currency (`CIC <https://gitlab.com/grassrootseconomics/cic-docs/-/blob/master/README.md>`_) is a financial instrument that allows for the issuance of a token that is backed by goods or services to also have a bonded collateral. We use the Bancor contract suite and basic bonding curves created by Eyal Hertzog, Yudi Levi and team.
+
+
+
+
+For the CICs we use now and will be empowering communities and aid organizations to create, they have  a pool with only one token (right now) in reserve (soon to be DAI (bridged to xDAI as the reserve) )  
+
+
+
+The CICs are backed by goods and services of the creator as well as bonded collateral. In the case of Grassroots Economics and Red Cross that is donor funds and donated items, phone and field support, training. There is also a (soon to be bonded $40k in reserve)
+ 
+
+
+
+A core idea behind CICs is that anyone should be able to create a medium of excahnge based on what they value. A group of businesses in Kenya should be able to make a token against the promise to redeem it for their tomatoes, school fees, and so on. These credits need some collateral behind them, so that we can de-risk our trust in their tokens and so we can safely value them against other such CICs and national currency.
+
+
+
+The interoperability of these tokens between each other and national currency make them viable for real people and businesses and organization – not just tech bubbles. What if this interoperability was extended into the blockchain network and entire tech eco system? 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+**What if validation nodes backed a CIC with block validation (GAS) costs and bonded that gas to a stable coin? Could there be a Gas CIC?**	`A short primer on Gas <https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gas-ethereum.asp>`_.
+
+
+Say a blockchain was built with a bonded native token (like we create CICs)call it cicG (CIC Gas). Say a group of block validators measured 4 Million USD in the cost of server fees, devOps and node maintenance for 10 years and issued those tokens to themselves and any contributors in a hatch phase. Say the initial supply of cicG tokens is 4 Million tokens and the validators guarantee that these tokens will be accepted for gas fees (as designed always 1:1 with their reserve). And what if there were 1 Million DAI (bridged to xDAI or some table token) as the bonded collateral (reserve) for these tokens.  
+
+
+As validators receive cicG as GAS and liquidate it for DAI – they reduce the exchange value of cicG <> DAI and allow people to add more DAI to reserve and cheaply mint additional cicG in order to pay for gas fees cheaply (filling back the reserve of DAI). This creates a constrained and autonomous market for cicG while allowing validators to pay for maintaining their nodes. The more demand for gas on the blockchain the higher the exchange value for cicG will become – benefiting cicG holders and those building the ecosystem of traders.
+ 
+
+
+
+What if communities in Kenya or aid organizations using their own CICs could pay for gas costs themselves by converting their tokens into cicG automatically? Conversion fees between cicG<>DAI could also go into the reserve pool encouraging cicG holders. (All functions already built into the Bancor `contracts <https://github.com/bancorprotocol/contracts>`_)
+
+
+
+What other services besides, hair cuts, tomato farming and block validation could create interoperable tokens? – Looking inward at our donor funded work here at Grassroots Economics, how about all the services we offer as a non-profit such as small business networking and marketing, phone support, and training?  
+
+
+
+Let’s not assume that everyone can use ETH or DAI tokens as a medium of exchange right off the bat! Bonding curves give us a way to create credit based on services with trusted collateral and build economics systems that have value right now for people who need it. `Read more about our efforts in Kenya with Red cross. <https://www.cityam.com/empowering-communities-with-alternative-currencies-towards-a-post-covid-economy/>`_.
+
+
+
+In order to spread adoption of a new economic models that heal economic trauma and use blockchain as a source of truth that connects us, we need bonded - inter-operable systems at all levels.
+
+
+
+For more blockchain based discussion on CICs you can visit https://t.me/CICBlockchain and visit our GitLab https://gitlab.com/grassrootseconomics/cic-docs/-/blob/master/README.md 
+
+

content/blog/community-currencies-cash.rst

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+
+:title: Community Currencies: Cash Transfer 2.0
+:author: rebeccamqamelo
+:date: May 28, 2019
+:slug: community-currencies-cash
+
+:summary: A few decades ago, the idea of giving money to poor people instead of food packages and healthcare was almost scandalous. Free money?...
+
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/community-currencies-cash1.webp
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+A few decades ago, the idea of giving money to poor people instead of food packages and healthcare was almost scandalous. Free money? With no strings attached? Surely, this was aid gone wrong – a desperate attempt to do things differently that was bound to fail.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Today, the evidence for cash transfers as an effective form of aid has changed the way we think about giving money to the poor, as well as the methods we use to fight poverty. In December 2018, a number of UN agencies released a statement that identified “cash-based assistance as one of the most significant reforms in humanitarian assistance in recent years”. This is just one example of how innovative approaches to old methods can shift the mentality of an entire industry.
+
+
+
+
+
+At Grassroots Economics, we believe that poverty alleviation and innovation go hand in hand. The UN estimates that the gap in financing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is $2.5 trillion per year in developing countries alone. This creates a real crisis for the humanitarian field. It doesn’t matter how effective new methods are – they need to be financed. So where will the money come from?
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Blockchain-powered community currencies promise to revolutionize how we do aid. Giving people money will only get you so far. Injecting cash into stagnant economies doesn’t change the underlying structure of those cash-strapped, underutilized networks. The real challenge is creating socio-economic value systems that are rooted in vibrant, cohesive and resilient communities.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+In order to do this, communities need to be empowered to turn cash circulation into economic activity. A cash transfer recipient who still has to commute 4 hours to grind their maize is still burdened by the fact that key products and services aren’t available in their area. As a result, most of the money that goes into the community goes straight out again, making no difference to local business growth, employment opportunities or access to resources.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/community-currencies-cash59.webp
+
+
+
+The Sarafu network is a community currency system that has existed for nearly a decade in Kenya. We give people the power to define money in their own terms, where value is backed by the productive assets of the community. In other words, instead of giving cash, we enable mutual credit. Using Bancor’s blockchain API, we’ve been able to see the real-time growth of robust economic networks. Token data offers powerful insights on demurrage (negative interest rates), incentive structures and promoting economic resilience and development. When people use Sarafu to trade with each other, pay for school fees, or start a business, they’re making sure that the credit that enters the community stays there.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+.. raw:: html
+
+    <iframe width="740" height="416" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B4430YSgLzE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+
+
+*Community currencies create robust local networks:* A snapshot inside the Sarafu network in Lindi. Nodes represent individual traders.
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/community-currencies-cash91.webp
+
+
+
+Bill Gates and Silicon Valley can’t finance the gaps that exist in the developing world. Poor communities don’t lack demand, or labour, or ideas. They lack a medium of exchange to deploy their under-utilized resources. When people are empowered to create that medium of exchange for themselves, they’re able to kickstart stagnant economies and create value where there previously was none.
+
+
+
+
+
+This is how you build prospering economies powered by thriving communities. For more information on our work in Kenya, visit our blog.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+`#sarafu <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/sarafu>`_	`#sustainabledevelopment <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/sustainabledevelopment>`_	`#blockchain <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/blockchain>`_	`#Bancor <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/Bancor>`_	`#SDG <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/SDG>`_
+
+
+

content/blog/community-currencies.rst

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+:title: Community Currencies and DEX Multitudes 
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Jan 7
+:slug: community-currencies
+ 
+:summary: Decentralized Exchange (DEX) Contracts contain multitudes. There are nearly infinite ways to use them to connect blockchain contracts...
+:tags: dex,excahnge,liquidity,community currency
+
+
+
+Decentralized Exchange (DEX) Contracts contain multitudes. There are nearly infinite ways to use them to connect blockchain contracts (like Community Inclusion Currencies) for different use cases. Using them opens us up decentralized network topologies that we would never have dreamed of with old fashion stock exchanges and other financial instruments. The best part is that they can be used by anyone in the world with access to internet or even just an inexpensive phone using USSD/SMS.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/community-currencies1.webp
+
+
+
+The basic Community Inclusion Currency (CIC) contract (shown above) is a token that holds a real world claim against redemption of goods and services - such as the harvest created by a group of women managing a communal `Food Forest <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/post/food-forests-and-syntropic-currencies>`_	. In 2018 our CIC's were pool tokens that were additionally bonded to a on-chain reserve called Sarafu upon deployment. But connecting a CIC's full supply to be convertible (even on a bonding curve) to a reserve isn't always useful, especially in situations where you want to limit how much of your CIC supply is convertible or join the network after token deployment.
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/community-currencies33.webp
+
+
+
+In that case the open source `Bancor DEX contract's liquidity pools <https://github.com/bancorprotocol/contracts-solidity>`_	 can be used as relays (this is actually the most common way to use these contracts). As such a CIC creator or anyone holding a CIC  (or any ERC 20 token) can choose to create a relay or liquidity pool (as shown abovce) to any other token on the network, like Sarafu or another CIC (similar to Uniswap but with the ability to create variable strength bonding curves between pooled tokens). With a liquidity pool anyone can choose to create liquidity (conversion to other tokens) - but with an intrinsic reserve (as we used to have) only the token creator can decide and generally that means 100% of our token supply will be liquid in that one way chosen upon deployment.
+
+
+A network token like Sarafu can still be used to connect to many different tokens - but it isn't needed upon CIC contract deployment. Below shows how Sarafu itself is issued as a kind of basic income token and also serves as a bootstrap network token.
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/community-currencies56.webp
+
+
+
+Hence a chama (women's group) or even a restaurant can create a CIC as a voucher for their future production of goods and services with proof of redemption commitment in physical contract with local authorities - then choose to take a limited amount of their CIC supply and place it in a liquidity pool along with Sarafu and/or some other token(s) such as ETH. This gives the CIC issuer the ability to choose **if, when and how much** they want to connect to other tokens or a whole network of tokens.
+
+
+
+Given public infrastructure, this means we have a way of creating a currency as claims against redemption in goods and services and on-board those tokens when their community wants to into a connected network of Community Inclusion Currencies. These CIC holding users in such networks can provide proof of identity and various SDG impacts to direct humanitarian aid as below. 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/community-currencies83.webp
+
+
+
+Note that this network topology potentially gives humanitarian organizations the ability to directly create and support liquidity pools as well - creating limited conduits for exchange between aid funds (used to purchase ETH for instance) and CICs..
+
+
+
+While our work is focused on specific use cases of this technology in vulnerable populations, Grassroots Economics is a non-profit foundation seeking to connect organizations and groups to the ability to create and manage their own medium of exchange with the option of joining into larger networks to create communities of currencies. All our systems are built on an open source tech stack with interchangeable blockchains, modules and interfaces. We hope this open software design paired with the power of DEX liquidity pools are the building blocks of an emergent decentralized economy.
+
+
+
+We hope this open software design paired with the power of DEX liquidity pools are the building blocks of an emergent decentralized economy.
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/community-currencies105.webp

content/blog/community-currency.rst

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+:title: Community Currency Design Course Opening
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Dec 3, 2017
+:slug: community-currency
+ 
+:summary: Grassroots Economics has opened up its archives of design and implementation to students world wide through a hands-on, practical course...
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Grassroots Economics has opened up its archives of design and implementation to students world wide through a hands-on, practical course in Kenya. After having our first round of students this year with great results, we are excited to open up enrollment to students across Africa and abroad.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Become a certified Community Currency designer.
+
+
+
+Become a certified Community Currency designer.
+
+	`certified Community Currency designer <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/get-involved>`_	
+
+ 
+
+
+
+After understanding how to tap into the abundance of communities and build resilient thriving local economies you will never look at money in the same way.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+	`Click here to inquire about the course <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/get-involved>`_	
+
+ 
+
+
+
+This course will immerse you into the world of Community Currencies as a tool for economic and community development. We will cover why and how Community Currencies have been implemented in marginalized communities as well as their history. In the field you interact with people using Community Currencies in real life settings to understand the social dynamics and economic systems that are needed to make Community Currencies thrive. After completing this course you will be have a strong foundation to design, customize and implement Community Currencies.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Topical Outline:
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Community Currency Theory:development economics, history of money, financial systems and debt, currency models, goals standards and ethics.
+
+
+
+
+Preparation & Development: community participation and ownership, system design, voucher creation, communications, partnerships, and legality.
+
+
+
+
+Preparation & Development: community participation and ownership, system design, voucher creation, communications, partnerships, and legality.
+
+
+
+
+Preparation & Development: community participation and ownership, system design, voucher creation, communications, partnerships, and legality.
+
+
+
+
+Setup & Launch:  cooperative facilitation, collateral asset development, financial sustainability, and marketing.
+
+Long Term Care: long-term support, audits, Community Currency renewal.
+
+
+
+
+Setup & Launch:  cooperative facilitation, collateral asset development, financial sustainability, and marketing.
+
+Long Term Care: long-term support, audits, Community Currency renewal.
+
+
+
+
+Setup & Launch:  cooperative facilitation, collateral asset development, financial sustainability, and marketing.
+
+Long Term Care: long-term support, audits, Community Currency renewal.
+
+
+
+
+Setup & Launch:  cooperative facilitation, collateral asset development, financial sustainability, and marketing.
+
+Long Term Care: long-term support, audits, Community Currency renewal.
+
+
+
+
+Setup & Launch:  cooperative facilitation, collateral asset development, financial sustainability, and marketing.
+
+Long Term Care: long-term support, audits, Community Currency renewal.
+
+
+
+
+Setup & Launch:  cooperative facilitation, collateral asset development, financial sustainability, and marketing.
+
+Long Term Care: long-term support, audits, Community Currency renewal.
+
+
+
+
+Setup & Launch:  cooperative facilitation, collateral asset development, financial sustainability, and marketing.
+
+Long Term Care: long-term support, audits, Community Currency renewal.
+
+
+
+
+Management: system maintenance, legal reporting, accounting, currency circulation, administration, data collection, and personnel.
+
+
+
+
+Management: system maintenance, legal reporting, accounting, currency circulation, administration, data collection, and personnel.
+
+
+
+
+Management: system maintenance, legal reporting, accounting, currency circulation, administration, data collection, and personnel.
+
+
+
+
+Fieldwork: on-the-ground survey work and interviews; lessons learned from previous Community Currency models; taking part in community currency events and activities; economic resource mapping.
+
+
+
+
+Fieldwork: on-the-ground survey work and interviews; lessons learned from previous Community Currency models; taking part in community currency events and activities; economic resource mapping.
+
+
+
+
+Fieldwork: on-the-ground survey work and interviews; lessons learned from previous Community Currency models; taking part in community currency events and activities; economic resource mapping.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Schedule: The course covers five days of classroom and field experiences but can be shortened to as little as three days to meet the needs of the students.
+

content/blog/community-inclusion.rst

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+:title: Community Inclusion Currencies are Now Open Source
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Jan 27, 2020
+:slug: community-inclusion
+:modified:  Jan 13
+:summary: These may sound like small improvements, but because of them our current, 8000+ and growing, users will be able to trade and create CICs to 
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/community-inclusion18.webp
+
+
+
+Today the Grassroots Economics and volunteers spanning 5 countries gathered in Kenya to launch Community Inclusion Currency (CIC) trading on a new open source platform! 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+We’ve been waiting for this since 2015 when we first started using USSD to connect simple feature phones to a digital ledger. The dream to be able to use a system we could share freely and build on with others is finally here. This is still just the beginning, but I am so grateful for the Red Cross teams for making this happen.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+This means we can fully customize the system to: 
+
+
+
+This means we can fully customize the system to: 
+
+
+
+This means we can fully customize the system to: 
+
+	* Use any blockchain, smart contracts or reserve tokens. 
+	* From virtual backing to on-chain collateral for CICs 
+	* Improve speeds and usability: 
+	* Wallet Creation and Registration process: 15 minutes to 2 minutes 
+	* Transaction and Validation Process: 2+ minutes to 5 seconds 
+	* Provide real time support for user challenges 
+
+
+These may sound like small improvements, but because of them our current, 8000+ and growing, users will be able to trade and create CICs to support their local communities across Kenya. CICs allow users to easily create shares of pooled funds in national currency as a medium of exchange for local goods and services. We’re so appreciative to stand on the shoulders of giants like Eyal Hertzog (and the Bancor team's open source smart contract), as well as Friedrich Hayek and Bernard Lietear with their vision for multi-currency ecosystems. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+	**What’s left to do?**	
+
+
+What’s left to do? 
+
+	* Analysis and Modeling: BlockScience and researchers with on the ground pioneer communities 
+	* Improving the platform: Volunteer programmers and teams with security audits while reacting to user feedback 
+	* Dashboarding and Support: Gender, Business types, transaction data, SDG Impacts. How can detailed CIC economic data be used to help marginalized economies become resilient? 
+	* User Guides and Materials: Red Cross and users, translations, localizations, modular systems and local customizations 
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Finalizing the above list in 2020 will push CICs farther in a year than we’ve been able to move for the last ten years.
+
+
+
+Note that we are rebuilding the code base and will not be using Sempo's system in 2021. 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/community-inclusion93.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/community-inclusion107.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/community-inclusion121.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+#opensource #RedCross #CIC
+
+
+
+#opensource #RedCross #CIC
+
+	`#opensource <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/opensource>`_	
+
+#opensource
+
+	`#RedCross <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/RedCross>`_	
+
+#RedCross
+
+	`#CIC <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/CIC>`_	
+
+#CIC
+

content/blog/comparative-analysis.rst

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+:title: Comparative Analysis of eMoney and Community Currency
+:author: Sowelu Avanzo
+:date: Feb 7, 2020
+:slug: comparative-analysis
+ 
+:summary: This shows us that the presence of Sarafu stabilizes the economic system, working as a buffer in the months when the national currency is sc
+ 
+
+	**Introduction
+
+Sarafu is a network of interoperable community currencies implemented by Grassroots Economics, aimed at eradicating poverty through the creation of endogenous credit in the marginalized communities (Ruddick et al., 2018). In Kenya the Sarafu network has been implemented  in communities living below the poverty threshold  in both rural areas and urban slums. One of the most successful cases of such implementation is that of Miyani, part of the Kasameni sub-location, where the community currency spread to more than 4800 users at the time of this study. Sarafu is, however, only the most recent step on the path of financial innovation for the inclusion of marginalized communities in Kenya. As Edwards (Edwards, 2016 p.2016) shows, for instance, mentioning the case of M-Pesa:**	
+
+
+Introduction
+
+Sarafu is a network of interoperable community currencies implemented by Grassroots Economics, aimed at eradicating poverty through the creation of endogenous credit in the marginalized communities (Ruddick et al., 2018). In Kenya the Sarafu network has been implemented  in communities living below the poverty threshold  in both rural areas and urban slums. One of the most successful cases of such implementation is that of Miyani, part of the Kasameni sub-location, where the community currency spread to more than 4800 users at the time of this study. Sarafu is, however, only the most recent step on the path of financial innovation for the inclusion of marginalized communities in Kenya. As Edwards (Edwards, 2016 p.2016) shows, for instance, mentioning the case of M-Pesa:
+
+
+
+Introduction
+
+Sarafu is a network of interoperable community currencies implemented by Grassroots Economics, aimed at eradicating poverty through the creation of endogenous credit in the marginalized communities (Ruddick et al., 2018). In Kenya the Sarafu network has been implemented  in communities living below the poverty threshold  in both rural areas and urban slums. One of the most successful cases of such implementation is that of Miyani, part of the Kasameni sub-location, where the community currency spread to more than 4800 users at the time of this study. Sarafu is, however, only the most recent step on the path of financial innovation for the inclusion of marginalized communities in Kenya. As Edwards (Edwards, 2016 p.2016) shows, for instance, mentioning the case of M-Pesa:
+
+
+
+Introduction
+
+Sarafu is a network of interoperable community currencies implemented by Grassroots Economics, aimed at eradicating poverty through the creation of endogenous credit in the marginalized communities (Ruddick et al., 2018). In Kenya the Sarafu network has been implemented  in communities living below the poverty threshold  in both rural areas and urban slums. One of the most successful cases of such implementation is that of Miyani, part of the Kasameni sub-location, where the community currency spread to more than 4800 users at the time of this study. Sarafu is, however, only the most recent step on the path of financial innovation for the inclusion of marginalized communities in Kenya. As Edwards (Edwards, 2016 p.2016) shows, for instance, mentioning the case of M-Pesa:
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The combination of widespread cellular communication and the ability to transfer money instantly (via eMoney), securely, and inexpensively are together leading to enormous changes in the organization of economic activity, family relations, and risk management and mitigation
+
+
+
+The achievement that the Sarafu network brings about is the chance to create and use a complementary currency, helping the communities to overcome the scarcity of national currency, which is accepted 1:1 with the national currency by the local businesses. It has been shown to provide a liquid means of exchange to the members of the communities that effectively incentivizes local production through its circulation, and to have helped the users to increase their savings in Kenya Shillings, as Marion Cauvet has shown (Cauvet, 2018). 
+
+
+
+
+The achievement that the Sarafu network brings about is the chance to create and use a complementary currency, helping the communities to overcome the scarcity of national currency, which is accepted 1:1 with the national currency by the local businesses. It has been shown to provide a liquid means of exchange to the members of the communities that effectively incentivizes local production through its circulation, and to have helped the users to increase their savings in Kenya Shillings, as Marion Cauvet has shown (Cauvet, 2018). 
+
+
+
+
+The achievement that the Sarafu network brings about is the chance to create and use a complementary currency, helping the communities to overcome the scarcity of national currency, which is accepted 1:1 with the national currency by the local businesses. It has been shown to provide a liquid means of exchange to the members of the communities that effectively incentivizes local production through its circulation, and to have helped the users to increase their savings in Kenya Shillings, as Marion Cauvet has shown (Cauvet, 2018). 
+
+
+
+
+In order to provide further evidence for the impact of Sarafu, its circulation will be analysed and compared to that of other eMoney services in Kenya used by the sample group.
+
+This comparison is also important, because eMoney is one of the few alternative means of exchange to cash in areas such as Miyani, since very few of its inhabitants have a bank account, and, therefore, it is difficult to find reliable data relative to the circulation of national currency. 
+
+
+
+In order to provide further evidence for the impact of Sarafu, its circulation will be analysed and compared to that of other eMoney services in Kenya used by the sample group.
+
+This comparison is also important, because eMoney is one of the few alternative means of exchange to cash in areas such as Miyani, since very few of its inhabitants have a bank account, and, therefore, it is difficult to find reliable data relative to the circulation of national currency. 
+
+
+
+In order to provide further evidence for the impact of Sarafu, its circulation will be analysed and compared to that of other eMoney services in Kenya used by the sample group.
+
+This comparison is also important, because eMoney is one of the few alternative means of exchange to cash in areas such as Miyani, since very few of its inhabitants have a bank account, and, therefore, it is difficult to find reliable data relative to the circulation of national currency. 
+
+
+
+In order to provide further evidence for the impact of Sarafu, its circulation will be analysed and compared to that of other eMoney services in Kenya used by the sample group.
+
+This comparison is also important, because eMoney is one of the few alternative means of exchange to cash in areas such as Miyani, since very few of its inhabitants have a bank account, and, therefore, it is difficult to find reliable data relative to the circulation of national currency. 
+
+
+
+In order to provide further evidence for the impact of Sarafu, its circulation will be analysed and compared to that of other eMoney services in Kenya used by the sample group.
+
+This comparison is also important, because eMoney is one of the few alternative means of exchange to cash in areas such as Miyani, since very few of its inhabitants have a bank account, and, therefore, it is difficult to find reliable data relative to the circulation of national currency. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+	**Analysis of the Transactions
+
+The sample  consists of 6 individuals living in the Miyani area (4 men and 2 women), who voluntarily disclosed their eMoney transactions, which have been compared to the transaction dataset stored on the Sarafu open source blockchain-based database. The period considered is the Semester between June and December 2019. However small, the sample is considered to be representative of the population of Miyani.**	
+
+
+Analysis of the Transactions
+
+The sample  consists of 6 individuals living in the Miyani area (4 men and 2 women), who voluntarily disclosed their eMoney transactions, which have been compared to the transaction dataset stored on the Sarafu open source blockchain-based database. The period considered is the Semester between June and December 2019. However small, the sample is considered to be representative of the population of Miyani.
+
+
+
+Analysis of the Transactions
+
+The sample  consists of 6 individuals living in the Miyani area (4 men and 2 women), who voluntarily disclosed their eMoney transactions, which have been compared to the transaction dataset stored on the Sarafu open source blockchain-based database. The period considered is the Semester between June and December 2019. However small, the sample is considered to be representative of the population of Miyani.
+
+
+
+Analysis of the Transactions
+
+The sample  consists of 6 individuals living in the Miyani area (4 men and 2 women), who voluntarily disclosed their eMoney transactions, which have been compared to the transaction dataset stored on the Sarafu open source blockchain-based database. The period considered is the Semester between June and December 2019. However small, the sample is considered to be representative of the population of Miyani.
+
+
+
+
+All the individuals considered used both traditional e-money and Sarafu. The data show that the 6 users analysed, conducted 578 transactions through Sarafu worth a total volume of 185,666 and 685 through E-money worth 148,757 Kenya Shillings. 
+
+
+
+
+All the individuals considered used both traditional e-money and Sarafu. The data show that the 6 users analysed, conducted 578 transactions through Sarafu worth a total volume of 185,666 and 685 through E-money worth 148,757 Kenya Shillings. 
+
+
+
+
+All the individuals considered used both traditional e-money and Sarafu. The data show that the 6 users analysed, conducted 578 transactions through Sarafu worth a total volume of 185,666 and 685 through E-money worth 148,757 Kenya Shillings. 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/comparative-analysis44.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Over the whole time period transactions in Sarafu produced a volume roughly 24,8% higher than those in Kenya Shillings via eMoney.
+
+
+
+
+Moreover, it can be observed that, during June, August and November more Kenya Shillings were exchanged through E-money than Sarafu, whereas in July, September, October and December it was the opposite showing a counter cyclical effect likely related to crop yields. The maximum volume exchanged in one month through Sarafu was 58,554 (December), whereas the maximum amount exchanged via E-money in the period observed was 49457 (November). The standard deviation of the monthly volume exchanged in Sarafu is 9553,958855  Sarafu, whereas that of the volume of Kenya Shillings transactions is 14,214,05, whereas the total standard deviation of exchanges both in Sarafu and Kenya Shillings, amounts to 21600,17471, which is lower than the sum of the other two (amounting to 23768,01553).  This shows us that the presence of Sarafu stabilizes the economic system, working as a buffer in the months when the national currency is scarce. It is moreover worth to notice that both the volume of the transactions in Kenya Shillings and Sarafu grew over the period. This is evident if it is taken into account that the sum of volumes in June, July, August and September , amounting to 71043 for eMoney and , is inferior to the that in the last 3 months, worth 77680. The same can be said for the volume exchanged in Sarafu, amounting to 55433 and 130143 respectively.
+
+
+
+
+Moreover, it can be observed that, during June, August and November more Kenya Shillings were exchanged through E-money than Sarafu, whereas in July, September, October and December it was the opposite showing a counter cyclical effect likely related to crop yields. The maximum volume exchanged in one month through Sarafu was 58,554 (December), whereas the maximum amount exchanged via E-money in the period observed was 49457 (November). The standard deviation of the monthly volume exchanged in Sarafu is 9553,958855  Sarafu, whereas that of the volume of Kenya Shillings transactions is 14,214,05, whereas the total standard deviation of exchanges both in Sarafu and Kenya Shillings, amounts to 21600,17471, which is lower than the sum of the other two (amounting to 23768,01553).  This shows us that the presence of Sarafu stabilizes the economic system, working as a buffer in the months when the national currency is scarce. It is moreover worth to notice that both the volume of the transactions in Kenya Shillings and Sarafu grew over the period. This is evident if it is taken into account that the sum of volumes in June, July, August and September , amounting to 71043 for eMoney and , is inferior to the that in the last 3 months, worth 77680. The same can be said for the volume exchanged in Sarafu, amounting to 55433 and 130143 respectively.
+
+
+
+
+Moreover, it can be observed that, during June, August and November more Kenya Shillings were exchanged through E-money than Sarafu, whereas in July, September, October and December it was the opposite showing a counter cyclical effect likely related to crop yields. The maximum volume exchanged in one month through Sarafu was 58,554 (December), whereas the maximum amount exchanged via E-money in the period observed was 49457 (November). The standard deviation of the monthly volume exchanged in Sarafu is 9553,958855  Sarafu, whereas that of the volume of Kenya Shillings transactions is 14,214,05, whereas the total standard deviation of exchanges both in Sarafu and Kenya Shillings, amounts to 21600,17471, which is lower than the sum of the other two (amounting to 23768,01553).  This shows us that the presence of Sarafu stabilizes the economic system, working as a buffer in the months when the national currency is scarce. It is moreover worth to notice that both the volume of the transactions in Kenya Shillings and Sarafu grew over the period. This is evident if it is taken into account that the sum of volumes in June, July, August and September , amounting to 71043 for eMoney and , is inferior to the that in the last 3 months, worth 77680. The same can be said for the volume exchanged in Sarafu, amounting to 55433 and 130143 respectively.
+
+	**Moreover, it can be observed that, during June, August and November more Kenya Shillings were exchanged through E-money than Sarafu, whereas in July, September, October and December it was the opposite showing a counter cyclical effect likely related to crop yields. The maximum volume exchanged in one month through Sarafu was 58,554 (December), whereas the maximum amount exchanged via E-money in the period observed was 49457 (November). The standard deviation of the monthly volume exchanged in Sarafu is 9553,958855  Sarafu, whereas that of the volume of Kenya Shillings transactions is 14,214,05, whereas the total standard deviation of exchanges both in Sarafu and Kenya Shillings, amounts to 21600,17471, which is lower than the sum of the other two (amounting to 23768,01553).  This shows us that the presence of Sarafu stabilizes the economic system, working as a buffer in the months when the national currency is scarce. It is moreover worth to notice that both the volume of the transactions in Kenya Shillings and Sarafu grew over the period. This is evident if it is taken into account that the sum of volumes in June, July, August and September , amounting to 71043 for eMoney and , is inferior to the that in the last 3 months, worth 77680. The same can be said for the volume exchanged in Sarafu, amounting to 55433 and 130143 respectively.**	
+
+
+
+Moreover, it can be observed that, during June, August and November more Kenya Shillings were exchanged through E-money than Sarafu, whereas in July, September, October and December it was the opposite showing a counter cyclical effect likely related to crop yields. The maximum volume exchanged in one month through Sarafu was 58,554 (December), whereas the maximum amount exchanged via E-money in the period observed was 49457 (November). The standard deviation of the monthly volume exchanged in Sarafu is 9553,958855  Sarafu, whereas that of the volume of Kenya Shillings transactions is 14,214,05, whereas the total standard deviation of exchanges both in Sarafu and Kenya Shillings, amounts to 21600,17471, which is lower than the sum of the other two (amounting to 23768,01553).  This shows us that the presence of Sarafu stabilizes the economic system, working as a buffer in the months when the national currency is scarce. It is moreover worth to notice that both the volume of the transactions in Kenya Shillings and Sarafu grew over the period. This is evident if it is taken into account that the sum of volumes in June, July, August and September , amounting to 71043 for eMoney and , is inferior to the that in the last 3 months, worth 77680. The same can be said for the volume exchanged in Sarafu, amounting to 55433 and 130143 respectively.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+By analysing more in detail the eMoney transactions, however, it can be noticed that the overall outflow consists of: 26744 Ksh transferred to other accounts, 33823 Ksh  withdrawals and 12456 Ksh used to pay bills.
+Conversely, in the same time period, Sarafu were mainly spent among  local businesses for buying farm produce(42221), fish(36626), vegetables (30295),  water (27321), to save or to take loans from the chama, that is a savings and loans association (26600).
+
+
+
+By analysing more in detail the eMoney transactions, however, it can be noticed that the overall outflow consists of: 26744 Ksh transferred to other accounts, 33823 Ksh  withdrawals and 12456 Ksh used to pay bills.
+Conversely, in the same time period, Sarafu were mainly spent among  local businesses for buying farm produce(42221), fish(36626), vegetables (30295),  water (27321), to save or to take loans from the chama, that is a savings and loans association (26600).
+
+
+
+By analysing more in detail the eMoney transactions, however, it can be noticed that the overall outflow consists of: 26744 Ksh transferred to other accounts, 33823 Ksh  withdrawals and 12456 Ksh used to pay bills.
+Conversely, in the same time period, Sarafu were mainly spent among  local businesses for buying farm produce(42221), fish(36626), vegetables (30295),  water (27321), to save or to take loans from the chama, that is a savings and loans association (26600).
+
+
+
+By analysing more in detail the eMoney transactions, however, it can be noticed that the overall outflow consists of: 26744 Ksh transferred to other accounts, 33823 Ksh  withdrawals and 12456 Ksh used to pay bills.
+Conversely, in the same time period, Sarafu were mainly spent among  local businesses for buying farm produce(42221), fish(36626), vegetables (30295),  water (27321), to save or to take loans from the chama, that is a savings and loans association (26600).
+
+
+
+By analysing more in detail the eMoney transactions, however, it can be noticed that the overall outflow consists of: 26744 Ksh transferred to other accounts, 33823 Ksh  withdrawals and 12456 Ksh used to pay bills.
+Conversely, in the same time period, Sarafu were mainly spent among  local businesses for buying farm produce(42221), fish(36626), vegetables (30295),  water (27321), to save or to take loans from the chama, that is a savings and loans association (26600).
+
+
+
+ 
+
+	**Preliminary Results
+The volume of the exchanges, differed significantly, showing that Sarafu circulated faster than the emoney in the period considered. Moreover, it is evident that the majority of Sarafu were spent among local businesses,  whereas a larger portion of the Kenya Shillings circulating were withdrawn. Furthermore Sarafu, even though it was implemented only in 2017 in the Miyani area (Cauvet, 2018), plays a fundamental role in the life of these inhabitants of Miyani, who benefit from the interaction between the national currency and the alternative currency to meet their everyday needs. More specifically, evidence shows that Sarafu worked as a counter-cyclical buffer, bringing stability to the local economic system, and fostered circulation of goods and services also through traditional e-money, as it can be noticed from the fact that the overall volume exchanged not only in Sarafu, but also that in Kenya Shillings increased over the time period. Due to the scarcity of data, however, the conclusions achieved are only partial, and, therefore, further research should confirm the findings.**	
+
+
+Preliminary Results
+The volume of the exchanges, differed significantly, showing that Sarafu circulated faster than the emoney in the period considered. Moreover, it is evident that the majority of Sarafu were spent among local businesses,  whereas a larger portion of the Kenya Shillings circulating were withdrawn. Furthermore Sarafu, even though it was implemented only in 2017 in the Miyani area (Cauvet, 2018), plays a fundamental role in the life of these inhabitants of Miyani, who benefit from the interaction between the national currency and the alternative currency to meet their everyday needs. More specifically, evidence shows that Sarafu worked as a counter-cyclical buffer, bringing stability to the local economic system, and fostered circulation of goods and services also through traditional e-money, as it can be noticed from the fact that the overall volume exchanged not only in Sarafu, but also that in Kenya Shillings increased over the time period. Due to the scarcity of data, however, the conclusions achieved are only partial, and, therefore, further research should confirm the findings.
+
+
+
+Preliminary Results
+The volume of the exchanges, differed significantly, showing that Sarafu circulated faster than the emoney in the period considered. Moreover, it is evident that the majority of Sarafu were spent among local businesses,  whereas a larger portion of the Kenya Shillings circulating were withdrawn. Furthermore Sarafu, even though it was implemented only in 2017 in the Miyani area (Cauvet, 2018), plays a fundamental role in the life of these inhabitants of Miyani, who benefit from the interaction between the national currency and the alternative currency to meet their everyday needs. More specifically, evidence shows that Sarafu worked as a counter-cyclical buffer, bringing stability to the local economic system, and fostered circulation of goods and services also through traditional e-money, as it can be noticed from the fact that the overall volume exchanged not only in Sarafu, but also that in Kenya Shillings increased over the time period. Due to the scarcity of data, however, the conclusions achieved are only partial, and, therefore, further research should confirm the findings.
+
+
+
+Preliminary Results
+The volume of the exchanges, differed significantly, showing that Sarafu circulated faster than the emoney in the period considered. Moreover, it is evident that the majority of Sarafu were spent among local businesses,  whereas a larger portion of the Kenya Shillings circulating were withdrawn. Furthermore Sarafu, even though it was implemented only in 2017 in the Miyani area (Cauvet, 2018), plays a fundamental role in the life of these inhabitants of Miyani, who benefit from the interaction between the national currency and the alternative currency to meet their everyday needs. More specifically, evidence shows that Sarafu worked as a counter-cyclical buffer, bringing stability to the local economic system, and fostered circulation of goods and services also through traditional e-money, as it can be noticed from the fact that the overall volume exchanged not only in Sarafu, but also that in Kenya Shillings increased over the time period. Due to the scarcity of data, however, the conclusions achieved are only partial, and, therefore, further research should confirm the findings.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+https://github.com/GrassrootsEconomics/TransactionDatasets
+
+
+
+
+
+https://github.com/GrassrootsEconomics/TransactionDatasets
+
+
+
+
+
+https://github.com/GrassrootsEconomics/TransactionDatasets
+
+	`https://github.com/GrassrootsEconomics/TransactionDatasets <mailto:sowelu94@gmail.com>`_	
+
+ 
+
+	*The transaction data relative to the traditional forms of E-money were collected by Sowelu Avanzo, a student of the University of Torino, while he was conducting the fieldwork for his research on the Sarafu network in Miyani from October to December 2019. For more information on this ongoing research contact sowelu94@gmail.com*
+	`sowelu94@gmail.com <mailto:sowelu94@gmail.com>`_	
+
+#research #eMoney #mpesa #communitycurrency
+
+
+
+#research #eMoney #mpesa #communitycurrency
+
+
+
+#research #eMoney #mpesa #communitycurrency
+
+	`#research <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/research>`_	
+
+#research
+
+	`#eMoney <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/eMoney>`_	
+
+#eMoney
+
+	`#mpesa <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/mpesa>`_	
+
+#mpesa
+
+	`#communitycurrency <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/communitycurrency>`_	
+
+#communitycurrency
+

content/blog/complementary-currency.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+:title: Complementary Currency: Business Network Creation
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Nov 27, 2012
+:slug: complementary-currency
+ 
+:summary: With our partners, Koru works with small community businesses of Bangladesh, Kenya, in order to implement a complementary currency...
+ 
+
+
+
+With our partners, Koru works with small community businesses of Bangladesh, Kenya, in order to implement a complementary currency system.
+
+
+
+Bangladesh, Kenya is an informal settlement of approximatly 20 000 inhabitants and 200 businesses located outside Mombasa Kenya - map here. Our first community meetings were mobilized through a local clinic, the local church as well as a youth group. Local business owners were asked to come participate in a 2 hour workshop described briefly as Business Networking.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The purpose of these sessions was to:
+
+
+
+
+
+1. Gauge business community interest in Complementary Currencies (mutual credit).
+
+2. Identify benefits and challenges of a Complementary Currency
+
+3. Talk about barter and how it is already being used in the community.
+
+4. Talk about how money is used for barter and in general in the community
+
+5. Speak about benefits and challenges of both barter and money.
+
+6. Identify and visualize the existing business networks in the community.
+
+7. Plan next steps.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+For a full report on the first two meetings visit:
+
+
+
+
+Meeting 1
+Meeting 2
+
+
+
+
+Meeting 1
+Meeting 2
+
+	`Meeting 1 <http://communityforge.net/Bangladesh_Kenya_1st_Meeting>`_		`Meeting 2 <http://communityforge.net/Bangladesh_Kenya_2nd_Meeting>`_	
+
+ 
+
+
+
+These meetings will continue in January and help lead the way for base line data collection, community ownership and implementation.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/complementary-currency52.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+#complementarycurrencies #bangla
+
+	`#complementarycurrencies <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/complementarycurrencies>`_	
+
+#complementarycurrencies
+
+	`#bangla <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/bangla>`_	
+
+#bangla
+

content/blog/covid-19-blockchain.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+:title: COVID-19 Blockchain Crisis Response - CICs at 500% Growth
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: May 11, 2020
+:slug: covid-19-blockchain
+:modified:  May 12, 2020
+:summary: Since we started using blockchain for CICs in September 2018 we have seen nearly half a million dollars (482k USD) worth of trade via 154k t
+ 
+
+	` <https://dashboard.sarafu.network/>`_	
+
+.. image:: images/blog/covid-19-blockchain18.webp
+
+
+
+Since we started using blockchain for Community Inclusion Currencies (CICs) in September 2018 we have seen nearly half a million dollars ($482,000 USD) worth of trade via 154,000 transactions with 19,877 registered users living below or near the poverty line to whom 8.9 Million CIC ($89,000 USD equivalent) tokens have been distributed.
+
+
+
+
+
+The system works by giving each new user 400 CIC tokens (valued at $4 USD) and rewarding them more each week based on their activity in the network. Donors come in by purchasing the CICs from Women's Savings groups over time and the total amount of CICs that can be created are constrained by a collateral fund currently totaling $40,000 USD.
+
+
+
+
+Since January $26,300 USD from donors have been used via Mpesa (eMoney) to purchase these vouchers 1:1 from chamas (savings groups) and redistribute them to other needy members. These donor injections help peg the value of a CIC to National Currency and give women's groups the ability to purchase things not available in the network.
+
+Comparing transaction volume to donor aid since January we see 18.3x the amount of volume compared to the donor aid injected. See our dashboard below:
+
+	**Since January $26,300 USD from donors have been used via Mpesa (eMoney) to purchase these vouchers 1:1 from chamas (savings groups) and redistribute them to other needy members. These donor injections help peg the value of a CIC to National Currency and give women's groups the ability to purchase things not available in the network.
+
+Comparing transaction volume to donor aid since January we see 18.3x the amount of volume compared to the donor aid injected. See our dashboard below:**	
+
+
+
+Since January $26,300 USD from donors have been used via Mpesa (eMoney) to purchase these vouchers 1:1 from chamas (savings groups) and redistribute them to other needy members. These donor injections help peg the value of a CIC to National Currency and give women's groups the ability to purchase things not available in the network.
+
+Comparing transaction volume to donor aid since January we see 18.3x the amount of volume compared to the donor aid injected. See our dashboard below:
+
+	` <https://dashboard.sarafu.network/>`_	
+
+.. image:: images/blog/covid-19-blockchain45.webp
+
+
+
+
+While that itself seems amazing, what has been truly astounding has been the uptake due to COVID-19. In the past we have seen that CIC usage goes up when National Currency is lacking but never to the extent it has now.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/covid-19-blockchain59.webp
+
+
+
+
+There has been a huge increase in usage since COVID-19 and specifically in Mukuru, Kayaba where we started working with Red Cross on April 6th. In roughly a month, we have seen $95,600 USD worth of transactions on the network with 22,702 transactions via 2,588 users to which 12,700  CIC tokens have been distributed.
+
+
+
+
+
+$2,780 USD of donor funds have been used via Mpesa (1:1 with National Currency) to purchase back these vouchers from chamas. 
+
+Comparing transaction volume to donor aid for Kayaba we see 34x the amount of volume compared to injected donor funds.
+
+Note that out of the  2,588 registered users in Kayaba 2,072 were registered since April 6th (starting with 516 users). That is a growth of 501.5% since Covid-19. 
+
+	**$2,780 USD of donor funds have been used via Mpesa (1:1 with National Currency) to purchase back these vouchers from chamas. 
+
+Comparing transaction volume to donor aid for Kayaba we see 34x the amount of volume compared to injected donor funds.
+
+Note that out of the  2,588 registered users in Kayaba 2,072 were registered since April 6th (starting with 516 users). That is a growth of 501.5% since Covid-19.**	
+
+
+$2,780 USD of donor funds have been used via Mpesa (1:1 with National Currency) to purchase back these vouchers from chamas. 
+
+Comparing transaction volume to donor aid for Kayaba we see 34x the amount of volume compared to injected donor funds.
+
+Note that out of the  2,588 registered users in Kayaba 2,072 were registered since April 6th (starting with 516 users). That is a growth of 501.5% since Covid-19. 
+
+
+
+The photo above is a Kenya Red Cross trained Community Based Disaster Response Team member helping to spread awareness about COVID-19 in Mukuru, while also helping people identify where they can use their CICs to purchase basic commodities like soap, water and food, as well as where those shops can purchase from other shops and service providers in the network to encourage the community to support each other even when National Currency is scarce. 
+

content/blog/currency-supply.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,202 @@
+:title: Currency Supply, Taxation and Redistribution
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Dec 6, 2020
+:slug: currency-supply
+ 
+:summary: What does a decentralized economic system look like?
+:tags: algorithm,supply,tax,redistribution,modeling
+
+
+
+Tax Redistribution Algorithms 
+
+
+
+The local clustering coefficient (C) for a particular currency trading user is given by the proportion of connections or trade partners (via trading CICs) between the users within that users neighborhood divided by the number of connections that could possibly exist between them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clustering_coefficient
+
+	`https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clustering_coefficient <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clustering_coefficient>`_	
+
+The average clustering coefficient sums the clustering coefficients for all the users and divides by the number of users in that neighborhood. 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/currency-supply33.webp
+
+
+
+The neighborhood could span to sum over 2nd and 3rd order trade partners as well. This average clustering coefficient (ACC) therefore gives us a simple measurement of how connected people are (how much do the users around a particular user (to 3rd order) trade with each other).
+
+
+
+This is interesting but doesn’t scale well; How would one compare two users, both with a C = 1, while one of them has 3 trading partners and the other has 10? Therefore we can multiply ACC by the total number of trade partners that user has – hence normalizing the ACC into a Normalized clustering coefficient (NACC).
+
+
+
+The NACC for each user gives us a relative ranking of each user via the contentedness of their network of trade partners but what about the sum of all the NACCs – does this not represent the overall contentedness of the entire network (Total Normalized clustering coefficient)? If we take each user's percentage of the total (NACC / TNACC) = pTNACC (percentile of the Total Normalized clustering coefficient ) we have a percentile ranking of each user in the network – corresponding to their relative contentedness in the entire network.
+
+
+
+K-Cycle centrality (like Teodoro is working on!) may be a good measure as well – and reminds me to mention – the characteristic time-frame is very important – clusters in this light are small structures that can form rapidly (1 week periods) while k-cycles (especially higher order k-cycles) may take months.
+
+	*K-Cycle centrality (like Teodoro is working on!) may be a good measure as well – and reminds me to mention – the characteristic time-frame is very important – clusters in this light are small structures that can form rapidly (1 week periods) while k-cycles (especially higher order k-cycles) may take months.*
+
+
+K-Cycle centrality (like Teodoro is working on!) may be a good measure as well – and reminds me to mention – the characteristic time-frame is very important – clusters in this light are small structures that can form rapidly (1 week periods) while k-cycles (especially higher order k-cycles) may take months.
+
+	*K-Cycle centrality (like Teodoro is working on!) may be a good measure as well – and reminds me to mention – the characteristic time-frame is very important – clusters in this light are small structures that can form rapidly (1 week periods) while k-cycles (especially higher order k-cycles) may take months.*
+
+
+K-Cycle centrality (like Teodoro is working on!) may be a good measure as well – and reminds me to mention – the characteristic time-frame is very important – clusters in this light are small structures that can form rapidly (1 week periods) while k-cycles (especially higher order k-cycles) may take months.
+
+	`Teodoro <https://networkdatascience.ceu.edu/people/teodoro-criscione>`_		**You might be asking “a good measure for what?”**	
+
+
+The distribution of pTNACC can tell us a lot about a network. If there are only a few very high pTNACC users it means that the network is potentially very brittle. It is also a metric that becomes harder and harder to fake or Sybil attack if there is a transaction and/or coordination cost – as the overall cost of the attack would grow exponentially.
+
+
+
+On a weekly basis we can test this out on the current Kenyan trading data by asking are the users with a higher pTNACC actually important nodes in the network? It would seem so. Looking at the current data http://grassecon.org/research– users would be in the 90th percentile - highest ranking pTNACC  scores end up being key nodes hubs or chamas (groups) in the Sarafu trading Network.
+
+
+
+On a weekly basis we can test this out on the current Kenyan trading data by asking are the users with a higher pTNACC actually important nodes in the network? It would seem so. Looking at the current data http://grassecon.org/research– users would be in the 90th percentile - highest ranking pTNACC  scores end up being key nodes hubs or chamas (groups) in the Sarafu trading Network.
+
+
+
+On a weekly basis we can test this out on the current Kenyan trading data by asking are the users with a higher pTNACC actually important nodes in the network? It would seem so. Looking at the current data http://grassecon.org/research– users would be in the 90th percentile - highest ranking pTNACC  scores end up being key nodes hubs or chamas (groups) in the Sarafu trading Network.
+
+	`http://grassecon.org/research <http://grassecon.org/research>`_		`Sarafu trading Network <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/sarafu-network>`_	
+
+Looking at people and groups of people as important elements in a local economy as a social scoring system is quite interesting. Especially is its fallibility is tied up in the ultimate cost to game the system compared to any potential benefits.  In addition, if people receive a tax benefit or tax redistribution based on a higher pTNACC score: would this scoring system motivate people to develop networks around their goods and services more? Is that an intrinsically good thing? Does rewarding pTNACC result in positive social outcomes - trust, resilient markets and so on? - We're working with researchers to help determine this.
+
+
+
+Voting systems on tax redistribution.
+
+
+
+Rather than an automated system that measures trade clustering and sends out tax redistribution, what if each user of the network could simply have 100 voting tokens each month – and you send them to whom you are voting for and based on the percentile of votes one gets, that percentage of the total tax redistribution pool. Say the vote tokens get wiped and reset each month and we have strong identity controls to protect against a Sybil attack. This sounds very nice, but can also be corrupted via populism. How about a combination of an algorithmic measure and a voting system? 
+
+
+
+Before we get into that: “What is this source of tax redistribution pool?” you might well be asking.
+
+
+
+Holding taxes
+
+
+
+Imagine your bank charged you a percentage of your balance every Monday as a holding tax? Well you wouldn’t want to be storing too much money in that account, would you? (n.b. Better calculating and charging for an averaged balance over a time period.) This will create a sort of demurrage effect or hot potato, where people want to move their currency as fast as they can (undesirable to save). Rather than this being a bank function it could be built into the currencies smart contract on a blockchain. Those people who can’t move their CIC and have the most of it - pay more tax (no matter where they put it). 
+
+
+
+This tax can be redistributed in an near infinite number of ways: 2 such were discussed above – voting and algorithmic. Another such way is a Universal Dividend where the tax redistribution is simply shared evenly across the population. Note that the source of such a Universal Dividend in this case is not inflation – but rather a holding tax. In this way the total monetary mass (CIC token supply) can remain stable.  
+
+
+
+Token Supply
+
+
+
+Finally this gets us to token supply (where we might have started with in traditional economics). A CICs token supply (if connected to other CICs) is determined by the amount of some reserve it is bonded to in common with other CICs. Therefore the issuance and supply of the network token becomes paramount since this network token (NT) can effectively mint additional CIC.
+
+
+
+Could we create a network token that was simply distributed fairly to people over time? Say the NT was distributed to everyone evenly over time (per capita and or arithmetically) and any holder could also have their 100 vote tokens for the tax redistribution fund – fed by the holding fee? Then each CIC (local community currency) would form around a collection of the network tokens and be able to set its own rules (taxation, tax redistribution and so on) otherwise (within some regulatory standard).
+
+
+
+In this case NTs could be issued and distributed in a similar way to the (G1) Duniter Universal Dividend or Circles UBI– while also being charged a holding tax – from which a percentage can be voted on distribution and a percentage can be algorithmic distribution.
+
+
+
+In this case NTs could be issued and distributed in a similar way to the (G1) Duniter Universal Dividend or Circles UBI– while also being charged a holding tax – from which a percentage can be voted on distribution and a percentage can be algorithmic distribution.
+
+
+
+In this case NTs could be issued and distributed in a similar way to the (G1) Duniter Universal Dividend or Circles UBI– while also being charged a holding tax – from which a percentage can be voted on distribution and a percentage can be algorithmic distribution.
+
+	`Duniter <https://duniter.org/en/>`_		`Circles UBI <https://joincircles.net/>`_	
+
+Note that NTs could in turn have their own reserve – this would limit how much could be minted (or put into pools with other types of tokens to act as reserves for CICs). Also this NT could be listed on exchanges that connect it to other tokens world wide.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/currency-supply193.webp
+
+
+
+CIC network with Sarafu Network Token
+
+
+
+What does a decentralized economic currency system look like - when combining all these approaches:
+
+
+
+        (see diagram above)
+
+	**1 + 2. Fair distribution and circulation of a network token – which can act like a large scale medium of exchange. A version of the Duniter (G1) Universal Dividend or Circles UBI Smart Contract suffices – but controlling for inflation via taxation. Note that a myriad of NTs can exist and incorporate other rules and still have markets that connect them together. Hence a whole range of NTs and localized systems that use them could form with different local rules and rules that connect them. Note that in the Sarafu Network Token Kenya case, the Sarafu supply is currently voted on by committee - but this will be subject to change in 2021.**	
+
+
+1 + 2. Fair distribution and circulation of a network token – which can act like a large scale medium of exchange. A version of the Duniter (G1) Universal Dividend or Circles UBI Smart Contract suffices – but controlling for inflation via taxation. Note that a myriad of NTs can exist and incorporate other rules and still have markets that connect them together. Hence a whole range of NTs and localized systems that use them could form with different local rules and rules that connect them. Note that in the Sarafu Network Token Kenya case, the Sarafu supply is currently voted on by committee - but this will be subject to change in 2021.
+
+
+
+1 + 2. Fair distribution and circulation of a network token – which can act like a large scale medium of exchange. A version of the Duniter (G1) Universal Dividend or Circles UBI Smart Contract suffices – but controlling for inflation via taxation. Note that a myriad of NTs can exist and incorporate other rules and still have markets that connect them together. Hence a whole range of NTs and localized systems that use them could form with different local rules and rules that connect them. Note that in the Sarafu Network Token Kenya case, the Sarafu supply is currently voted on by committee - but this will be subject to change in 2021.
+
+
+
+1 + 2. Fair distribution and circulation of a network token – which can act like a large scale medium of exchange. A version of the Duniter (G1) Universal Dividend or Circles UBI Smart Contract suffices – but controlling for inflation via taxation. Note that a myriad of NTs can exist and incorporate other rules and still have markets that connect them together. Hence a whole range of NTs and localized systems that use them could form with different local rules and rules that connect them. Note that in the Sarafu Network Token Kenya case, the Sarafu supply is currently voted on by committee - but this will be subject to change in 2021.
+
+	`Duniter <https://duniter.org/en/>`_		`Circles <https://joincircles.net/>`_		**3. Discouraging hoarding: A holding tax is a simple form of this. Some of this tax can be destroyed to stabilize the monetary mass (supply)**	
+
+
+3. Discouraging hoarding: A holding tax is a simple form of this. Some of this tax can be destroyed to stabilize the monetary mass (supply)
+
+	**(1). Rewarding good behaviors via tax redistribution: An algorithmic system that determines good behavior – given this is voted on. This could involve MANY metrics (see SDGs). A voting system that allows users to specifically endorse candidates this could use quadratic and or conviction voting system. Note that we have not yet implemented a voting system yet and use clustering pTNACC as a basis for distributing Sarafu on a weekly basis.**	
+
+
+(1). Rewarding good behaviors via tax redistribution: An algorithmic system that determines good behavior – given this is voted on. This could involve MANY metrics (see SDGs). A voting system that allows users to specifically endorse candidates this could use quadratic and or conviction voting system. Note that we have not yet implemented a voting system yet and use clustering pTNACC as a basis for distributing Sarafu on a weekly basis.
+
+	**(1). Rewarding good behaviors via tax redistribution: An algorithmic system that determines good behavior – given this is voted on. This could involve MANY metrics (see SDGs). A voting system that allows users to specifically endorse candidates this could use quadratic and or conviction voting system. Note that we have not yet implemented a voting system yet and use clustering pTNACC as a basis for distributing Sarafu on a weekly basis.**	
+
+
+(1). Rewarding good behaviors via tax redistribution: An algorithmic system that determines good behavior – given this is voted on. This could involve MANY metrics (see SDGs). A voting system that allows users to specifically endorse candidates this could use quadratic and or conviction voting system. Note that we have not yet implemented a voting system yet and use clustering pTNACC as a basis for distributing Sarafu on a weekly basis.
+
+	**4a, 4b. Localized currency creation with connect-ability: The ability to create credit systems for businesses and community projects and connect them to others: CICs being created using this NT as a reserve – gives people the ability to label tax and leverage the NT to create a promissory note against future production (See Bancor Protocol for smart contracts here).**	
+
+
+4a, 4b. Localized currency creation with connect-ability: The ability to create credit systems for businesses and community projects and connect them to others: CICs being created using this NT as a reserve – gives people the ability to label tax and leverage the NT to create a promissory note against future production (See Bancor Protocol for smart contracts here). 
+
+
+
+4a, 4b. Localized currency creation with connect-ability: The ability to create credit systems for businesses and community projects and connect them to others: CICs being created using this NT as a reserve – gives people the ability to label tax and leverage the NT to create a promissory note against future production (See Bancor Protocol for smart contracts here). 
+
+	`Bancor Protocol <https://support.bancor.network/hc/en-us/sections/360002084771-Whitepaper->`_	
+
+.. image:: images/blog/currency-supply247.webp
+
+
+
+Note that many types of tokens can be added to a reserve pool for a CIC (including the possibility of Carbon credits, Stable coins and so on). Also note that a CIC need not have any reserve if there is no exchange between other CICs. In which case a CIC is simply a promissory note against future production. Localized CIC creation was available in in 2019 and has been put on hold for all of 2020 and will reopen with some modifications (namely to the target reserve ratio being 100% hence no leverage) in January 2021!
+
+	**5. Connected CIC and Price stabilization: Finally we want labor and commodity price stabilization for the NT as well as the CICs. Given the ability to fix the supply of each – prices of goods and services can stabilize by virtue of arbitrage between markets of CICs themselves. Note that less than 100% target reserve ratios will be added back over time based on standard development and regulatory compliance for custodial systems - non custodial systems can have a lot more freedom..**	
+
+
+5. Connected CIC and Price stabilization: Finally we want labor and commodity price stabilization for the NT as well as the CICs. Given the ability to fix the supply of each – prices of goods and services can stabilize by virtue of arbitrage between markets of CICs themselves. Note that less than 100% target reserve ratios will be added back over time based on standard development and regulatory compliance for custodial systems - non custodial systems can have a lot more freedom..
+
+
+
+All these concept and conjectures could use a lot of testing, modeling and token engineering. If interested please contact us wherever you are!
+
+
+
+All these concept and conjectures could use a lot of testing, modeling and token engineering. If interested please contact us wherever you are!
+
+	`contact <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/contact>`_		* A very sadly unfinished cadCAD model was created by BlockScience here - but it is a good robust framework to get started.
+	`here <https://gitlab.com/grassrootseconomics/cic-modeling>`_		* You can also watch me playing with simpler models at the Village Market Simulator series here.
+	`here <https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPUExzwZAUpbEInJy_8Wj_c_mDsw7-qXe>`_		* Our open source code is all on GitLab is here.
+	`here <https://gitlab.com/grassrootseconomics/cic-docs>`_		* Field Datasets can be found here.
+	`here <http://grassecon.org/research>`_	

content/blog/demystifying-currency.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,944 @@
+:title: Demystifying Currency Creation and Backing
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Apr 18, 2020
+:slug: demystifying-currency
+:modified:  Apr 21, 2020
+:summary: Once upon a time a goat herder counted his herd and found 100 goats (some old and some young). That was a nice surprise. He estimated a...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/demystifying-currency18.webp
+
+
+
+Once upon a time a goat herder counted his herd and found 100 goats (some old and some young). That was a nice surprise. He estimated a market price of about $100 for a goat once they were mature. Then he went to the blockchain via an easy-to-use interface on his flip phone and created 10,000 goat tokens. He used them to pay trusted carpenters to build a barn where he could keep more animals. 
+
+By the 3rd month of construction he spent all 10,000 tokens and earned another 2,500 tokens by selling a quarter of the mature goats. (He can only sell the goats slowly to maintain his herd). He now has 75 goats left plus another 15 goats that were just born.
+
+This cycle of spending and redeeming goat tokens could go on and on for years. The Canadian Tire company did something similar with paper vouchers and these coupons for car tires are still in use after 30+ years.
+
+
+
+
+
+This kind of community-level credit creation can be a lifesaver when national currency is in short supply. Using goats themselves as a currency is actually a useful strategy, "We enable smallholder rural, off-grid farming communities to meet their farming and household needs using livestock as currency" - Uptrade.
+
+
+
+We enable smallholder rural, off-grid farming communities to meet their farming and household needs using livestock as currency" - 
+
+	`Uptrade. <https://uptrade.org/>`_		**Let’s look at how it works, and how to to address the risks. 
+
+In a community, a group can come together and decide on the assets they will use to back their community currency  collectively, e.g. goats + grapes + corn. Then they can issue a credit to everyone in the group - this is sometimes called a mutual credit. A municipality may create credits this same way and back them with public transport usage and acceptance for taxes.
+
+but 
+Who is keeping track of how many goats there are and are ready to sell?
+What if some of the goats are killed by a lion or die from a disease and the goat herd is decimated? In fact, the goat herder never had 100 mature goats to begin with - the goat tokens were a promise against future (mature) goat production. If the backing of goats becomes unstable then a lot of people could be left with goat tokens they can't redeem. What if there is a run on the 'bank' and everyone wants goats at once? We’ll get to how to solve this in a moment.**	
+
+
+Let’s look at how it works, and how to to address the risks. 
+
+In a community, a group can come together and decide on the assets they will use to back their community currency  collectively, e.g. goats + grapes + corn. Then they can issue a credit to everyone in the group - this is sometimes called a mutual credit. A municipality may create credits this same way and back them with public transport usage and acceptance for taxes.
+
+but 
+Who is keeping track of how many goats there are and are ready to sell?
+What if some of the goats are killed by a lion or die from a disease and the goat herd is decimated? In fact, the goat herder never had 100 mature goats to begin with - the goat tokens were a promise against future (mature) goat production. If the backing of goats becomes unstable then a lot of people could be left with goat tokens they can't redeem. What if there is a run on the 'bank' and everyone wants goats at once? We’ll get to how to solve this in a moment. 
+
+
+
+	**Let’s look at how it works, and how to to address the risks. 
+
+In a community, a group can come together and decide on the assets they will use to back their community currency  collectively, e.g. goats + grapes + corn. Then they can issue a credit to everyone in the group - this is sometimes called a mutual credit. A municipality may create credits this same way and back them with public transport usage and acceptance for taxes.
+
+but 
+Who is keeping track of how many goats there are and are ready to sell?
+What if some of the goats are killed by a lion or die from a disease and the goat herd is decimated? In fact, the goat herder never had 100 mature goats to begin with - the goat tokens were a promise against future (mature) goat production. If the backing of goats becomes unstable then a lot of people could be left with goat tokens they can't redeem. What if there is a run on the 'bank' and everyone wants goats at once? We’ll get to how to solve this in a moment.**	
+
+
+Let’s look at how it works, and how to to address the risks. 
+
+In a community, a group can come together and decide on the assets they will use to back their community currency  collectively, e.g. goats + grapes + corn. Then they can issue a credit to everyone in the group - this is sometimes called a mutual credit. A municipality may create credits this same way and back them with public transport usage and acceptance for taxes.
+
+but 
+Who is keeping track of how many goats there are and are ready to sell?
+What if some of the goats are killed by a lion or die from a disease and the goat herd is decimated? In fact, the goat herder never had 100 mature goats to begin with - the goat tokens were a promise against future (mature) goat production. If the backing of goats becomes unstable then a lot of people could be left with goat tokens they can't redeem. What if there is a run on the 'bank' and everyone wants goats at once? We’ll get to how to solve this in a moment. 
+
+
+
+
+
+but What if the goat herder wanted to allow other people to make those goat tokens? The reason this might be attractive to the goat herder is that if someone were to ADD a goat to his herd and breed with the other goats then over time it would produce more goats. What is that worth? Since the goat herder is the one establishing the value at 100 tokens = 1 goat, adding a goat to the goat reserve should create $100 dollars more of goat tokens (100 goat tokens). 
+
+	**but What if the goat herder wanted to allow other people to make those goat tokens? The reason this might be attractive to the goat herder is that if someone were to ADD a goat to his herd and breed with the other goats then over time it would produce more goats. What is that worth? Since the goat herder is the one establishing the value at 100 tokens = 1 goat, adding a goat to the goat reserve should create $100 dollars more of goat tokens (100 goat tokens).**	
+
+
+but What if the goat herder wanted to allow other people to make those goat tokens? The reason this might be attractive to the goat herder is that if someone were to ADD a goat to his herd and breed with the other goats then over time it would produce more goats. What is that worth? Since the goat herder is the one establishing the value at 100 tokens = 1 goat, adding a goat to the goat reserve should create $100 dollars more of goat tokens (100 goat tokens). 
+
+
+
+
+and 
+What if the goat herder wants to trade with the cereals shop in town?
+Well, let’s say the cereals shop owner doesn't want goats at all. Would she accept these tokens? If she could spend the tokens on other things she needed like labor and cereal distributors then perhaps she could accept 'some', but anyone accepting them would need at some point to have some trust in the goat token issuer. 
+
+so
+Reserves to de-risk
+Seeing this problem of lack of trust in his goat tokens, the herder decides to put up some collateral in national currency (it could be any common reserve token if one exists for that region). The goat herder feels so strongly that he will accept back the tokens for goats that in order to build confidence in people he takes $1,000 dollars it up into a contract on a blockchain (using his feature phone). That means anyone who has goat tokens can trade their tokens for national currency without any middleman. Plus, if anyone adds to the reserve of dollars they can create more goat tokens. 
+
+Now the goat herder has promises of goats as backing for his tokens as well as some collateral in national dollars. If he ends up with all the tokens again by selling goats he can simply cash out those vouchers to get back his reserve. Doing this on a public blockchain means that anyone can see the backing for his tokens now in dollars (or any reserve token such as xDAI). That helps with the tracking problem and the backing problem - both good for trust.
+
+	**and 
+What if the goat herder wants to trade with the cereals shop in town?
+Well, let’s say the cereals shop owner doesn't want goats at all. Would she accept these tokens? If she could spend the tokens on other things she needed like labor and cereal distributors then perhaps she could accept 'some', but anyone accepting them would need at some point to have some trust in the goat token issuer. 
+
+so
+Reserves to de-risk
+Seeing this problem of lack of trust in his goat tokens, the herder decides to put up some collateral in national currency (it could be any common reserve token if one exists for that region). The goat herder feels so strongly that he will accept back the tokens for goats that in order to build confidence in people he takes $1,000 dollars it up into a contract on a blockchain (using his feature phone). That means anyone who has goat tokens can trade their tokens for national currency without any middleman. Plus, if anyone adds to the reserve of dollars they can create more goat tokens. 
+
+Now the goat herder has promises of goats as backing for his tokens as well as some collateral in national dollars. If he ends up with all the tokens again by selling goats he can simply cash out those vouchers to get back his reserve. Doing this on a public blockchain means that anyone can see the backing for his tokens now in dollars (or any reserve token such as xDAI). That helps with the tracking problem and the backing problem - both good for trust.**	
+
+
+
+and 
+What if the goat herder wants to trade with the cereals shop in town?
+Well, let’s say the cereals shop owner doesn't want goats at all. Would she accept these tokens? If she could spend the tokens on other things she needed like labor and cereal distributors then perhaps she could accept 'some', but anyone accepting them would need at some point to have some trust in the goat token issuer. 
+
+so
+Reserves to de-risk
+Seeing this problem of lack of trust in his goat tokens, the herder decides to put up some collateral in national currency (it could be any common reserve token if one exists for that region). The goat herder feels so strongly that he will accept back the tokens for goats that in order to build confidence in people he takes $1,000 dollars it up into a contract on a blockchain (using his feature phone). That means anyone who has goat tokens can trade their tokens for national currency without any middleman. Plus, if anyone adds to the reserve of dollars they can create more goat tokens. 
+
+Now the goat herder has promises of goats as backing for his tokens as well as some collateral in national dollars. If he ends up with all the tokens again by selling goats he can simply cash out those vouchers to get back his reserve. Doing this on a public blockchain means that anyone can see the backing for his tokens now in dollars (or any reserve token such as xDAI). That helps with the tracking problem and the backing problem - both good for trust.
+
+	**and 
+What if the goat herder wants to trade with the cereals shop in town?
+Well, let’s say the cereals shop owner doesn't want goats at all. Would she accept these tokens? If she could spend the tokens on other things she needed like labor and cereal distributors then perhaps she could accept 'some', but anyone accepting them would need at some point to have some trust in the goat token issuer. 
+
+so
+Reserves to de-risk
+Seeing this problem of lack of trust in his goat tokens, the herder decides to put up some collateral in national currency (it could be any common reserve token if one exists for that region). The goat herder feels so strongly that he will accept back the tokens for goats that in order to build confidence in people he takes $1,000 dollars it up into a contract on a blockchain (using his feature phone). That means anyone who has goat tokens can trade their tokens for national currency without any middleman. Plus, if anyone adds to the reserve of dollars they can create more goat tokens. 
+
+Now the goat herder has promises of goats as backing for his tokens as well as some collateral in national dollars. If he ends up with all the tokens again by selling goats he can simply cash out those vouchers to get back his reserve. Doing this on a public blockchain means that anyone can see the backing for his tokens now in dollars (or any reserve token such as xDAI). That helps with the tracking problem and the backing problem - both good for trust.**	
+
+
+
+and 
+What if the goat herder wants to trade with the cereals shop in town?
+Well, let’s say the cereals shop owner doesn't want goats at all. Would she accept these tokens? If she could spend the tokens on other things she needed like labor and cereal distributors then perhaps she could accept 'some', but anyone accepting them would need at some point to have some trust in the goat token issuer. 
+
+so
+Reserves to de-risk
+Seeing this problem of lack of trust in his goat tokens, the herder decides to put up some collateral in national currency (it could be any common reserve token if one exists for that region). The goat herder feels so strongly that he will accept back the tokens for goats that in order to build confidence in people he takes $1,000 dollars it up into a contract on a blockchain (using his feature phone). That means anyone who has goat tokens can trade their tokens for national currency without any middleman. Plus, if anyone adds to the reserve of dollars they can create more goat tokens. 
+
+Now the goat herder has promises of goats as backing for his tokens as well as some collateral in national dollars. If he ends up with all the tokens again by selling goats he can simply cash out those vouchers to get back his reserve. Doing this on a public blockchain means that anyone can see the backing for his tokens now in dollars (or any reserve token such as xDAI). That helps with the tracking problem and the backing problem - both good for trust.
+
+	**Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.**	
+	**Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.**	
+	**Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.**	
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+	**Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.**	
+	**Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.**	
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+
+
+Target reserve ratio (TRR) 
+The Target Reserve Ratio is the point at which the contract on the blockchain will give $1 of reserve dollars for 1 goat token. When the herder creates his reserve of dollars on the blockchain he fixes a Target Reserve Ratio. The higher the TRR, the more stable the price of the token will be. Let's say he chooses 10% for his TRR. This would mean that when there are $1,000 dollars in reserve and a total supply of 10,000 goat tokens, the value of those tokens will be 1 token = $1 dollar. Another term for the contract that shows the relationship between the value of dollars and the value of goat tokens is the bonding curve. 
+
+Shares of an asset
+Using this bonding curve means that as reserve is added (+) the value of the goat tokens will go up compared to the dollar reserve.
+As tokens are destroyed and reserve is pulled out (-) the value of the remaining goat tokens will go down compared to the dollar reserve.
+
+	**ratio**	
+	**(**	
+	**TRR**	
+	**)**	
+
+
+1
+
+
+
+of
+
+
+
+for
+
+
+
+1
+
+
+
+.
+
+
+
+of
+
+
+
+.
+
+
+
+TRR
+
+
+
+,
+
+
+
+of
+
+
+
+.
+
+
+
+10
+
+
+
+%
+
+
+
+for
+
+
+
+TRR
+
+
+
+.
+
+
+
+1
+
+
+
+,
+
+
+
+000
+
+
+
+in
+
+
+
+of
+
+
+
+10
+
+
+
+,
+
+
+
+000
+
+
+
+,
+
+
+
+of
+
+
+
+1
+
+
+
+=
+
+
+
+1
+
+
+
+.
+
+
+
+for
+
+
+
+of
+
+
+
+of
+
+
+
+.
+
+	**of**	
+
+
+this
+
+
+
+as
+
+
+
+added
+
+
+
+(
+
+
+
++
+
+
+
+)
+
+
+
+of
+
+
+
+.
+
+
+
+out
+
+
+
+(
+
+
+
+-
+
+
+
+)
+
+
+
+of
+
+
+
+.
+
+	**Primary Market
+The goat herder creates  a primary market around his goats by spending and redeeming tokens. He keeps the value of his goat tokens stable by backing them over time with his goats. His token is stable over time for as long as he redeems the tokens and people want the goats. Primary markets are important because they determine the base value of goods and establish a value for the tokens. 
+
+Secondary Market
+What happens If the value of the goat tokens drops (-) below a dollar because people at the cereals shop are cashing them out for reserve? Then it becomes even more attractive for people who want to buy goats. Anyone who wants goats could also add reserves cheaply in order to claim them for goats later. The issuer (the goat herder) could also add national currency to the reserve (the secondary market on the blockchain) and create more tokens to pay for more labor. 
+
+The primary market forms the basis for value on the secondary market. As the secondary market value goes up (+) more people will cash out the tokens for dollars. The more it drops (-) the more people will cheaply buy tokens to get goats. 
+
+More Currencies, More Resilience
+Because the herder has added a reserve to his token, it means that his token will automatically have value against other tokens with the same or connected reserves. This means that anyone in the world could accept the herder’s credit (tokens) because they can always see the reserve on the blockchain behind it. They can convert it to the reserve and also put that reserve into their own tokens.
+
+Risks
+The inherent risk in trusting any single issuer of a currency is that they will no longer be able to, or just stop, reclaiming the tokens for goats (or goods or services - whatever is backing the currency). (This is akin to a bank run). By adding collateral to a reserve, a secondary market can reduce risk and build trust. It can also enable many credit systems to connect together into larger economies. We’ve seen this build stable markets that allow communities to trade their goods and services with a much wider population.
+
+The risks of using tokens with on-chain collateral are easily measurable based on the size of the reserve, the trade on the network, and the target reserve ratio. In contrast, the risk of accepting a token that’s only backed by physical goats requires that I both want a goat (or I know others that do) and trust that the promised goats will be around.**	
+
+
+Primary Market
+The goat herder creates  a primary market around his goats by spending and redeeming tokens. He keeps the value of his goat tokens stable by backing them over time with his goats. His token is stable over time for as long as he redeems the tokens and people want the goats. Primary markets are important because they determine the base value of goods and establish a value for the tokens. 
+
+Secondary Market
+What happens If the value of the goat tokens drops (-) below a dollar because people at the cereals shop are cashing them out for reserve? Then it becomes even more attractive for people who want to buy goats. Anyone who wants goats could also add reserves cheaply in order to claim them for goats later. The issuer (the goat herder) could also add national currency to the reserve (the secondary market on the blockchain) and create more tokens to pay for more labor. 
+
+The primary market forms the basis for value on the secondary market. As the secondary market value goes up (+) more people will cash out the tokens for dollars. The more it drops (-) the more people will cheaply buy tokens to get goats. 
+
+More Currencies, More Resilience
+Because the herder has added a reserve to his token, it means that his token will automatically have value against other tokens with the same or connected reserves. This means that anyone in the world could accept the herder’s credit (tokens) because they can always see the reserve on the blockchain behind it. They can convert it to the reserve and also put that reserve into their own tokens.
+
+Risks
+The inherent risk in trusting any single issuer of a currency is that they will no longer be able to, or just stop, reclaiming the tokens for goats (or goods or services - whatever is backing the currency). (This is akin to a bank run). By adding collateral to a reserve, a secondary market can reduce risk and build trust. It can also enable many credit systems to connect together into larger economies. We’ve seen this build stable markets that allow communities to trade their goods and services with a much wider population.
+
+The risks of using tokens with on-chain collateral are easily measurable based on the size of the reserve, the trade on the network, and the target reserve ratio. In contrast, the risk of accepting a token that’s only backed by physical goats requires that I both want a goat (or I know others that do) and trust that the promised goats will be around.
+
+	**Primary Market
+The goat herder creates  a primary market around his goats by spending and redeeming tokens. He keeps the value of his goat tokens stable by backing them over time with his goats. His token is stable over time for as long as he redeems the tokens and people want the goats. Primary markets are important because they determine the base value of goods and establish a value for the tokens. 
+
+Secondary Market
+What happens If the value of the goat tokens drops (-) below a dollar because people at the cereals shop are cashing them out for reserve? Then it becomes even more attractive for people who want to buy goats. Anyone who wants goats could also add reserves cheaply in order to claim them for goats later. The issuer (the goat herder) could also add national currency to the reserve (the secondary market on the blockchain) and create more tokens to pay for more labor. 
+
+The primary market forms the basis for value on the secondary market. As the secondary market value goes up (+) more people will cash out the tokens for dollars. The more it drops (-) the more people will cheaply buy tokens to get goats. 
+
+More Currencies, More Resilience
+Because the herder has added a reserve to his token, it means that his token will automatically have value against other tokens with the same or connected reserves. This means that anyone in the world could accept the herder’s credit (tokens) because they can always see the reserve on the blockchain behind it. They can convert it to the reserve and also put that reserve into their own tokens.
+
+Risks
+The inherent risk in trusting any single issuer of a currency is that they will no longer be able to, or just stop, reclaiming the tokens for goats (or goods or services - whatever is backing the currency). (This is akin to a bank run). By adding collateral to a reserve, a secondary market can reduce risk and build trust. It can also enable many credit systems to connect together into larger economies. We’ve seen this build stable markets that allow communities to trade their goods and services with a much wider population.
+
+The risks of using tokens with on-chain collateral are easily measurable based on the size of the reserve, the trade on the network, and the target reserve ratio. In contrast, the risk of accepting a token that’s only backed by physical goats requires that I both want a goat (or I know others that do) and trust that the promised goats will be around.**	
+
+
+Primary Market
+The goat herder creates  a primary market around his goats by spending and redeeming tokens. He keeps the value of his goat tokens stable by backing them over time with his goats. His token is stable over time for as long as he redeems the tokens and people want the goats. Primary markets are important because they determine the base value of goods and establish a value for the tokens. 
+
+Secondary Market
+What happens If the value of the goat tokens drops (-) below a dollar because people at the cereals shop are cashing them out for reserve? Then it becomes even more attractive for people who want to buy goats. Anyone who wants goats could also add reserves cheaply in order to claim them for goats later. The issuer (the goat herder) could also add national currency to the reserve (the secondary market on the blockchain) and create more tokens to pay for more labor. 
+
+The primary market forms the basis for value on the secondary market. As the secondary market value goes up (+) more people will cash out the tokens for dollars. The more it drops (-) the more people will cheaply buy tokens to get goats. 
+
+More Currencies, More Resilience
+Because the herder has added a reserve to his token, it means that his token will automatically have value against other tokens with the same or connected reserves. This means that anyone in the world could accept the herder’s credit (tokens) because they can always see the reserve on the blockchain behind it. They can convert it to the reserve and also put that reserve into their own tokens.
+
+Risks
+The inherent risk in trusting any single issuer of a currency is that they will no longer be able to, or just stop, reclaiming the tokens for goats (or goods or services - whatever is backing the currency). (This is akin to a bank run). By adding collateral to a reserve, a secondary market can reduce risk and build trust. It can also enable many credit systems to connect together into larger economies. We’ve seen this build stable markets that allow communities to trade their goods and services with a much wider population.
+
+The risks of using tokens with on-chain collateral are easily measurable based on the size of the reserve, the trade on the network, and the target reserve ratio. In contrast, the risk of accepting a token that’s only backed by physical goats requires that I both want a goat (or I know others that do) and trust that the promised goats will be around.
+
+	**Primary Market
+The goat herder creates  a primary market around his goats by spending and redeeming tokens. He keeps the value of his goat tokens stable by backing them over time with his goats. His token is stable over time for as long as he redeems the tokens and people want the goats. Primary markets are important because they determine the base value of goods and establish a value for the tokens. 
+
+Secondary Market
+What happens If the value of the goat tokens drops (-) below a dollar because people at the cereals shop are cashing them out for reserve? Then it becomes even more attractive for people who want to buy goats. Anyone who wants goats could also add reserves cheaply in order to claim them for goats later. The issuer (the goat herder) could also add national currency to the reserve (the secondary market on the blockchain) and create more tokens to pay for more labor. 
+
+The primary market forms the basis for value on the secondary market. As the secondary market value goes up (+) more people will cash out the tokens for dollars. The more it drops (-) the more people will cheaply buy tokens to get goats. 
+
+More Currencies, More Resilience
+Because the herder has added a reserve to his token, it means that his token will automatically have value against other tokens with the same or connected reserves. This means that anyone in the world could accept the herder’s credit (tokens) because they can always see the reserve on the blockchain behind it. They can convert it to the reserve and also put that reserve into their own tokens.
+
+Risks
+The inherent risk in trusting any single issuer of a currency is that they will no longer be able to, or just stop, reclaiming the tokens for goats (or goods or services - whatever is backing the currency). (This is akin to a bank run). By adding collateral to a reserve, a secondary market can reduce risk and build trust. It can also enable many credit systems to connect together into larger economies. We’ve seen this build stable markets that allow communities to trade their goods and services with a much wider population.
+
+The risks of using tokens with on-chain collateral are easily measurable based on the size of the reserve, the trade on the network, and the target reserve ratio. In contrast, the risk of accepting a token that’s only backed by physical goats requires that I both want a goat (or I know others that do) and trust that the promised goats will be around.**	
+
+
+Primary Market
+The goat herder creates  a primary market around his goats by spending and redeeming tokens. He keeps the value of his goat tokens stable by backing them over time with his goats. His token is stable over time for as long as he redeems the tokens and people want the goats. Primary markets are important because they determine the base value of goods and establish a value for the tokens. 
+
+Secondary Market
+What happens If the value of the goat tokens drops (-) below a dollar because people at the cereals shop are cashing them out for reserve? Then it becomes even more attractive for people who want to buy goats. Anyone who wants goats could also add reserves cheaply in order to claim them for goats later. The issuer (the goat herder) could also add national currency to the reserve (the secondary market on the blockchain) and create more tokens to pay for more labor. 
+
+The primary market forms the basis for value on the secondary market. As the secondary market value goes up (+) more people will cash out the tokens for dollars. The more it drops (-) the more people will cheaply buy tokens to get goats. 
+
+More Currencies, More Resilience
+Because the herder has added a reserve to his token, it means that his token will automatically have value against other tokens with the same or connected reserves. This means that anyone in the world could accept the herder’s credit (tokens) because they can always see the reserve on the blockchain behind it. They can convert it to the reserve and also put that reserve into their own tokens.
+
+Risks
+The inherent risk in trusting any single issuer of a currency is that they will no longer be able to, or just stop, reclaiming the tokens for goats (or goods or services - whatever is backing the currency). (This is akin to a bank run). By adding collateral to a reserve, a secondary market can reduce risk and build trust. It can also enable many credit systems to connect together into larger economies. We’ve seen this build stable markets that allow communities to trade their goods and services with a much wider population.
+
+The risks of using tokens with on-chain collateral are easily measurable based on the size of the reserve, the trade on the network, and the target reserve ratio. In contrast, the risk of accepting a token that’s only backed by physical goats requires that I both want a goat (or I know others that do) and trust that the promised goats will be around.
+
+	**Primary Market
+The goat herder creates  a primary market around his goats by spending and redeeming tokens. He keeps the value of his goat tokens stable by backing them over time with his goats. His token is stable over time for as long as he redeems the tokens and people want the goats. Primary markets are important because they determine the base value of goods and establish a value for the tokens. 
+
+Secondary Market
+What happens If the value of the goat tokens drops (-) below a dollar because people at the cereals shop are cashing them out for reserve? Then it becomes even more attractive for people who want to buy goats. Anyone who wants goats could also add reserves cheaply in order to claim them for goats later. The issuer (the goat herder) could also add national currency to the reserve (the secondary market on the blockchain) and create more tokens to pay for more labor. 
+
+The primary market forms the basis for value on the secondary market. As the secondary market value goes up (+) more people will cash out the tokens for dollars. The more it drops (-) the more people will cheaply buy tokens to get goats. 
+
+More Currencies, More Resilience
+Because the herder has added a reserve to his token, it means that his token will automatically have value against other tokens with the same or connected reserves. This means that anyone in the world could accept the herder’s credit (tokens) because they can always see the reserve on the blockchain behind it. They can convert it to the reserve and also put that reserve into their own tokens.
+
+Risks
+The inherent risk in trusting any single issuer of a currency is that they will no longer be able to, or just stop, reclaiming the tokens for goats (or goods or services - whatever is backing the currency). (This is akin to a bank run). By adding collateral to a reserve, a secondary market can reduce risk and build trust. It can also enable many credit systems to connect together into larger economies. We’ve seen this build stable markets that allow communities to trade their goods and services with a much wider population.
+
+The risks of using tokens with on-chain collateral are easily measurable based on the size of the reserve, the trade on the network, and the target reserve ratio. In contrast, the risk of accepting a token that’s only backed by physical goats requires that I both want a goat (or I know others that do) and trust that the promised goats will be around.**	
+
+
+Primary Market
+The goat herder creates  a primary market around his goats by spending and redeeming tokens. He keeps the value of his goat tokens stable by backing them over time with his goats. His token is stable over time for as long as he redeems the tokens and people want the goats. Primary markets are important because they determine the base value of goods and establish a value for the tokens. 
+
+Secondary Market
+What happens If the value of the goat tokens drops (-) below a dollar because people at the cereals shop are cashing them out for reserve? Then it becomes even more attractive for people who want to buy goats. Anyone who wants goats could also add reserves cheaply in order to claim them for goats later. The issuer (the goat herder) could also add national currency to the reserve (the secondary market on the blockchain) and create more tokens to pay for more labor. 
+
+The primary market forms the basis for value on the secondary market. As the secondary market value goes up (+) more people will cash out the tokens for dollars. The more it drops (-) the more people will cheaply buy tokens to get goats. 
+
+More Currencies, More Resilience
+Because the herder has added a reserve to his token, it means that his token will automatically have value against other tokens with the same or connected reserves. This means that anyone in the world could accept the herder’s credit (tokens) because they can always see the reserve on the blockchain behind it. They can convert it to the reserve and also put that reserve into their own tokens.
+
+Risks
+The inherent risk in trusting any single issuer of a currency is that they will no longer be able to, or just stop, reclaiming the tokens for goats (or goods or services - whatever is backing the currency). (This is akin to a bank run). By adding collateral to a reserve, a secondary market can reduce risk and build trust. It can also enable many credit systems to connect together into larger economies. We’ve seen this build stable markets that allow communities to trade their goods and services with a much wider population.
+
+The risks of using tokens with on-chain collateral are easily measurable based on the size of the reserve, the trade on the network, and the target reserve ratio. In contrast, the risk of accepting a token that’s only backed by physical goats requires that I both want a goat (or I know others that do) and trust that the promised goats will be around.
+
+
+
+
+Takeaway
+Credit creation can be regulated and de-risked in a whole new way, where anyone could potentially issue their own credit. A network of such credit issuers and users can form a decentralized economy, which is more resilient to crisis. This is what Grassroots Economics is doing with partners like the Red Cross.  
+
+The technology is now open source and we encourage replication and development. You can see more of the impact in Kenya here with nearly 100K USD trading on the networks monthly. We hope to open this secondary market up for anyone to contribute in the next two months.
+
+	**Takeaway
+Credit creation can be regulated and de-risked in a whole new way, where anyone could potentially issue their own credit. A network of such credit issuers and users can form a decentralized economy, which is more resilient to crisis. This is what Grassroots Economics is doing with partners like the Red Cross.  
+
+The technology is now open source and we encourage replication and development. You can see more of the impact in Kenya here with nearly 100K USD trading on the networks monthly. We hope to open this secondary market up for anyone to contribute in the next two months.**	
+
+
+
+Takeaway
+Credit creation can be regulated and de-risked in a whole new way, where anyone could potentially issue their own credit. A network of such credit issuers and users can form a decentralized economy, which is more resilient to crisis. This is what Grassroots Economics is doing with partners like the Red Cross.  
+
+The technology is now open source and we encourage replication and development. You can see more of the impact in Kenya here with nearly 100K USD trading on the networks monthly. We hope to open this secondary market up for anyone to contribute in the next two months.
+
+
+
+
+Takeaway
+Credit creation can be regulated and de-risked in a whole new way, where anyone could potentially issue their own credit. A network of such credit issuers and users can form a decentralized economy, which is more resilient to crisis. This is what Grassroots Economics is doing with partners like the Red Cross.  
+
+The technology is now open source and we encourage replication and development. You can see more of the impact in Kenya here with nearly 100K USD trading on the networks monthly. We hope to open this secondary market up for anyone to contribute in the next two months.
+
+	`here with nearly 100K USD trading on the networks monthly <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/post/crisis-supply-chains>`_	
+
+
+Timely: How this impacts aid and COVID-19
+What if instead of goats, a non-profit created a primary market of credit with donor funds to bolster local food security and health? The secondary market on the blockchain allows anyone in the world to add reserve (liquidity) and give more value to these tokens. It’s a way to multiply donor funds and allow locals like the goat herder to buy and sell the goods they need. At a time when international and national markets are collapsing, tools that allow people at the local level to trade needed goods and services without national currency is critical. 
+
+How can I  do it?
+https://katanapools.com/  is a site where you can use the Bancor protocol to create a goat token or any other and add one or multiple reserves to it on the Ethereum blockchain. More in this Medium article. 
+
+All the code to create and trade these types of tokens is open source. To understand the bonding curves we use,read the open source Bancor Protocol whitepaper: https://storage.googleapis.com/website-bancor/2018/04/01ba8253-bancor_protocol_whitepaper_en.pdf
+
+
+	**Timely: How this impacts aid and COVID-19
+What if instead of goats, a non-profit created a primary market of credit with donor funds to bolster local food security and health? The secondary market on the blockchain allows anyone in the world to add reserve (liquidity) and give more value to these tokens. It’s a way to multiply donor funds and allow locals like the goat herder to buy and sell the goods they need. At a time when international and national markets are collapsing, tools that allow people at the local level to trade needed goods and services without national currency is critical. 
+
+How can I  do it?
+https://katanapools.com/  is a site where you can use the Bancor protocol to create a goat token or any other and add one or multiple reserves to it on the Ethereum blockchain. More in this Medium article. 
+
+All the code to create and trade these types of tokens is open source. To understand the bonding curves we use,read the open source Bancor Protocol whitepaper: https://storage.googleapis.com/website-bancor/2018/04/01ba8253-bancor_protocol_whitepaper_en.pdf**	
+
+
+
+Timely: How this impacts aid and COVID-19
+What if instead of goats, a non-profit created a primary market of credit with donor funds to bolster local food security and health? The secondary market on the blockchain allows anyone in the world to add reserve (liquidity) and give more value to these tokens. It’s a way to multiply donor funds and allow locals like the goat herder to buy and sell the goods they need. At a time when international and national markets are collapsing, tools that allow people at the local level to trade needed goods and services without national currency is critical. 
+
+How can I  do it?
+https://katanapools.com/  is a site where you can use the Bancor protocol to create a goat token or any other and add one or multiple reserves to it on the Ethereum blockchain. More in this Medium article. 
+
+All the code to create and trade these types of tokens is open source. To understand the bonding curves we use,read the open source Bancor Protocol whitepaper: https://storage.googleapis.com/website-bancor/2018/04/01ba8253-bancor_protocol_whitepaper_en.pdf
+
+
+	**Timely: How this impacts aid and COVID-19
+What if instead of goats, a non-profit created a primary market of credit with donor funds to bolster local food security and health? The secondary market on the blockchain allows anyone in the world to add reserve (liquidity) and give more value to these tokens. It’s a way to multiply donor funds and allow locals like the goat herder to buy and sell the goods they need. At a time when international and national markets are collapsing, tools that allow people at the local level to trade needed goods and services without national currency is critical. 
+
+How can I  do it?
+https://katanapools.com/  is a site where you can use the Bancor protocol to create a goat token or any other and add one or multiple reserves to it on the Ethereum blockchain. More in this Medium article. 
+
+All the code to create and trade these types of tokens is open source. To understand the bonding curves we use,read the open source Bancor Protocol whitepaper: https://storage.googleapis.com/website-bancor/2018/04/01ba8253-bancor_protocol_whitepaper_en.pdf**	
+
+
+
+Timely: How this impacts aid and COVID-19
+What if instead of goats, a non-profit created a primary market of credit with donor funds to bolster local food security and health? The secondary market on the blockchain allows anyone in the world to add reserve (liquidity) and give more value to these tokens. It’s a way to multiply donor funds and allow locals like the goat herder to buy and sell the goods they need. At a time when international and national markets are collapsing, tools that allow people at the local level to trade needed goods and services without national currency is critical. 
+
+How can I  do it?
+https://katanapools.com/  is a site where you can use the Bancor protocol to create a goat token or any other and add one or multiple reserves to it on the Ethereum blockchain. More in this Medium article. 
+
+All the code to create and trade these types of tokens is open source. To understand the bonding curves we use,read the open source Bancor Protocol whitepaper: https://storage.googleapis.com/website-bancor/2018/04/01ba8253-bancor_protocol_whitepaper_en.pdf
+
+
+
+
+
+Timely: How this impacts aid and COVID-19
+What if instead of goats, a non-profit created a primary market of credit with donor funds to bolster local food security and health? The secondary market on the blockchain allows anyone in the world to add reserve (liquidity) and give more value to these tokens. It’s a way to multiply donor funds and allow locals like the goat herder to buy and sell the goods they need. At a time when international and national markets are collapsing, tools that allow people at the local level to trade needed goods and services without national currency is critical. 
+
+How can I  do it?
+https://katanapools.com/  is a site where you can use the Bancor protocol to create a goat token or any other and add one or multiple reserves to it on the Ethereum blockchain. More in this Medium article. 
+
+All the code to create and trade these types of tokens is open source. To understand the bonding curves we use,read the open source Bancor Protocol whitepaper: https://storage.googleapis.com/website-bancor/2018/04/01ba8253-bancor_protocol_whitepaper_en.pdf
+
+
+
+
+
+Timely: How this impacts aid and COVID-19
+What if instead of goats, a non-profit created a primary market of credit with donor funds to bolster local food security and health? The secondary market on the blockchain allows anyone in the world to add reserve (liquidity) and give more value to these tokens. It’s a way to multiply donor funds and allow locals like the goat herder to buy and sell the goods they need. At a time when international and national markets are collapsing, tools that allow people at the local level to trade needed goods and services without national currency is critical. 
+
+How can I  do it?
+https://katanapools.com/  is a site where you can use the Bancor protocol to create a goat token or any other and add one or multiple reserves to it on the Ethereum blockchain. More in this Medium article. 
+
+All the code to create and trade these types of tokens is open source. To understand the bonding curves we use,read the open source Bancor Protocol whitepaper: https://storage.googleapis.com/website-bancor/2018/04/01ba8253-bancor_protocol_whitepaper_en.pdf
+
+
+	`https://katanapools.com/ <https://katanapools.com/>`_		`https://storage.googleapis.com/website-bancor/2018/04/01ba8253-bancor_protocol_whitepaper_en.pdf <https://storage.googleapis.com/website-bancor/2018/04/01ba8253-bancor_protocol_whitepaper_en.pdf>`_		**How can I support?
+Turning these open source infrastructures into something anyone in the world can use is our priority. We are racing to address the widespread impact of COVID-19 on people’s income, food security, and health. Funding to bring on more developers and to do more pilots and help communities right now is what we need. Please contact us if you would like to take part.**	
+
+
+How can I support?
+Turning these open source infrastructures into something anyone in the world can use is our priority. We are racing to address the widespread impact of COVID-19 on people’s income, food security, and health. Funding to bring on more developers and to do more pilots and help communities right now is what we need. Please contact us if you would like to take part.
+

content/blog/detergent-accelerator.rst

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+:title: Detergent Accelerator
+:author: Daniel Mukosia
+:date: Mar 13, 2017
+:slug: detergent-accelerator
+ 
+:summary: Julius Nyelele has been a member of Lindi Business Network for more than one year. He is a roadside seller of washing detergents and body...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/detergent-accelerator18.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Julius Nyelele has been a member of Lindi Business Network for more than one year. He is a roadside seller of washing detergents and body jelly. He says that, at first he never understood the concept behind community currency, but later when he actively started using Sarafu-Credit he got more customers who are part of the Business Network. He has been selling most of his products along the road since he didn’t have a place to store his products, but currently he has a host of ready customers who are part of the business network that always purchase his products using Kenya Shillings and Sarafu-Credit (Community currency). He says that his products are always first moving now and that’s increasing his sales and savings. He is also starting to use the community super market space to store his products and has expanded his business to selling larger quantities.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Julius is benefiting from increased connection among the members and businesses of his community. By virtue of hundreds of shops receiving an interest free credit to use among each-other in an area overall efficiency greatly increases. Instead of waiting on Kenyan Shillings to make a purchase, members of these networks can trade using credit that is readily available. These networks also develop assets, like supermarket stock, that backs the credits (community currency) in case of defaults and to grow the credit supply.
+
+
+
+#detergent #bodyoil #businessaccelerator
+
+
+
+#detergent #bodyoil #businessaccelerator
+
+	`#detergent <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/detergent>`_	
+
+#detergent
+
+	`#bodyoil <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/bodyoil>`_	
+
+#bodyoil
+
+	`#businessaccelerator <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/businessaccelerator>`_	
+
+#businessaccelerator
+

content/blog/disrupting-currencies.rst

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+:title: Disrupting Currencies
+:author: Lynda  Chalker
+:date: Oct 3, 2018
+:slug: disrupting-currencies
+ 
+:summary: Grassroots Economics Foundation has been at the forefront of empowering bottom-of-the-pyramid communities in Kenya by use of Sarafu...
+ 
+
+
+
+Grassroots Economics Foundation has been at the forefront of empowering bottom-of-the-pyramid communities in Kenya by use of Sarafu Network; a network of Community Currencies, (CCs), operating in Nairobi and Mombasa respectively.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+It started with 75 businesses in Kongowea (Mombasa) launching Eco Pesa as the first local currency in 2010, then Bangla-Pesa in Mikindani-Mombasa-Kenya, which the locals embraced. To-date, community members have been using it as a Community Currency to pay for goods and services enriching their daily lives.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/disrupting-currencies30.webp
+
+
+
+ Will Rúddick the pioneer of community currencies in Kenya, listening at a strategic planning session.
+
+	*Will Rúddick the pioneer of community currencies in Kenya, listening at a strategic planning session.*
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+This project, which started with an aim to reduce economic instability in marginalize communities has seen people and businesses increase local trade by providing a complementary means of payment where the national currency is scarce. This reduces debts as CCs become a spending currency while the Kenyan shilling, becomes a tool for saving. In Nairobi, more than 1000 small businesses take an active role in their own economic development in this way. This has led to a 17% increase in local jobs creation and 37% growth in sales revenue through the frequent transactions that happen in these Sarafu-Credit locales. 
+
+
+
+This project, which started with an aim to reduce economic instability in marginalize communities has seen people and businesses increase local trade by providing a complementary means of payment where the national currency is scarce. This reduces debts as CCs become a spending currency while the Kenyan shilling, becomes a tool for saving. In Nairobi, more than 1000 small businesses take an active role in their own economic development in this way. This has led to a 17% increase in local jobs creation and 37% growth in sales revenue through the frequent transactions that happen in these Sarafu-Credit locales. 
+
+	` Sarafu-Credit locales. <http://www.grassrootseconomics.org/community-currencies>`_	
+
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/disrupting-currencies57.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The good news about this is that Sarafu-Credit users in these communities, no longer depend on their income or wages as the only way to cater for their daily needs. They can now depend on each other and use local currencies to buy food like fruits, vegetables, snacks and access services like tailoring, hairdressing and getting rid of waste materials dumped within the community. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Community Currencies in the Sarafu Network like Gatina Pesa in Kawangware connect underutilized work forces with unused resources to create local industries that guarantee the provision of basic needs.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+So, how do people in the Network use Sarafu-Credit?
+
+	`Sarafu-Credit? <http://www.grassrootseconomics.org/media>`_	
+
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/disrupting-currencies92.webp
+
+	*Sarafu-Credit users in Gatina, Kawangware*
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Sarafu-Credit users get to access goods and services from sellers who accept the CCs, creating a network of traders who unite the different areas and hence uplifting the economy of that community.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Besides, traders using Sarafu-Credit as an alternative economic system and supplementing the inadequate national currency, they are also achieving SDGs goals themselves in vulnerable communities. For example, Sarafu has a direct impact on; food security, decent work, sustainable communities and economic growth.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+	**Design and cultural symbolism of community currency.**	
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Sarafu-Credit is created using cryptocurrencies and also is printed on high-quality paper with designs and symbolic representations depicting the cultural values of the community. This leaves no room for counterfeiting. Participants involved accept and agree on this form of exchange, creating a connected and liquid market for all the Community Currencies in these regions.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+What to note is, the implementation of CCs system in Kenya, is an innovative way of improve living standards, as it also protects and advances Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+SDG’s can be tied to community currencies, whereby for instance,  farmers could be linked directly with urban consumers by using a local currency, enhancing food security.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/disrupting-currencies144.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+	*The Chief Operating Officer of Grassroots Economics, Emanuel Dominic delivering a presentation on community currencies.*
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Community events like the one in the photo below in Nairobi and Mombasa target community members who are new to the concept of community currencies and the longtime users who will be recognized for their knowledge/progress as Sarafu-Credit  users and ability to take charge of their lives.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/disrupting-currencies171.webp
+
+	*A Sarafu-Credit user from Lindi, Kibera.*
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+This is an open day dedicated to community sharing, networking, educating and training on how the CCs work, as well as coming together to implement new ways that their own Community Currency will  improve their communities.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+For future updates; Subscribe to our newsletter (link to newsletter) and like our social media platforms.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Use the hashtag #sarafucredit #lindipesa #complementarycommunitycurrency #Economics4Change to join the conversation.
+
+
+
+Use the hashtag #sarafucredit #lindipesa #complementarycommunitycurrency #Economics4Change to join the conversation.
+
+
+
+Use the hashtag #sarafucredit #lindipesa #complementarycommunitycurrency #Economics4Change to join the conversation.
+
+
+
+Use the hashtag #sarafucredit #lindipesa #complementarycommunitycurrency #Economics4Change to join the conversation.
+
+
+
+Use the hashtag #sarafucredit #lindipesa #complementarycommunitycurrency #Economics4Change to join the conversation.
+
+	`#sarafucredit <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/sarafucredit>`_	
+
+#sarafucredit
+
+	`#lindipesa <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/lindipesa>`_	
+
+#lindipesa
+
+	`#complementarycommunitycurrency <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/complementarycommunitycurrency>`_	
+
+#complementarycommunitycurrency
+
+	`#Economics4Change <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/Economics4Change>`_	
+
+#Economics4Change
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+#sarafucredit #lindipesa #Economics4change #complementarycommunitycurrency #SarafuCredit
+
+
+
+#sarafucredit #lindipesa #Economics4change #complementarycommunitycurrency #SarafuCredit
+
+
+
+#sarafucredit #lindipesa #Economics4change #complementarycommunitycurrency #SarafuCredit
+
+
+
+#sarafucredit #lindipesa #Economics4change #complementarycommunitycurrency #SarafuCredit
+
+	`#sarafucredit <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/sarafucredit>`_	
+
+#sarafucredit
+
+	`#lindipesa <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/lindipesa>`_	
+
+#lindipesa
+
+	`#Economics4change <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/Economics4change>`_	
+
+#Economics4change
+
+	`#complementarycommunitycurrency <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/complementarycommunitycurrency>`_	
+
+#complementarycommunitycurrency
+
+	`#SarafuCredit <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/SarafuCredit>`_	
+
+#SarafuCredit
+

content/blog/economies-into.rst

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+:title: Economies into Ecosystems
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Dec 25, 2019
+:slug: economies-into
+ 
+:summary: The reserve behind these tokens, the actual aid funding, was about $2.5k USD).
+This means that $2,500 USD of Aid funds created 10,000 tokens
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/economies-into18.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+This is one of 6 locations around Kenya using Community Inclusion Currencies (CICs). Here you can see the trading between the 1,877 most-active users in the Mnyenzeni area of Kwale, Kenya (a chronically food-insecure area) over the last 2 months – November and December 2019. Their total amount of trade together was 5,476,805 tokens locally worth about $50,000 USD. To put this in context: Each user represents a family of ~5 living on ~50 USD a month – while they continue to spend that 50 USD they are now spending an additional 30 USD of CICs. Hence CIC spending could average around 38% of their spending – this is an increase of 1.6 times their consumption. That is roughly 1.6 times the children going to school regularly, 1.6 more meals being eaten and so on.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Rather than simply give out national currency as in typical aid programs the idea here is to seed the reserves of Community Inclusion Currencies (CICs).  The CICs leverage their reserve into 4x the amount of local credit available. CIC are essentially shares of both underlying reserves as well as social capital (community acceptance). People can use them to pull out the national currency in reserve over time or trade them with each other – acting as a medium of exchange when national currency is scarce.
+
+
+
+This $50,000 USD of trade acts as a sustainable buffer system that is resilient to shocks that cause National Currency to vanish and stall markets. It is filling a gap left by a lack of medium of exchange. The 50,000 USD of trade shown here was done using roughly 10,000 tokens (CICs) each given an initial local value of about $1 USD. The reserve behind these tokens, the actual aid funding, was about $2.5k USD).
+
+
+
+This means that $2,500 USD of Aid funds created 10,000 tokens (CICs) which were treated as shares and given a value of $10,000 USD – which was used to facilitate $50,000 USD of trade – this is an impact multiplier of 20x!
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+What is exciting about CICs is that any community could decide to take some capital and treat it as a commons and leverage it into a local credit system – and integrate with other credit systems. Those 1,877 users above are using 3 distinct Community Inclusion Currencies backed by different groups of businesses and their own reserves.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+	**So how did these 3 currencies get started in the Mnyenzeni area of Kenya? Reserves in Kenyan Shillings were added by donors and the CICs were minted based on that collateral. The Chief, elders, and women’s groups all came together for training from other communities already using CICs and began using a feature phone-based (button phone = no need for internet or smart phone) platform to trade with each other, each having received an air-drop of 400 CICs (worth about $4 USD). Here in Kenya the injection of seed capital from Humanitarian Aid into the reserves of these systems is the jump start (bootstrap) that gets everyone involved and builds trust in the system. Most importantly the marketplace starts with a few groups (mostly savings and loan women’s groups) and foundational businesses or cooperatives that agree to accepting CICs. They give users a reason to continually refill the reserve and increase the value of the CICs.**	
+
+
+So how did these 3 currencies get started in the Mnyenzeni area of Kenya? Reserves in Kenyan Shillings were added by donors and the CICs were minted based on that collateral. The Chief, elders, and women’s groups all came together for training from other communities already using CICs and began using a feature phone-based (button phone = no need for internet or smart phone) platform to trade with each other, each having received an air-drop of 400 CICs (worth about $4 USD). Here in Kenya the injection of seed capital from Humanitarian Aid into the reserves of these systems is the jump start (bootstrap) that gets everyone involved and builds trust in the system. Most importantly the marketplace starts with a few groups (mostly savings and loan women’s groups) and foundational businesses or cooperatives that agree to accepting CICs. They give users a reason to continually refill the reserve and increase the value of the CICs.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+What most excites me about 2020 is that these tools are being piloted and made available on an open source platform and could be available via Red Cross worldwide in the next few years. This means a lot for humanitarian aid, for poverty and for humanity.
+
+
+
+What most excites me about 2020 is that these tools are being piloted and made available on an open source platform and could be available via Red Cross worldwide in the next few years. This means a lot for humanitarian aid, for poverty and for humanity.
+
+
+
+What most excites me about 2020 is that these tools are being piloted and made available on an open source platform and could be available via Red Cross worldwide in the next few years. This means a lot for humanitarian aid, for poverty and for humanity.
+
+	` open source platform <http://github.com/teamsempo>`_	
+
+#RedCross #Sempo #CICs #HimanitarianAid #Kenya #Economies #Ecosystems
+
+
+
+#RedCross #Sempo #CICs #HimanitarianAid #Kenya #Economies #Ecosystems
+
+
+
+#RedCross #Sempo #CICs #HimanitarianAid #Kenya #Economies #Ecosystems
+
+
+
+#RedCross #Sempo #CICs #HimanitarianAid #Kenya #Economies #Ecosystems
+
+
+
+#RedCross #Sempo #CICs #HimanitarianAid #Kenya #Economies #Ecosystems
+
+
+
+#RedCross #Sempo #CICs #HimanitarianAid #Kenya #Economies #Ecosystems
+
+	`#RedCross <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/RedCross>`_	
+
+#RedCross
+
+	`#Sempo <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/Sempo>`_	
+
+#Sempo
+
+	`#CICs <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/CICs>`_	
+
+#CICs
+
+	`#HimanitarianAid <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/HimanitarianAid>`_	
+
+#HimanitarianAid
+
+	`#Kenya <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/Kenya>`_	
+
+#Kenya
+
+	`#Economies <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/Economies>`_	
+
+#Economies
+
+	`#Ecosystems <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/Ecosystems>`_	
+
+#Ecosystems
+

content/blog/education-and.rst

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+:title: Education and Business Cycles
+:author: Ruth Mwangi
+:date: Oct 19, 2016
+:slug: education-and
+ 
+:summary: A lot has been said about the education system in Kenya. The introduction of free primary education in 2003 was received with mixed...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/education-and18.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+A lot has been said about the education system in Kenya. The introduction of free primary education in 2003 was received with mixed reactions across the country, UNESCO, (2005). The government’s task force reported that the implementation of the program was faced with a  number  of  glaring challenges that required to address.  Delays in the disbursement of funds to support free primary school education have frustrated many teachers and put financial pressure on parents.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+According to UNESCO, 2015, the mismanagement, misallocation and embezzlement of funds by corrupt government officials is another challenge facing free primary education in Kenya. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Since privately-ran schools do not benefit from free primary education, they are faced with the challenge of students missing school due to lack of tuition fees; but not in the 14 schools in Gatina and Kangemi area where parents have the liberty of supplementing their children’s school fees with Sarafu-Credit. A teacher offering tuition on a Saturday morning would accept between 10% and 50% of payment in Sarafu-Credit and the rest in Kenya Shillings. A school such as Sifa School located in Nairobi’s Kawangware area accepts at least 100 Sarafu-Credit for every Ksh. 1000 paid as school fees. Sifa School has not only been accepting part of its school fees in Sarafu-Credit, it has also being using this form of community currency for salary advances to its teachers since October 2014. This arrangement has seen less students miss school due to lack of National currency while enabling teachers to get access to advance payments in Sarafu-Credit.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Accumulated Sarafu-Credit is traded back in the community for fruits, vegetables and other basic needs; while the vendors in turn use the Sarafu-Credit received to supplement their children’s school fees. Excess Sarafu-Credit is exchanged back for Kenya Shillings each month.
+
+
+
+At Grassroots Economics, we believe that every child has a right to education hence we have a role to play in ensuring that our next generation of leaders have access to education.
+
+
+
+#education #kenya #sarafu
+
+
+
+#education #kenya #sarafu
+
+	`#education <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/education>`_	
+
+#education
+
+	`#kenya <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/kenya>`_	
+
+#kenya
+
+	`#sarafu <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/sarafu>`_	
+
+#sarafu
+

content/blog/elections-service.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+:title: Elections, Service, Mapping and Nairobi
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Mar 20, 2014
+:slug: elections-service
+ 
+:summary: New Board and Community Service Contributions  On April 19th the Bangladesh Business Network had their first official board elections and...
+ 
+
+
+
+New Board and Community Service Contributions
+
+On April 19th the Bangladesh Business Network had their first official board elections and ratified their statues. They also voted on the use of their community funds. When each member is registered to join the network they receive 200 Bangla-Pesa and another 200 Bangla-Pesa is added to the community fund backed by their goods and services. The community fund consists of each 170 members dues of 200 Bangla-Pesa each minus those used for administrative purposes – such as networking exercises.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Community funds were given to both environmental and health organizations in the community. A community environmental and waste collection team was awarded 2,000 Bangla-Pesa as was a group of Community Heath Workers. These funds will be used by the members of those groups to purchase goods and services at the shops of the network members. This way the network is helping to support their community through their own goods and services.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Networking
+
+Our networking team led by Alfred Sigo has been working to knit the community businesses together. Beyond having a means of exchange to trade among each other there is a lot of work to make sure there is a thriving market in which everyone is aware of each others' offers and wants. In a more efficient market less and less currency is needed to facilitate daily trade. For this purpose we continue to visit each member of the network and connect them with new customers. We've been slowly generating the following map of businesses in the community – once it is done we will create a sign board to help people know where to use their Bangla-Pesa.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Kangemi-Pesa? – Nairobi
+
+Last week Will Ruddick was invited to Kangemi, an informal settlement in Nairobi, where a group of local schools together with Nyendo-Learning Hand in Hand are taking their first steps in replicating the Bangla-Pesa program. We are excited to see another community benefit from enabling themselves to issue and manage their own community currency. We are also happy to be talking with professors of economics from the University of Nairobi on studying these programs.
+
+	`#bangla <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/bangla>`_	
+
+#bangla
+

content/blog/emmas-duka.rst

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 :date: May 21
 :slug: emmas-duka
  
+:summary: Emma's Duka Community Currency Movement - in support of those seeking to free themselves from poorly designed monetary systems.
  
 
 

content/blog/empowering-mothers.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,185 @@
+:title: Empowering Mothers
+:author: tatiana.rubiano.goubert
+:date: Mar 1, 2018
+:slug: empowering-mothers
+ 
+:summary: Sarafu-Credit: empowering strong women who never stop fighting for their families wellbeing We are joining together to celebrate mothers’...
+ 
+
+	**Sarafu-Credit: empowering strong women who never stop fighting for their families wellbeing**	
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/empowering-mothers25.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+We are joining together to celebrate mothers’ lives. It is no secret that being a mother is like no other job in the world. It is a job that never ends and that demands the uttermost dedication. As daughters, grandmothers, fathers, brothers and sons we have come to understand of what commitment, extravagant grace and creativity looks like. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+But even though the ripples of their work are present every day in our lives we can sometimes forget to be grateful and take their efforts for granted. Because of this we want to use this opportunity to celebrate the lives of these women and to make sure that they know how much we appreciate them.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+This post goes out then to all women out there, in Bangladesh, Miyani, Lindi, Gatina, Ng’ombeni and Kangemi who are using community currencies to help support their children and ensure their offspring have the best possible chances in life. With the increase of income, women use most of the resources to improve the standard of living of their families above all other expenses. We have seen these heroines working with Sarafu-Credit to overcome the daunting obstacles that have previously kept their families in cyclical poverty. These mothers are breaking the chains of circumstances and rising to the opportunity to ensure food security and education for the next generation. The importance of their endeavors cannot be underestimated, women become the pillars of development on which their communities are built upon.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/empowering-mothers57.webp
+
+
+
+Zainabu, member of the Sarafu-Credit in Miyani, recalls the day when women came together to dig special pits to store water where they would eventually plant maize and legumes: “That time was special because I got paid in Sarafu-Credit from the community shop, this means when am done digging I can go to the community posho mill to mill my maize and have lunch ready for my children when they come from school. It also means I can go to other community members to buy vegetables or fruits to add to the meals!” - Testimonial collected by Caroline Dama
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/empowering-mothers71.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+“My daughter used not to go to school because I did not have enough money. I decided to let the boys go and let the girl stay at home. But ever since I joined the BN, I was able to use the CC on my daily needs like food and water and save enough money such that I was able to enroll my daughter to school.”
+
+Dama Ngala , member of Bangla-Pesa network since 2016 and a proud mother sending all of her children to school. - Testimonial collected by Lydia Anyango
+
+
+
+“My daughter used not to go to school because I did not have enough money. I decided to let the boys go and let the girl stay at home. But ever since I joined the BN, I was able to use the CC on my daily needs like food and water and save enough money such that I was able to enroll my daughter to school.”
+
+Dama Ngala , member of Bangla-Pesa network since 2016 and a proud mother sending all of her children to school. - Testimonial collected by Lydia Anyango
+
+
+
+“My daughter used not to go to school because I did not have enough money. I decided to let the boys go and let the girl stay at home. But ever since I joined the BN, I was able to use the CC on my daily needs like food and water and save enough money such that I was able to enroll my daughter to school.”
+
+Dama Ngala , member of Bangla-Pesa network since 2016 and a proud mother sending all of her children to school. - Testimonial collected by Lydia Anyango
+
+
+
+“My daughter used not to go to school because I did not have enough money. I decided to let the boys go and let the girl stay at home. But ever since I joined the BN, I was able to use the CC on my daily needs like food and water and save enough money such that I was able to enroll my daughter to school.”
+
+Dama Ngala , member of Bangla-Pesa network since 2016 and a proud mother sending all of her children to school. - Testimonial collected by Lydia Anyango
+
+
+
+“My daughter used not to go to school because I did not have enough money. I decided to let the boys go and let the girl stay at home. But ever since I joined the BN, I was able to use the CC on my daily needs like food and water and save enough money such that I was able to enroll my daughter to school.”
+
+Dama Ngala , member of Bangla-Pesa network since 2016 and a proud mother sending all of her children to school. - Testimonial collected by Lydia Anyango
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/empowering-mothers109.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Ever since I joined the network I started receiving many more people who come to fetch my water. Because I accept SC I get more customers.”
+
+Priscilla, member of Ng’ombeni-Pesa  since 2015 is happy that she can feed and take good care of her granddaughter Caro by  using of Sarafu-Credit. - Testimonial collected by Lydia Anyango
+
+
+
+Ever since I joined the network I started receiving many more people who come to fetch my water. Because I accept SC I get more customers.”
+
+Priscilla, member of Ng’ombeni-Pesa  since 2015 is happy that she can feed and take good care of her granddaughter Caro by  using of Sarafu-Credit. - Testimonial collected by Lydia Anyango
+
+
+
+Ever since I joined the network I started receiving many more people who come to fetch my water. Because I accept SC I get more customers.”
+
+Priscilla, member of Ng’ombeni-Pesa  since 2015 is happy that she can feed and take good care of her granddaughter Caro by  using of Sarafu-Credit. - Testimonial collected by Lydia Anyango
+
+
+
+Ever since I joined the network I started receiving many more people who come to fetch my water. Because I accept SC I get more customers.”
+
+Priscilla, member of Ng’ombeni-Pesa  since 2015 is happy that she can feed and take good care of her granddaughter Caro by  using of Sarafu-Credit. - Testimonial collected by Lydia Anyango
+
+
+
+Ever since I joined the network I started receiving many more people who come to fetch my water. Because I accept SC I get more customers.”
+
+Priscilla, member of Ng’ombeni-Pesa  since 2015 is happy that she can feed and take good care of her granddaughter Caro by  using of Sarafu-Credit. - Testimonial collected by Lydia Anyango
+
+
+
+#mothersday #sarafu #communitycurrencies
+
+
+
+#mothersday #sarafu #communitycurrencies
+
+	`#mothersday <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/mothersday>`_	
+
+#mothersday
+
+	`#sarafu <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/sarafu>`_	
+
+#sarafu
+
+	`#communitycurrencies <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/communitycurrencies>`_	
+
+#communitycurrencies
+

content/blog/enabling-leverage.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,189 @@
+:title: Enabling Leverage
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Dec 6, 2019
+:slug: enabling-leverage
+ 
+:summary: By exploring this space and enabling leverage we can open the door to truly decentralized financial services. If credit can be safely issued
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/enabling-leverage18.webp
+
+
+
+From a Microfinance down to tabletop baking groups there is one thing that truly distinguishes these smaller and local financial service providers (FSPs) from a traditional bank and that is their inability to leverage their capital and issue credit. For the last 10 years Grassroots Economics has been working with micro businesses in marginalized communities to leverage their goods and services into a locally circulating credit (Sarafu-Credit or more generally called Community Currency). As we scale up these solutions to interact with larger and larger markets, we must provide guarantees for commercial businesses and other actors wanting to take part.
+
+	*From a Microfinance down to tabletop baking groups there is one thing that truly distinguishes these smaller and local financial service providers (FSPs) from a traditional bank and that is their inability to leverage their capital and issue credit. For the last 10 years Grassroots Economics has been working with micro businesses in marginalized communities to leverage their goods and services into a locally circulating credit (Sarafu-Credit or more generally called Community Currency). As we scale up these solutions to interact with larger and larger markets, we must provide guarantees for commercial businesses and other actors wanting to take part.*
+
+
+From a Microfinance down to tabletop baking groups there is one thing that truly distinguishes these smaller and local financial service providers (FSPs) from a traditional bank and that is their inability to leverage their capital and issue credit. For the last 10 years Grassroots Economics has been working with micro businesses in marginalized communities to leverage their goods and services into a locally circulating credit (Sarafu-Credit or more generally called Community Currency). As we scale up these solutions to interact with larger and larger markets, we must provide guarantees for commercial businesses and other actors wanting to take part.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Banks are loosely bound to what we call a fractional reserve – I say loosely because the regulation required of them makes it very hard to audit that reserve. This loose regulation enables banks to over-issue credit and causes runs on those banks – several banks have collapsed in Kenya in the last few years due to this issue. Hence in re-imaging decentralized banking in the form Mohammed Yunnis was striving for, we need to do better than the existing financial industry standards.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+At the heart of blockchain technology (I’m not talking about crypto-currencies here) there is the ability to encode policies into credits being created by FSPs. This means that for a tabletop bank, microfinance or traditional bank the risk of credit issuance can be regulated in real-time and insurance systems can be scaled down to the size of a 25 women savings and loaning group in the communities we work with.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Here is how we've begun to envision those policies:
+
+	* Pricing: FSP’s (including bank’s) credit should not be blindly assumed to be equal in value to national currency. The value of credit issued should maintain a 1:1 ratio when exchanged for national currency for only as long as the FSP maintains an adequate reserve of national currency. In other words, if an FSP is issuing credit there should be backing behind it – and the value of that credit should, in real-time, reflect the ratio of reserve to supply of credit. While banks today engage in monetary expansion at high risk to society - by adjusting the exchange price of credit we ensure that no more than the reserve can ever be claimed.  
+	* Issuance: The amount of credit available (minted) should depend on the amount of reserve of an FSP. As more reserve is available more credit is available. As more and more reserve is added - less credit is minted - this causes the ratio of reserve to supply to increase and likewise the price of the credit supply to increase and encourages full reserves. Note that such a relationship between price and supply should not allow prices to drastically exceed national currencies, instead the additional value can be automatically moved into an insurance fund.  
+	* Redemption: The credits described here are claims against a reserve but if those claims can be too rapidly liquidated then the value of those credits will be lost. When a FSP puts capital into a reserve it should be locked into a vesting instrument – meaning that those claims against it can only be redeemed slowly. This ensures there is time for insurances and market forces to fill back in the reserve as it is pulled out to maintain stability. Finally as credits are used to pull out reserve (rather than for local trade), the value of the remaining credit drops. This invites a market to cheaply add in reserve in order to mint more tokens and ensure stability of credit pricing.  
+	* Reserve: While National Currency (on-chain in the form of stable tokens such as DAI and USDC) can be used as reserve now, there is a bright future in various reserve mechanisms residing on-chain, such as futures contracts and indexes into baskets of commodities as planned by groups like OpenLibra. Note that Community Currencies designed this way can be seen as shares of a collective reserve.  
+	* Insurance: A sizable reserve can ensure that credit pricing is not too volatile there is still a need to insure FSP credit so that holders can know their risk of holding credit. As credit is issued and redeemed an insurance fund automatically stabilizes the price of those credits within acceptable limits. 
+
+
+For a video explainer of some of these policies please visit: https://youtu.be/8Z0chJBibhY and see the graphic below: 
+
+
+
+For a video explainer of some of these policies please visit: https://youtu.be/8Z0chJBibhY and see the graphic below: 
+
+	`https://youtu.be/8Z0chJBibhY <http://DOEN.nl>`_	
+
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/enabling-leverage83.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+	*What does this all mean? While the above policies may sound complex, when imbued into the credits themselves (ala smart contracts), they enable something quite simple to happen. A tabletop banking group of 25 women in rural Kenya whom each save $1 a week and loan out those savings to their members now have the ability to leverage. Let’s say they put $100 into a reserve (which could be funded by donors) - at a target reserve ratio of 25% (based on a standard body as a requirement for humanitarian aid) they would create $400 of credit (with some reserve held in an insurance fund). This $400 of credit maintains its value of $400 as long as there is money going into reserve to match money leaving it. Group savings, and demand on the groups goods and services keep adding to the reserve while anyone holding that credit has a guarantee against the $100 reserve – meaning commercial businesses can accept the credit and pull out the National Currency they need to restock their supplies.*
+
+
+What does this all mean? While the above policies may sound complex, when imbued into the credits themselves (ala smart contracts), they enable something quite simple to happen. A tabletop banking group of 25 women in rural Kenya whom each save $1 a week and loan out those savings to their members now have the ability to leverage. Let’s say they put $100 into a reserve (which could be funded by donors) - at a target reserve ratio of 25% (based on a standard body as a requirement for humanitarian aid) they would create $400 of credit (with some reserve held in an insurance fund). This $400 of credit maintains its value of $400 as long as there is money going into reserve to match money leaving it. Group savings, and demand on the groups goods and services keep adding to the reserve while anyone holding that credit has a guarantee against the $100 reserve – meaning commercial businesses can accept the credit and pull out the National Currency they need to restock their supplies.
+
+	**What does this all mean? While the above policies may sound complex, when imbued into the credits themselves (ala smart contracts), they enable something quite simple to happen. A tabletop banking group of 25 women in rural Kenya whom each save $1 a week and loan out those savings to their members now have the ability to leverage. Let’s say they put $100 into a reserve (which could be funded by donors) - at a target reserve ratio of 25% (based on a standard body as a requirement for humanitarian aid) they would create $400 of credit (with some reserve held in an insurance fund). This $400 of credit maintains its value of $400 as long as there is money going into reserve to match money leaving it. Group savings, and demand on the groups goods and services keep adding to the reserve while anyone holding that credit has a guarantee against the $100 reserve – meaning commercial businesses can accept the credit and pull out the National Currency they need to restock their supplies.**	
+
+
+What does this all mean? While the above policies may sound complex, when imbued into the credits themselves (ala smart contracts), they enable something quite simple to happen. A tabletop banking group of 25 women in rural Kenya whom each save $1 a week and loan out those savings to their members now have the ability to leverage. Let’s say they put $100 into a reserve (which could be funded by donors) - at a target reserve ratio of 25% (based on a standard body as a requirement for humanitarian aid) they would create $400 of credit (with some reserve held in an insurance fund). This $400 of credit maintains its value of $400 as long as there is money going into reserve to match money leaving it. Group savings, and demand on the groups goods and services keep adding to the reserve while anyone holding that credit has a guarantee against the $100 reserve – meaning commercial businesses can accept the credit and pull out the National Currency they need to restock their supplies.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+So far in 2019 using roughly $10,000 in reserve provided by DOEN.nl and minting $40,000 in credit we've seen $200,000 USD in 80,000 transactions for basic needs in undeserved Kenyan communities. We're excited to be piloting these concepts with the Red Cross and Sempo.ai in 2020 using Community Inclusion Currencies (see recent news). By exploring this space and enabling leverage we can open the door to truly decentralized financial services (see white paper). If credit can be safely issued by the people using that credit, we can truly change our world.
+
+
+
+So far in 2019 using roughly $10,000 in reserve provided by DOEN.nl and minting $40,000 in credit we've seen $200,000 USD in 80,000 transactions for basic needs in undeserved Kenyan communities. We're excited to be piloting these concepts with the Red Cross and Sempo.ai in 2020 using Community Inclusion Currencies (see recent news). By exploring this space and enabling leverage we can open the door to truly decentralized financial services (see white paper). If credit can be safely issued by the people using that credit, we can truly change our world.
+
+
+
+So far in 2019 using roughly $10,000 in reserve provided by DOEN.nl and minting $40,000 in credit we've seen $200,000 USD in 80,000 transactions for basic needs in undeserved Kenyan communities. We're excited to be piloting these concepts with the Red Cross and Sempo.ai in 2020 using Community Inclusion Currencies (see recent news). By exploring this space and enabling leverage we can open the door to truly decentralized financial services (see white paper). If credit can be safely issued by the people using that credit, we can truly change our world.
+
+
+
+So far in 2019 using roughly $10,000 in reserve provided by DOEN.nl and minting $40,000 in credit we've seen $200,000 USD in 80,000 transactions for basic needs in undeserved Kenyan communities. We're excited to be piloting these concepts with the Red Cross and Sempo.ai in 2020 using Community Inclusion Currencies (see recent news). By exploring this space and enabling leverage we can open the door to truly decentralized financial services (see white paper). If credit can be safely issued by the people using that credit, we can truly change our world.
+
+	**So far in 2019 using roughly $10,000 in reserve provided by DOEN.nl and minting $40,000 in credit we've seen $200,000 USD in 80,000 transactions for basic needs in undeserved Kenyan communities. We're excited to be piloting these concepts with the Red Cross and Sempo.ai in 2020 using Community Inclusion Currencies (see recent news). By exploring this space and enabling leverage we can open the door to truly decentralized financial services (see white paper). If credit can be safely issued by the people using that credit, we can truly change our world.**	
+
+
+So far in 2019 using roughly $10,000 in reserve provided by DOEN.nl and minting $40,000 in credit we've seen $200,000 USD in 80,000 transactions for basic needs in undeserved Kenyan communities. We're excited to be piloting these concepts with the Red Cross and Sempo.ai in 2020 using Community Inclusion Currencies (see recent news). By exploring this space and enabling leverage we can open the door to truly decentralized financial services (see white paper). If credit can be safely issued by the people using that credit, we can truly change our world.
+
+
+
+So far in 2019 using roughly $10,000 in reserve provided by DOEN.nl and minting $40,000 in credit we've seen $200,000 USD in 80,000 transactions for basic needs in undeserved Kenyan communities. We're excited to be piloting these concepts with the Red Cross and Sempo.ai in 2020 using Community Inclusion Currencies (see recent news). By exploring this space and enabling leverage we can open the door to truly decentralized financial services (see white paper). If credit can be safely issued by the people using that credit, we can truly change our world.
+
+	`DOEN.nl <http://DOEN.nl>`_		`Sempo.ai <http://Sempo.ai>`_		`see recent news <http://news.trust.org/item/20191126123058-xtxvz/>`_		`see white paper <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/whitepaper>`_	
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+#leverage #fsp #banking #credit #microfinance #Yunnis #CIC #redcross #sempo
+
+
+
+#leverage #fsp #banking #credit #microfinance #Yunnis #CIC #redcross #sempo
+
+
+
+#leverage #fsp #banking #credit #microfinance #Yunnis #CIC #redcross #sempo
+
+
+
+#leverage #fsp #banking #credit #microfinance #Yunnis #CIC #redcross #sempo
+
+
+
+#leverage #fsp #banking #credit #microfinance #Yunnis #CIC #redcross #sempo
+
+
+
+#leverage #fsp #banking #credit #microfinance #Yunnis #CIC #redcross #sempo
+
+
+
+#leverage #fsp #banking #credit #microfinance #Yunnis #CIC #redcross #sempo
+
+
+
+#leverage #fsp #banking #credit #microfinance #Yunnis #CIC #redcross #sempo
+
+	`#leverage <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/leverage>`_	
+
+#leverage
+
+	`#fsp <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/fsp>`_	
+
+#fsp
+
+	`#banking <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/banking>`_	
+
+#banking
+
+	`#credit <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/credit>`_	
+
+#credit
+
+	`#microfinance <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/microfinance>`_	
+
+#microfinance
+
+	`#Yunnis <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/Yunnis>`_	
+
+#Yunnis
+
+	`#CIC <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/CIC>`_	
+
+#CIC
+
+	`#redcross <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/redcross>`_	
+
+#redcross
+
+	`#sempo <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/sempo>`_	
+
+#sempo
+

content/blog/ending-our.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+:title: Ending Our 2017
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Dec 8, 2017
+:slug: ending-our
+ 
+:summary: Dear Friends and Stakeholders, In just three years, Grassroots Economics grew from a community group working to help improve living...
+ 
+
+
+
+Dear Friends and Stakeholders,
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+In just three years, Grassroots Economics grew from a community group working to help improve living conditions for residents of a slum with Bangla-Pesa, to a Foundation spreading its unique local development approach to six regions and thousands of businesses and schools around Kenya. Today these regions have become teaching centers for Certified Community Currency Designers (CCDs) around the world.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+One of our first outside-Kenya duplications is in Kokstad, South Africa, which has become a learning center on its own. Such next generations of Community Currencies (CC) built on our models for rural and urban Sarafu-Credit will all in turn become teaching centers.
+
+
+
+This years we have certified five Community Currency Designers and are working directly with roughly 1200 Kenyan businesses and schools trading over half a million USD in goods and services yearly using CCs. We are also consulting on a growing number of programs in Spain, Columbia, Nigeria, Uganda, and Congo.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Why Community Currencies? 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The results from six Kenyan programs and those in other countries have some important features in common. A local means of exchange can build stability. We enable local production and service industries to create their own interest-free credit – which they can use to employ local labor, who can in turn afford to purchase local products, even at times when seasonal and external markets are stagnant. Not only do CCs create stable markets but they also develop more trusting communities and enable social and environmental services.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+More Effective Aid:
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+NGOs have shown that when their services are combined with Community Currency, they are more effective and more sustainable, as the CC enables a community to develop and sustain funding for social and environmental services.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+How do our Community Currencies work?
+
+
+
+Existing assets and future capacity of cooperative businesses are identified and developed as the basis for a mutual-credit that is sustainably used for community service work.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Our core staff, along with a network of CCDs, provide: 
+
+
+
+Our core staff, along with a network of CCDs, provide: 
+
+
+
+Our core staff, along with a network of CCDs, provide: 
+
+	* Baseline and feasibility analysis services for budding communities, as well as assistance in monitoring and evaluation. 
+	* Certification of Community Currency Systems and Designers – assuring that they follow a high professional and ethical standard and perform regular financial auditing and renewal. 
+	* In-person support to impart practical success stories and co-design customized systems. We also provide printing and digital currency services through our partners. as well as This seems to be a different topic. 
+	* Capacity building for NGOs, local governments, communities and businesses to implement and manage a Community Currency. 
+
+
+With only six staff members, we are stretched thin! In Nairobi and Mombasa we have three employees each, a regional director, field officer and cooperative business developer, serving over 2,500 businesses AND providing support for certifying new CCDs. As demand for more local currencies and more CCDs continues to grow, we are not prepared and need your support.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/ending-our87.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Where is Support Needed? 
+
+
+
+Where is Support Needed? 
+
+
+
+Where is Support Needed? 
+
+	* Staffing:  
+	* Grant writing, marketing and communications staff 
+	* Training and certification staff 
+	* IT and programming staff to support digital currencies 
+	* An in-house accountant (we currently outsource our accounting). 
+	* An Operations Manager 
+	* Research, Monitoring and Evaluation  
+	* Scholarships for Certified Community Currency Designers across Africa. We wish to train 50 CCDs from communities that can’t afford to come to Kenya next year. We will support each CCD in turn to develop a program in their country of origin. 
+	* Development of training materials (curriculum, videos, methodological tools) 
+	* Further development of the community currencies in Kenya. We need more examples of Community Currency being used in Kenya with different populations. We wish to develop five more sites in urban, peri-urban and rural regions. In each region in Kenya we target thousands of small businesses and schools serving a greater community of tens of thousands in chronic need of stable markets and food security. 
+
+
+How Will We Get There?
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+This year we managed to cover roughly 20% of our operating costs through consulting, training, certification and cooperative business development. In 2018 we are seeking to sustainability cover our costs through international CCD student fees and consulting programs. In order to do this we need your support. 
+
+
+
+This year we managed to cover roughly 20% of our operating costs through consulting, training, certification and cooperative business development. In 2018 we are seeking to sustainability cover our costs through international CCD student fees and consulting programs. In order to do this we need your support. 
+
+	`support <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/get-involved>`_	
+
+#endyear #2017
+
+	`#endyear <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/endyear>`_	
+
+#endyear
+

content/blog/faith-based.rst

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+:title: Faith Based Community Inclusion Currencies
+:author: Janet Akinyi
+:date: May 11
+:slug: faith-based
+ 
+:summary: Local churches and faith based organizations have begun to develop their own community currencies (Sarafu)
+:tags: Faith,church
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/faith-based18.webp
+
+
+
+Due to economic instability, many people in the marginalized communities are short of money to pay for church offerings or even worse, to set up their local churches. Local churches that have begun to develop their own community currencies (Sarafu)  in order to developed their church structures and pay offerings and even meet their basic needs. Sarafu has created a stable medium of exchange allowing them to support one another as individuals and also their church at large. Below are some of the examples:
+
+
+
+AMK CHURCH
+
+
+
+The church (pictured above) is located in Mkanyeni village, Mtaa location, Bofu Sub-location in Kasemeni ward, Kwale County. It was started way back in 1990. The church was founded by Pastor Dzeha Nyanje as the community did not have any place of worship around by then. Being that they could not afford the construction money, the congregation resorted to worshiping under a tree every Sunday. In the year 2000, through the leadership of Pastor Dzeha Nyanje,the church decided to put up a temporary structure using mud.
+
+
+
+ “The tree that provided us with the shade dried up and fell down and that's when we decided to build a temporary structure” Dzeha explains.
+
+
+
+At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Mkanyeni community was among the numerous communities that were empowered by Sarafu to build their own prospering economies. Pastor Dzeha Nyanye was one of the people that was trained on how to use the Community Inclusion Currency -a blockchain based voucher used to trade among community members when the national currency is scarce. Dzeha who is also a shopkeeper explains how Sarafu has impacted his community positively, 
+
+	*”Sarafu has been a safe way of trade even during the pandemic since I no longer need to carry cash, it has also created job opportunities in my community since the youths and even those without businesses or jobs can now offer services to those registered in Sarafu and earn an income. My sales have also increased as the users that could not have afforded a product from my shop due to lack of the national currency, can now use Sarafu to top up the little they have and get a product from me. I have created a network in my community and I'm also able to get other products that I don’t have in my shop from other users in my network.”*
+
+
+It is during this time that Dzeha saw an opportunity to develop his church. He quickly shared this concept with his congregation and they equally liked and received the concept well. They were happy and optimistic about building their church through Sarafu. They contributed Sarafu jointly and bought the building materials like sand, cement. metals, water and stones. They were able to pay the people that would work on the site in Sarafu and those people with Sarafu could pay tithings and local goods and services from the congregation. Their church is not yet done but they are grateful that Sarafu was introduced in their community. They are hoping to complete their roofing soon.”We are grateful to Sarafu because through it, my community got empowered and as a church in particular, we've made tremendous developments.” Said Elizabeth Chari, one of the church members.
+
+	*It is during this time that Dzeha saw an opportunity to develop his church. He quickly shared this concept with his congregation and they equally liked and received the concept well. They were happy and optimistic about building their church through Sarafu. They contributed Sarafu jointly and bought the building materials like sand, cement. metals, water and stones. They were able to pay the people that would work on the site in Sarafu and those people with Sarafu could pay tithings and local goods and services from the congregation. Their church is not yet done but they are grateful that Sarafu was introduced in their community. They are hoping to complete their roofing soon.”We are grateful to Sarafu because through it, my community got empowered and as a church in particular, we've made tremendous developments.” Said Elizabeth Chari, one of the church members.*
+
+
+It is during this time that Dzeha saw an opportunity to develop his church. He quickly shared this concept with his congregation and they equally liked and received the concept well. They were happy and optimistic about building their church through Sarafu. They contributed Sarafu jointly and bought the building materials like sand, cement. metals, water and stones. They were able to pay the people that would work on the site in Sarafu and those people with Sarafu could pay tithings and local goods and services from the congregation. Their church is not yet done but they are grateful that Sarafu was introduced in their community. They are hoping to complete their roofing soon.”We are grateful to Sarafu because through it, my community got empowered and as a church in particular, we've made tremendous developments.” Said Elizabeth Chari, one of the church members.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/faith-based80.webp
+
+
+
+AMK church’s new permanent construction.
+
+
+
+A congregation that consists of 48 members are now able to worship in a conducive environment. They are glad that they can now easily give in their church offerings every Sunday using Sarafu as this was initially a challenge since the national currency was scarce. Being that they worship together, they’ve formed a sustainable economy and network where they support each other by exchanging goods and services using Sarafu during their normal days. They are therefore growing their local economy as well as receiving basic needs like food, water, transportation among other needs.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/faith-based113.webp
+
+
+
+ST. REGINA SEGERE LEGIO MARIA
+
+
+
+The church is located in Ouru village, Alego Usonga Constituency in Siaya County. The church was started in 1973. The church has a congregation of around 50 members pictured above. Apart from worshiping and praying together, they support the youths, orphans, widows, the physically challenged and the mentally challenged persons within their community. They’ve been using part of their tithes and offerings to run this course. They’ve also been mobilizing well wishers to attend harambes (community support offerings) after which they would use the funds raised to cater for the needs of the school going orphans under their custody.
+
+
+
+When Emmaculate Onyango, one of the founders of Bangla-Pesa visited the church and enlightened them on the importance of the Community Inclusion Currencies (CICs), the church embraced the concept and created time for training. They grasped every aspect of how it works and 40 of them were then registered to the system. This group has been able to play a major role in their community as they’ve also registered other members within their local markets hence creating a big sustainable network of trade. Above you can see the church members buying locally made candles in Sarafu.
+
+
+
+They were lucky enough to also get empowered and trained on Syntropic Agroforestry through the Shamba ya Jamii program -a regenerative agriculture technique that provides a long term food forests. They’ve then started up their farm that they run and maintain using Sarafu. They’ve been able to source for local farm inputs and seeds and also pay labourers who work on their farms daily using Sarafu. Their farm is doing well and they are hopeful that in two weeks time, they will have their first harvest of vegetables.
+
+
+
+Speaking to Christabell- a selfless hardworking lady in her mid twenties, she gladly explains how great Sarafu has improved their livelihood, "It was hard feeding the big number of the vulnerable persons that we have under our care since the offerings that we use for the same weren't enough or rather sustainable. Since we started using Sarafu, the burden is lighter. We are able to source food from the nearby market since we also registered them in Sarafu. The youths are also empowered and can now offer services to different users and get paid in Sarafu. We receive more offerings than before and we use the same to cater for basic needs. We are also working hard in our farms and we are looking forward to good harvest that we will also sell in Sarafu” 
+
+	*Speaking to Christabell- a selfless hardworking lady in her mid twenties, she gladly explains how great Sarafu has improved their livelihood, "It was hard feeding the big number of the vulnerable persons that we have under our care since the offerings that we use for the same weren't enough or rather sustainable. Since we started using Sarafu, the burden is lighter. We are able to source food from the nearby market since we also registered them in Sarafu. The youths are also empowered and can now offer services to different users and get paid in Sarafu. We receive more offerings than before and we use the same to cater for basic needs. We are also working hard in our farms and we are looking forward to good harvest that we will also sell in Sarafu”*
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/faith-based164.webp
+
+
+
+Church members working on their farm.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/faith-based190.webp
+
+
+
+Pastors Network Nairobi
+
+
+
+This is a group of around 36 members from different denominations within the 30 counties out of the 47 counties in Kenya who came up with a vision to develop local churches, teach the good news, support the vulnerable persons in their community and reach out to the elderly within their communities. They usually contribute from their pockets to run their course. They have been experiencing financial challenges as sometimes they also lack the money to give into the kitty.
+
+
+
+When Sarafu was introduced to their community, they felt that the concept would help them fill the gaps in their quest to support the vulnerable households in their different communities. They were trained on how to use the Community Inclusion Currencies(CIC) after which they were registered. They joined the many other communities that have been empowered to prosper their own economies. They were able to get basic needs through exchanging goods and services in Sarafu. The pastor Network Group joined hands and registered all the people under their course. “Since we started using Sarafu, I have never slept hungry as I can easily get food from my network. Before Sarafu, I could only manage to get one meal a day. I’m looking forward to making my network bigger to help me get more products. We also use Sarafu in our churches to pay tithes and offerings.” Said Mary, the group's treasurer. Members of Pastors Network (pictured above) group ready to visit a number of vulnerable households.
+
+	*When Sarafu was introduced to their community, they felt that the concept would help them fill the gaps in their quest to support the vulnerable households in their different communities. They were trained on how to use the Community Inclusion Currencies(CIC) after which they were registered. They joined the many other communities that have been empowered to prosper their own economies. They were able to get basic needs through exchanging goods and services in Sarafu. The pastor Network Group joined hands and registered all the people under their course. “Since we started using Sarafu, I have never slept hungry as I can easily get food from my network. Before Sarafu, I could only manage to get one meal a day. I’m looking forward to making my network bigger to help me get more products. We also use Sarafu in our churches to pay tithes and offerings.” Said Mary, the group's treasurer. Members of Pastors Network (pictured above) group ready to visit a number of vulnerable households.*
+
+
+When Sarafu was introduced to their community, they felt that the concept would help them fill the gaps in their quest to support the vulnerable households in their different communities. They were trained on how to use the Community Inclusion Currencies(CIC) after which they were registered. They joined the many other communities that have been empowered to prosper their own economies. They were able to get basic needs through exchanging goods and services in Sarafu. The pastor Network Group joined hands and registered all the people under their course. “Since we started using Sarafu, I have never slept hungry as I can easily get food from my network. Before Sarafu, I could only manage to get one meal a day. I’m looking forward to making my network bigger to help me get more products. We also use Sarafu in our churches to pay tithes and offerings.” Said Mary, the group's treasurer. Members of Pastors Network (pictured above) group ready to visit a number of vulnerable households.
+
+	*When Sarafu was introduced to their community, they felt that the concept would help them fill the gaps in their quest to support the vulnerable households in their different communities. They were trained on how to use the Community Inclusion Currencies(CIC) after which they were registered. They joined the many other communities that have been empowered to prosper their own economies. They were able to get basic needs through exchanging goods and services in Sarafu. The pastor Network Group joined hands and registered all the people under their course. “Since we started using Sarafu, I have never slept hungry as I can easily get food from my network. Before Sarafu, I could only manage to get one meal a day. I’m looking forward to making my network bigger to help me get more products. We also use Sarafu in our churches to pay tithes and offerings.” Said Mary, the group's treasurer. Members of Pastors Network (pictured above) group ready to visit a number of vulnerable households.*
+
+
+When Sarafu was introduced to their community, they felt that the concept would help them fill the gaps in their quest to support the vulnerable households in their different communities. They were trained on how to use the Community Inclusion Currencies(CIC) after which they were registered. They joined the many other communities that have been empowered to prosper their own economies. They were able to get basic needs through exchanging goods and services in Sarafu. The pastor Network Group joined hands and registered all the people under their course. “Since we started using Sarafu, I have never slept hungry as I can easily get food from my network. Before Sarafu, I could only manage to get one meal a day. I’m looking forward to making my network bigger to help me get more products. We also use Sarafu in our churches to pay tithes and offerings.” Said Mary, the group's treasurer. Members of Pastors Network (pictured above) group ready to visit a number of vulnerable households.
+
+
+
+The vulnerable people that they take care of have since been able to buy food, water and pay for their transportation using Sarafu. The burden is now lighter to the group as they only provide other needs like education and medical needs to them. They are planning to start up projects -bee keeping and farming that they will run and maintain using Sarafu. The main goal of the projects is to get more funds to help the vulnerable people and to create job opportunities within their communities.
+
+
+
+We continue to drum up the importance of communities building their own economies through using the Community Inclusion Currencies that would hence enable them to exchange goods and services and maintain and run projects and businesses without waiting on the national currency that is mostly scarce especially in the marginalized communities. The churches are therefore not left behind as they are enabled to run their activities and support different peoples under their care through the use of Sarafu.
+
+
+
+Written by: 
+
+
+
+Otieno Akinyi Janet
+

content/blog/food-forests.rst

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+:title: Food Forests and Syntropic Currencies
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Oct 25, 2020
+:slug: food-forests
+:modified:  Jan 15
+:summary: Regenerating soil while practically providing crops and long term food forests is actually possible!
+:tags: agroforestry,syntropic,food forest,curadao
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/food-forests18.webp
+
+
+
+Having worked on a myriad farming techniques, I’ve never been more inspired by the practicality and theory behind Syntropic Agroforestry. Regenerating soil while practically providing crops and long term food forests is actually possible!
+
+
+
+We’ve had the pleasure of hosting Roland van Reenen from Curacao and sent to us by Curadao. 
+
+
+
+We’ve had the pleasure of hosting Roland van Reenen from Curacao and sent to us by Curadao. 
+
+	`Curadao <https://twitter.com/Cura_DAO/status/1315367411042877450?s=20>`_	
+
+He is convinced that food forestry via Syntropic Agroforestry will solve most of our fundamental crises and works with the government of Curacao on regenerative organic agriculture programs. Above you can see a group of Kenyan farmers taught agroforestry by Roland, who are also using Community Inclusion Currencies (CICs) here in Kenya to fund themselves to develop the food forest. If these few demo plots produce as much food as similar plots in Curacao (a drought stricken island with only half the annual rainfall of Kenya), we will have a grassroots revolution underway.
+
+
+
+Some core syntropic principals:
+
+	* Ensure Soil is covered: so that water and nutrients don’t evaporate and that roots and mycorrhizal fungi can absorb and move around those nutrients. (Don’t even step on bare soil).
+	* Maximize Photosynthesis: plants requiring different amounts of sunlight can be planted above, below and around each other to ensure that sunlight isn’t wasted on the soil and at least twice the amount of energy can be consumed by plants.
+	* Succession: Ensure that there is a clear succession of plants. E.g. As a cassava grows it can give shelter to a fruit tree.
+	* Stratification – Fill each layer of vegetation and maintain diversity for system health. Space (stratification) has to be harmonized over time (life cycle), respecting the successional steps  within each of the systems 
+	* Management – Keeping balance, reducing excess growth. 
+
+
+Using community currency to budget for the creation and maintenance of food forests seems as natural as the syntropic principals themselves. Indeed the circulation of community currency mirrors the concepts of mycorrhizal association and hyphal networks. “In some more complex relationships, mycorrhizal fungi do not just collect immobilized soil nutrients, but connect individual plants together by mycorrhizal networks that transport water, carbon, and other nutrients directly from plant to plant through underground hyphal networks.” 
+
+
+
+Using community currency to budget for the creation and maintenance of food forests seems as natural as the syntropic principals themselves. Indeed the circulation of community currency mirrors the concepts of mycorrhizal association and hyphal networks. “In some more complex relationships, mycorrhizal fungi do not just collect immobilized soil nutrients, but connect individual plants together by mycorrhizal networks that transport water, carbon, and other nutrients directly from plant to plant through underground hyphal networks.” 
+
+	`hyphal networks <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycorrhiza#cite_note-Simard2012-35>`_	
+
+In this sense CICs connected through membranes (bonding curves) enable communities to transport vital resources. Further a CIC is a voucher for a particular group of resources identified by a village. One can hardly think of a better source of primary production than the food from a food forest being the anchor (backing of last resort) for a community currency.
+
+
+
+Syntropic Agroforestry is the best candidate I have seen for regenerating rich soil, and developing sustainable fertile crops in a way that can be integrated into traditional farming here in Kenya. This could be the carbon sequestration, water harvesting and food system we need to heal our ecosystems. I’m excited that community inclusion currencies could be the way to both fund their development, maintenance – but also that these food forests establish a solid basis for the intrinsic value for currencies.
+
+
+
+We don’t have to stretch far at all to apply syntropic principals to a community currency and networks of  community currencies. Syntropic principals loosely applied to community currency:
+
+	* Ensure basic needs are covered: Using anything but community currency for basic needs creates a dependency on foreign currencies or aid.
+	* Maximize resources: The benefits of foreign and local resources are best consumed by an entire supply chain in order to produce local productive capacity. Ensure a community currency is being utilized by each level of production, services and value addition.
+	* Succession: Ensure that there is a clear succession of community currency utilization. We often call this braiding: as the usage for CC among trade for food, moves into education, and haircuts and so on.
+	* Stratification: Ensure a diversity of usages for Community Currency - any gaps in diversity can lead toward extraction of local resources and eventual stagnation.. 
+	* Management: Ensure that the growth of a Community Currency is clearly bounded and its supply and value can’t keep growing forever. When CC accumulates and stops flowing or dissipates into another ecosystems, management is key to regain healthy flow.
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/food-forests113.webp
+
+
+
+In the above diagram, a community inclusion currency issued (1) based on needed inputs and labor for a food forest and circulates locally among diverse local users and (3) can be redeemed for the food produced. These food forest based currencies can hold a common reserve (4) which limits their growth and (5) allows them to connect to other communities.
+
+
+
+We're excited to be adding this key component to anchor the flow of rural community currencies - and for what it may mean for food security and environmental restoration! Very appreciative to Roland and Curadao for spreading these systems far and wide!
+
+
+
+Here is a simple illustrated handbook for Syntropic Agroforestry 
+

content/blog/foundational-member.rst

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+:title: Foundational Member Passes
+:author: Lydia Anyango
+:date: Jun 5, 2017
+:slug: foundational-member
+ 
+:summary: It is sad to announce the sudden death of Dominic Okello (in the middle) who passed on early May 2017. He is a resident of Bangladesh...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/foundational-member18.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+It is sad to announce the sudden death of Dominic Okello (in the middle) who passed on early May 2017. He is a resident of Bangladesh community and also an active community currency member. He has been trading with Sarafu Credit since he joined the network in 2013 and has been a great inspiration to other members of the BN and through his stories he was able to entice others to join the BN. 
+
+
+
+
+
+The two BN in Mombasa (Ng’ombeni and Bangla) have come together to support the family of the late. 
+

content/blog/francis-the.rst

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+:title: Francis the Millionaire
+:author: Robin Gerbaux
+:date: May 16, 2015
+:slug: francis-the
+ 
+:summary: Since several generations the family of Francis has been living in the same neighborhood of Nairobi, Gatina (Part of Kwangware). Gatina,...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/francis-the18.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Since several generations the family of Francis has been living in the same neighborhood of Nairobi, Gatina (Part of Kwangware). Gatina, which means in Kikuyu “people that are behind”, is one of the biggest slums of the city. Basic public utilities, such as electricity, roads and sanitation are here deficient. For a living people are doing precarious daily jobs or when they have the opportunity they start their own informal business on the side of the road. That is what did Francis,5 years ago. At the age of 25, not having enough money to go to university he started selling sweets. After years of efforts, he was finally able to open a little shop and called it, as the bill board on its roof says, “Millionaire base”. Since then, to answer his basic needs and the ones of his wife and daughter, Francis works from 6am to 9pm, 7 days a week. But the business isn’t good all year through. When comes the end of the months, Kenyan Shillings become scarce and trade decreases. Moreover, during the rainy season, because of the poor water draining system, floods are more than common and trade becomes nearly impossible.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+After hearing of the Bangla-Pesa program Nyendo-lernen, a German NGO that works with schools in Kawangware, invited us to introduce the concept to the Gatina community. When Francis first heard about the success of Bangla-Pesa in Mombasa and the project of bringing it to Gatina, he was convinced and took part in the introduction of the idea to the community. Few months later we, together with the community, started the program. Gatina-Pesa was launched and Francis became the vice chairman and member of the Gatina Business Organization as did nearly 100 other businesses, schools and churches within the area. Every day, a part of his trade with the other members of the network happens through Gatina-Pesa. The members can now buy his products, even when they don’t have enough Kenyan Shilling by topping up with Gatina-Pesa. As a result, his number of costumers and daily revenue increased. The same happened with the costumers belonging to the network. Indeed, as he put it “You buy in my shop, I buy in your shop”. According to him, this daily interaction with the members also made his shop famous among the community.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Every day, he usually receives 200 Gatina-Pesa (2$) from the members. But at the end of the months, when the Kenyan shillings are becoming scarce, the part of trade in Gatina Pesa increases and Francis get as much as 300 Gatina-Pesa a day.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+This amount is spent daily to answer 2/3 of his family needs in food, water, paraffin, charcoal and medicine. Additionally, when comes the time to pay his daughter school fees he can also pay a part in Gatina-Pesa, the school being a member of the network.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+As a result, the 200 Kenyan shillings that he would have otherwise been spent are saved in the common saving account of the Gatina Business Organization. In few months he hopes that through this program, he will be able to get a loan and to expand his business. Indeed he wishes in the long term to grow from his small shop to a supermarket and to a wholesaler. Additionally, Gatina-Pesa can also help to manage the lack of cash for the change. Francis gives up to 100 Gatina-Pesa a day as part of the change for his costumers, members and even non members if they know how to spend it.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+But according to him the Gatina business Organization is also beneficial as a network in itself. As Francis says : “The first thing it does, it brings us together because in our network, we have the Kikuyus, we have the Hindus, we have the Luos, we have many tribes, and when we come up together we create this unity, this union, and when you walk as one, I believe you can achieve a lot. As the saying goes, divided we fall, together we rise”.
+
+
+
+Francis is part of a big family that is expanding every day. Other businesses of Nairobi have decided to implement community currencies in their area too. Grassroots Economics has also brought a community currency to Kangemi (a neighboring informal settlement) and Kangemi-Pesa has already been launched a month ago and Lindi-Pesa will soon too be in Kibera. The three Complementary Currencies will be exchangeable among them which we hope will multiply the positive benefits for their members and will allow more families such as the one of Francis to be more confident about their future.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Robin Gerbaux is studying International Development Studies as a graduate student at the Université Joseph Fourier, in Grenoble, France. He has been investigating community currencies while living in Nairobi.
+

content/blog/from-mustard.rst

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+:title: From Mustard Seeds to Food Forests: A Regenerative Journey
+:author: Shaila Agha
+:date: May 4
+:slug: from-mustard
+:modified:  May 5
+:summary: We are learning from 50 community groups that use a community currency to sell produce and pay for the labor with community currency
+:tags: agroforestry,syntropic,community currency
+
+
+
+We've been blessed by an opportunity from Mustard Seed Trust to support 50 acres of Syntropic Agriculture paired with Community Currencies in Kenya. We are learning from 50 community groups that use a community currency to sell produce and pay for the labor intensive setup, inputs and maintenance of one acre community farms (Shamba ya Jamii). The Shamba ya Jamii design was imported from Curacao (thanks to Curadao) and contextualized by Roland Van Reenen and James Thiong'o and hundreds of local farmers. 
+
+
+
+We've been blessed by an opportunity from Mustard Seed Trust to support 50 acres of Syntropic Agriculture paired with Community Currencies in Kenya. We are learning from 50 community groups that use a community currency to sell produce and pay for the labor intensive setup, inputs and maintenance of one acre community farms (Shamba ya Jamii). The Shamba ya Jamii design was imported from Curacao (thanks to Curadao) and contextualized by Roland Van Reenen and James Thiong'o and hundreds of local farmers. 
+
+
+
+We've been blessed by an opportunity from Mustard Seed Trust to support 50 acres of Syntropic Agriculture paired with Community Currencies in Kenya. We are learning from 50 community groups that use a community currency to sell produce and pay for the labor intensive setup, inputs and maintenance of one acre community farms (Shamba ya Jamii). The Shamba ya Jamii design was imported from Curacao (thanks to Curadao) and contextualized by Roland Van Reenen and James Thiong'o and hundreds of local farmers. 
+
+	`Mustard Seed Trust <https://www.mustardseedtrust.org/>`_		`Curadao <https://curadao.io/>`_	
+
+"Regenerative agricultural techniques/tools have the potential to feed an entire nation without the political and social-economic strains that farmers currently undergo. We’re encouraging local community groups in the arid and semi-arid coastal regions to join the Shamba ya Jamii (Community Carm) Movement so as to build a sustainable ecological and economic future. " - Isavary Khabuqwi
+
+
+
+Below are a few inspiring excerpts of what has been accomplished so far by Grassroots Economics' support engineers in rural Nyanza, Kwale and Kakuma Refugee Camp, Watamu, Kilifi as well as urban Nairobi 
+
+
+
+Below are a few inspiring excerpts of what has been accomplished so far by Grassroots Economics' support engineers in rural Nyanza, Kwale and Kakuma Refugee Camp, Watamu, Kilifi as well as urban Nairobi 
+
+
+
+Below are a few inspiring excerpts of what has been accomplished so far by Grassroots Economics' support engineers in rural Nyanza, Kwale and Kakuma Refugee Camp, Watamu, Kilifi as well as urban Nairobi 
+
+
+
+Below are a few inspiring excerpts of what has been accomplished so far by Grassroots Economics' support engineers in rural Nyanza, Kwale and Kakuma Refugee Camp, Watamu, Kilifi as well as urban Nairobi 
+
+
+
+Below are a few inspiring excerpts of what has been accomplished so far by Grassroots Economics' support engineers in rural Nyanza, Kwale and Kakuma Refugee Camp, Watamu, Kilifi as well as urban Nairobi 
+
+
+
+Below are a few inspiring excerpts of what has been accomplished so far by Grassroots Economics' support engineers in rural Nyanza, Kwale and Kakuma Refugee Camp, Watamu, Kilifi as well as urban Nairobi 
+
+
+
+Below are a few inspiring excerpts of what has been accomplished so far by Grassroots Economics' support engineers in rural Nyanza, Kwale and Kakuma Refugee Camp, Watamu, Kilifi as well as urban Nairobi 
+
+	`Nyanza <#viewer-2obrt>`_		`Kwale <#viewer-kp0h>`_		`Kakuma <#viewer-an9an>`_		`Watamu <#viewer-8ar20>`_		`Kilifi <#viewer-7ded5>`_		`Nairobi <#viewer-3c3kg>`_	
+
+.. image:: images/blog/from-mustard47.webp
+
+	**Syntropic Siaya by Janet Akinyi**	
+
+
+The destruction and loss of indigenous ecosystems is a major challenge affecting areas across the Lake Victoria Region and the drought stricken areas in Kenya. The Nyalgunga Farmers Group and Kwe Kende Group in Nyalgunga Village, North Alego ward, Alego Usonga Constituency, Siaya County are among the privileged groups across Kenya that have been trained and empowered on Syntropic Agroforestry- a system that regenerates soil and provides long term food forest.
+
+
+
+Syntropic agroforestry is all about creating resilient food producing ecosystems. An holistic worldview in which pests or diseases are seen as agents of the department of optimization of life processes and therefore part of the ecosystem. It discourages the usual practice of mono cropping of maize or beans which has been a norm in these areas to a food forest filled with different indigenous crops and fruit trees by placing the elements that will change the place in a cool,green and lush food producing oasis. It helps in regenerating soil and developing sustainable fertile crops.
+
+
+
+This system involves planting of different types of crops and fruit trees separated in treelines, paths, vegetable beds and biomass beds. The following guiding principles are encouraged in Syntropic Agroforestry: Mulching, Maximizing photosynthesis (layering plants and dense inter-cropping), Good management and Plants succession. Sarafu poster and placard in one of the farms.
+
+
+
+The two groups from Siaya, having been trained in January 2021, are excited by how well their crops are currently doing. The community uses Community Inclusion Currency (CIC) to maintain and develop their farms among other uses that include covering their basic needs, maximizing resources and braiding as users trade in food, services, medical needs, education among other needs are grateful that this system was introduced to them.
+
+
+
+ They’ve had two harvests since the set up of their farms. The good thing about Syntropic agroforestry is that it guarantees sustainable harvests from a few weeks through to at least 20-30 years without tilling and with low maintenance. They are therefore sure of sustainable food production in their community. This not only has a positive impact on the members of these two groups but also to the community at large. They are no longer worried about vegetables as they can easily get them from their farms.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/from-mustard101.webp
+
+
+
+Healthy organic Kales ready for harvesting.
+
+
+
+The community members have started harvesting food from their farms that they are able to buy and sell using Sarafu (community Currency). Other community members who are not part of these two groups but are using Community Inclusion Currency are also able to buy food from the two farms.
+
+	**Syntropic Kwale by Amina Godana**	
+
+
+8 years ago the World Food Program had initiated a project in Kwale County that is PRRO (Protracted Relief Recovery Operation which was aimed for asset creation in the region under Kenyan Red Cross who were the implementing partners. They had different activities,
+
+
+
+    1. Excavation of water pans
+
+
+
+    2. Agriculture
+
+
+
+    3. Fish ponds
+
+
+
+    4. Goat pens.
+
+
+
+In the agriculture sector they had introduced sunken beds where they planted vegetables which was not quite easy to set up and also during high rainfall it was quite a challenge because it flooded and ruined the plants.
+
+
+
+This whole project was however short lived this was because the community members did not own the project since they were mostly focused on the cash that they were receiving, this made them dependent on it and forgot about the project. So when the cash ended so did most of the program.
+
+
+
+The best thing about practicing Syntropic Agroforestry is that everything in the farm is useful.
+
+	* Some weeds keep off pests and diseases.
+	* Companion planting of plants which are beneficial to each other optimises the use of space,sunlight and nutrient cycle.
+	* Permanent soil cover with mulch prevents soil erosion and provides nutrients for the plants when they decay.
+	* Pruning the matured plants increases the amount of sunlight for other plants.
+
+
+Migunani A, Madewani, Yowani and Chikole are some of the many chamas in Kwale County that have embraced the new form of farming. It's a new concept in the area which makes them so eager to see if it actually works. Food insecurity in the area was the main reason as to why they wholeheartedly embraced the syntropic agroforestry this is because it involves planting of different types of crops on the same piece of land being that some crops mature earlier than others this means they will be harvesting almost all the time and do replanting the issue of lack of food will be sorted!
+
+
+
+Members of the mentioned chamas received soil quality testing, training and constant visits by the field officers to ensure they do not have any problems in regards to the farming.The main aim of practicing syntropic agroforestry in the area is to help, educate, feed  and regenerate the soil for the next generation.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/from-mustard193.webp
+
+
+
+Simba Ndoro works on Chikole farm and is paid using Sarafu. This is hard work and no one has enough Kenyan Shillings to pay Simba or the thousands of other farmers to regernate the soil. They can fund themselves!
+
+
+
+Simba Ndoro Simba is a member of Chikole group who works on the shamba ya jamii four days a week and gets paid 200 per day a total of 800 sarafu. He uses the Sarafu to buy fish from Nzadze Bora and also makes his weekly savings in his chama. He is grateful for the introduction of the syntropic agroforestry it has created a source of income for him during this difficult time and also has easen saving in the chama which is used to support other projects.
+
+
+
+Shadrack Tsuma  a member of madewani group works on the farm and gets paid 300 sarafu a day. He normally spends his Sarafu on Rutuba Mwanzije  by buying groceries from him and in turn Rutuba  buys shoes from him using sarafu. Rutuba Mwanzije also spends sarafu that he gets from working on the shamba ya jamii to buy his groceries from Abubakar Mwero who is a farmer.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/from-mustard229.webp
+
+
+
+Rutuba Mwanzije at his grocery kiosk.
+
+
+
+Miyani Fdp which is run by the field officers in kinango county  was the first demo farm to be setup this was to serve as a trial in the area and see if the practice is possible and this has gave the other chamas in the same area the positivity in practising the same. The chama sells its produce to the people around miyani and also pays its workers using sarafu.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/from-mustard254.webp
+
+
+
+Members buying first produce from their farm.
+
+
+
+Syntropic Kakuma Refugee Camp by Marcelin Petro
+
+
+
+FARMING AND HEALTH EDUCATION is a community based organization that deal with agroforestry and Sarafu (community Currency) in Kakuma refugee camp with the aim of eradicating hanger in kakuma refugee camp. More than 206,458 refugee are  living in Kakuma refugee camp (on average more than 10 years) that are divided into 15 nationalities. A great number of people (refugees) are depending on the World Food Program (WFP) to be supported by being getting food at the 3 distribution centers in each and every month. Due to the high number of population, some do miss there food. WFP has manage to give ration cards to each refugee for better accounting, this means that when you lose your rational card you lose your monthly food and stay without food until the other coming month.
+
+
+
+From WFP each family can get one and some type of grain every month (3kg to 4kg) and 1litter of cooking oil. Through LWF and WORLD VISION are also helping us by doing the provision of that food. We have more than 5,000 malnutrition children and malnourished pregnant mothers who are more affected in Kakuma refugee camp. Due to this, Farming and Healthy Education community based organization is working with Syntropic Agroforestry and COmmunity CUrrency (Sarafu) to full this gap by teaching and growing our own fresh food in Kakuma refugee camp!
+
+
+
+Instead of waiting to be given food at the end of the month it's better to plant even just a kitchen gardens for the families while waiting for the monthly food distribution <instead of giving money better you teach me how to make our own money>. 
+
+	*Instead of waiting to be given food at the end of the month it's better to plant even just a kitchen gardens for the families while waiting for the monthly food distribution <instead of giving money better you teach me how to make our own money>.*
+
+
+Instead of waiting to be given food at the end of the month it's better to plant even just a kitchen gardens for the families while waiting for the monthly food distribution <instead of giving money better you teach me how to make our own money>. 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/from-mustard305.webp
+
+
+
+Here I am proudly buying local food with local currency and not waiting for WFP handouts.
+
+
+
+Urban Gardens in Nairobi by Sylvia Karanja
+
+
+
+Joyce is a Mother of 3, she has a beadwork shop in Kamongo, Mukuru Kayaba, Nairobi. She’s one of many in Kayaba slum that understands the hustle and bustle of urban life to afford a daily meal. For the love of her community in terms of empowerment, she has worked with many projects through Red Cross as a community volunteer. This has helped her in gaining trust with community members and act as a role model to many.
+
+
+
+With as many of the projects she has worked with, Joyce joined Sarafu network in 2019 and since then she has created a trading network and enrolled her community members in the network to boost their economy. Her group is one of the beneficiaries that have received training and materials for the Urban Farming project. She tells her story of how they moved to Kayaba in the 1980s, when her mother was looking for a job. The mother got a space to put up a small restaurant where she could sell food to those who worked in the industries then.  Since she was used to farming back at the village, she later saw an opportunity of an empty space that used to be a railway gauge and it was not in use. She decided to get a permit from the mayor and till now she does farming on that space. That's how Joyce learnt and grew her passion in farming.
+
+
+
+Given the opportunity they received as a group from Grassroots Economics,this Farming project has given her and the group members new skills that they could utilize small spaces they have and provide food for their families.
+
+
+
+James Thiong'o, Joyce and myself (Sylvia Karanja shown below)
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/from-mustard358.webp
+
+
+
+Syntropic Watamu, Kilifi by Emmanuel Mbui
+
+
+
+Now, in another new community, Gede, Watamu Community, through Mohamed, a farmer in Gede who introduced Sarafu credit to his Group;(Watamu Reef Welfare Group). Apart from benefiting from circulating community currency, their neighbours are also going to enjoy the syntropic farm products.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/from-mustard391.webp
+
+
+
+ Watamu Reef Welfare Group  trained on the Syntropic agriculture at their Shamba.
+
+
+
+Members of the Watamu Reef Welfare Group are planting fruits trees in the prepared land. They also have the footpath done in coconuts husks. A few crops have been planted as they wait for others to be transplanted from their seedbed.
+
+
+
+Syntropic Kilifi by Isavary Khabuqwi
+
+
+
+Sue's farm is the epitome of Syntropic Agroforestry in Kilifi County with a full drip irrigation system. It is through this initiative that we are looking at a future where everyone can access food through the acceptance of community driven basic income, as the produce from the farm is being sold in Sarafu to the local market. 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/from-mustard430.webp
+
+
+
+The purpose of this ‘Shamba ya Jamii’ is to help teach and feed our neighbors and community and regenerate soil for future generations. Mulching (growing grasses and cutting them), and intensive mixed planting can make our soil more productive and healthy. With the help of our permaculture expert James Thion’go, the farm is designed in a way that creates a favorable environmental conditions for the chosen  crops that include tomatoes, pigweed (better known as kunde), okra, eggplants, capsicum and mchicha. These chosen sets of vegetables have the advantage of taking only up to 3 months before harvesting and they don’t need irrigation all year round. 
+
+
+
+According to our beloved and passionate Kilifi Agronomist Eck Volkmann, "When getting into farming keep in mind that in 3 years it is guaranteed that your crops will be destroyed due to a drought and/or flooding, but with proper farming techniques, consistency in planning, and willingness to experiment any farm can keep feeding generations to come." Some of the farming tips that our discussions yielded included the fact that basil can be grown in the same bed as tomatoes to help manage pests. They grow like weeds and their oil and intense scent helps deter common pests. Eck is also supplying Sue's farm with amazing Biochar!
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/from-mustard463.webp
+
+
+
+Emmanuel Kahindi is the farm manager as Sue's and is also teaching other groups how to do the same while selling produce using Community Currency - pictured here at Distant Relatives'  May Fair.
+
+
+
+Emmanuel Kahindi is the farm manager as Sue's and is also teaching other groups how to do the same while selling produce using Community Currency - pictured here at Distant Relatives'  May Fair.
+
+	`Distant Relatives <http://www.kilifibackpackers.com/about/>`_	
+
+Sue’s farm is looking to upgrade its production capacity by adding more crop options such as watermelon and basil following soil analysis. One of the project members plans to donate basil seeds from Muzambara mountains in Tanzania as a way of trying out new varieties. 
+
+
+
+I hope you are inspired to setup your own Shamba Ya Jamii!
+

content/blog/gatina-bangla.rst

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+:title: Gatina & Bangla Pesa Nov Updates
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Nov 18, 2014
+:slug: gatina-bangla
+ 
+:summary: After more than a year of trading Bangla-Pesa, with millions of shillings worth of bills changing hands, the program is running strong....
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+After more than a year of trading Bangla-Pesa, with millions of shillings worth of bills changing hands, the program is running strong. The community had an Annual General Meeting, followed by a volleyball match and trash cleanup last week. The team also interviewed a cobbler who has been using Bangla-Pesa for nearly two years never stopping even when the program was under assault in mid 2013.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Gatina-Pesa continues to pick up steam spreading out from schools in Nairobi's Kawangware informal settlement. This video was created by Nyendo-lernen to explain why the currency was needed and how it works today.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Lots of new and exciting things are on the horizon set to launch in 2015, if we get the right support! New Currencies in Nairobi and Mombasa counties, as well as more in South African Municipalities.
+
+
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+ 
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+ 
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+ 
+

content/blog/gatina-business.rst

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+:title: Gatina Business Organization and the Love School Success Story
+:author: Daniel Mukosia
+:date: Mar 9, 2018
+:slug: gatina-business
+ 
+:summary: Love School  is one of the schools that has enabled children to acquire education by allowing them to pay part of their school fees and...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/gatina-business18.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Love School  is one of the schools that has enabled children to acquire education by allowing them to pay part of their school fees and tuition fees using Community Currency (Sarafu-Credit, Gatina pesa).The school is located in Congo,Gatina.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+30 students are proud and happy to be able to pay their fees using community Currency. The total fees per student per term is Ksh 1,000( ksh 900 + Sc 100) and tuition fees is Ksh 30( Ksh 20 + Sc 10). The teachers do receive Sarafu-Credit as part of their salaries in advance. They use the Sarafu-Credit in exchange or purchase food from vendors in the network or alternatively purchase goods from the Sarafu Shop.
+

content/blog/gatina-pesa-and.rst

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+:title: Gatina-Pesa and South Africa
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Aug 21, 2014
+:slug: gatina-pesa-and
+ 
+:summary: Gatina-Pesa in Nairobi (a sister currency to Bangla-Pesa) is set to launch in early October! Initial designs of the Gatina-Pesa have been...
+ 
+
+
+
+Gatina-Pesa in Nairobi (a sister currency to Bangla-Pesa) is set to launch in early October! 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Initial designs of the Gatina-Pesa have been made by local students in Kawangware under the direction of Headmaster Francis Wanjala who is the Chairman of the Gatina Business Organization – modeled off the Bangladesh Business Network. The Gatina Business Organization is a registered Community Based Organization that has spread from primary schools in the area to incorporate more than 50 businesses so far, with the hope to grow to more than 100 in the next few months. 
+
+
+
+ 
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+
+
+This program is being supported by Nyendo-lernen who connect school children in Kenya to students from Germany, and also Chiemgauer a regional currency program in Germany.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Similar to Bangla-Pesa the goals of Gatina-Pesa is to help support:
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Education: Through helping pay for school fees
+
+Environment: By helping to pay for youth centered environmental programs like waste collection and preventing flooding.
+
+Economy: By increasing trade and decreasing unemployment in the area.
+
+Community: By supporting community services and increasing interconnectivity of people.
+
+
+
+Education: Through helping pay for school fees
+
+Environment: By helping to pay for youth centered environmental programs like waste collection and preventing flooding.
+
+Economy: By increasing trade and decreasing unemployment in the area.
+
+Community: By supporting community services and increasing interconnectivity of people.
+
+
+
+Education: Through helping pay for school fees
+
+Environment: By helping to pay for youth centered environmental programs like waste collection and preventing flooding.
+
+Economy: By increasing trade and decreasing unemployment in the area.
+
+Community: By supporting community services and increasing interconnectivity of people.
+
+
+
+Education: Through helping pay for school fees
+
+Environment: By helping to pay for youth centered environmental programs like waste collection and preventing flooding.
+
+Economy: By increasing trade and decreasing unemployment in the area.
+
+Community: By supporting community services and increasing interconnectivity of people.
+
+
+
+Education: Through helping pay for school fees
+
+Environment: By helping to pay for youth centered environmental programs like waste collection and preventing flooding.
+
+Economy: By increasing trade and decreasing unemployment in the area.
+
+Community: By supporting community services and increasing interconnectivity of people.
+
+
+
+Education: Through helping pay for school fees
+
+Environment: By helping to pay for youth centered environmental programs like waste collection and preventing flooding.
+
+Economy: By increasing trade and decreasing unemployment in the area.
+
+Community: By supporting community services and increasing interconnectivity of people.
+
+
+
+Education: Through helping pay for school fees
+
+Environment: By helping to pay for youth centered environmental programs like waste collection and preventing flooding.
+
+Economy: By increasing trade and decreasing unemployment in the area.
+
+Community: By supporting community services and increasing interconnectivity of people.
+
+
+
+Education: Through helping pay for school fees
+
+Environment: By helping to pay for youth centered environmental programs like waste collection and preventing flooding.
+
+Economy: By increasing trade and decreasing unemployment in the area.
+
+Community: By supporting community services and increasing interconnectivity of people.
+
+
+
+Education: Through helping pay for school fees
+
+Environment: By helping to pay for youth centered environmental programs like waste collection and preventing flooding.
+
+Economy: By increasing trade and decreasing unemployment in the area.
+
+Community: By supporting community services and increasing interconnectivity of people.
+
+
+
+Education: Through helping pay for school fees
+
+Environment: By helping to pay for youth centered environmental programs like waste collection and preventing flooding.
+
+Economy: By increasing trade and decreasing unemployment in the area.
+
+Community: By supporting community services and increasing interconnectivity of people.
+
+
+
+Education: Through helping pay for school fees
+
+Environment: By helping to pay for youth centered environmental programs like waste collection and preventing flooding.
+
+Economy: By increasing trade and decreasing unemployment in the area.
+
+Community: By supporting community services and increasing interconnectivity of people.
+
+
+
+Education: Through helping pay for school fees
+
+Environment: By helping to pay for youth centered environmental programs like waste collection and preventing flooding.
+
+Economy: By increasing trade and decreasing unemployment in the area.
+
+Community: By supporting community services and increasing interconnectivity of people.
+
+
+
+Education: Through helping pay for school fees
+
+Environment: By helping to pay for youth centered environmental programs like waste collection and preventing flooding.
+
+Economy: By increasing trade and decreasing unemployment in the area.
+
+Community: By supporting community services and increasing interconnectivity of people.
+
+
+
+ 
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+
+South Africa wants Bangla-Pesa!
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Koru's own Will Ruddick was invited to South Africa to teach a group formed by Meshfieldabout our experiences working with Community Currencies in Kenya. The Meshfield team has brought together the University of Cape Town, local municipalities and the SA Treasury to spearhead a Community currency program in two municipalities of South Africa. We're really exited to see this sort of coalition between government and universities supporting these important programs.
+
+
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+ 
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+John Ziniades from Meshfield and Will Ruddick also got to meet with Tim Jenkin the founder of CES and a global leader in the Complementary Currency movement.
+
+
+
+#bangl #gatina #SouthAfrica
+
+
+
+#bangl #gatina #SouthAfrica
+
+	`#bangl <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/bangl>`_	
+
+#bangl
+
+	`#gatina <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/gatina>`_	
+
+#gatina
+
+	`#SouthAfrica <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/SouthAfrica>`_	
+
+#SouthAfrica
+

content/blog/gatina-pesa-launch.rst

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+:title: Gatina-Pesa Launch Prep
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Sep 25, 2014
+:slug: gatina-pesa-launch
+ 
+:summary: The Gatina Business Organization is busy preparing for the community currency's official launch on October 11th. Children from the...
+ 
+
+
+
+The Gatina Business Organization is busy preparing for the community currency's official launch on October 11th. Children from the community are preparing songs and dances while a group of local youth are preparing dramas. Gatina-Pesa membership has surpassed an initial 100 local prosumers including: schools, baby care centers, beans, spices, shoes, internet cafes, clothes, barbers, salons, flour, tailors, fruit, vegetables, soap, entertainment, cooked foods, photography, fish, charcoal, electronic repairs, and more. Each local good and service provider must also be a local buyer of goods and services and backed by four other community members.
+
+
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+ 
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+After a wonderful design process with local students in Kenya and Nyendo-lernen as well as the Cheimgauer in Germany the Gatina-Pesa have been printed and are on their way to Kenya. Hopes are high and there is a strong commitment to seeing this program take off.
+
+
+
+#bangla #gatina #nairobi
+
+
+
+#bangla #gatina #nairobi
+
+	`#bangla <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/bangla>`_	
+
+#bangla
+
+	`#gatina <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/gatina>`_	
+
+#gatina
+
+	`#nairobi <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/nairobi>`_	
+
+#nairobi
+

content/blog/gatina-pesa-launched.rst

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+:title: Gatina-Pesa Launched
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Oct 11, 2014
+:slug: gatina-pesa-launched
+ 
+:summary: With an amazing march through the slum, starting from Congo and ending at Gatina Primary School the entire community has been mobilized...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/gatina-pesa-launched18.webp
+
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+ 
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+ 
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+With an amazing march through the slum, starting from Congo and ending at Gatina Primary School the entire community has been mobilized around their own Community Currency Gatina-Pesa. Hon. Simba Arati, the area Minister of Parliament, officially cut the ribbon and launched the program. With an 107 initial registrations from local businesses the Gatina community has a strong start.
+
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+ 
+
+
+
+Thanks so much to all those who supported the Indiegogo Campaign as well as Nyendo-lernen and the Chiemgauer from Germany for supporting this program, as well as so many others. What is different? People at a grassroots level are able to create, back-up and issue their own currency supported with their own goods and services.
+
+
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+ 
+
+
+
+ This is not how money creation normally works. Instead of money coming from debt this Community Currency supports free trade and poverty reduction. Gatina-Pesa has spread out of schools in the area so that local parents can pay their school fees with their goods and services via a mututal-credit voucher (Gatina-Pesa) as a means of exchange. Teachers can then get better salaries and use the Gatina-Pesa at more than 100 shops in the community where it continues to circulate. Each member of Gatina-Pesa also pledges 200 Gatina-Pesa to a community fund so that youth can be paid for waste collection and more children can have their school fees paid for. This is how a community learns to support itself.
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+.. image:: images/blog/gatina-pesa-launched53.webp
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content/blog/gatina-pesa-starting.rst

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+:title: Gatina-Pesa Starting Circulation
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Oct 24, 2014
+:slug: gatina-pesa-starting
+ 
+:summary: Nairobi's first community currency Gatina-Pesa, following Bangla-Pesa's success has started circulation with vigor. Due to its dense...
+ 
+
+
+
+Nairobi's first community currency Gatina-Pesa, following Bangla-Pesa's success has started circulation with vigor. Due to its dense population and size the area of Nairobi's Kawangware is really showing potential as an alternative trading hub. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Each day more and more small business owners are able to trade with each other even when they don't have 'money'. This program grew out of schools like Sifa Children's Center who are accepting Gatina-Pesa for their tuition. In one virtuous circle - parents can pay for part of their children's school fee; teachers then make better and more stable salaries; teachers use the Gatina-Pesa to buy goods and services from the parents in the community and the parents use the funds for tuition again.
+
+
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+ 
+
+
+
+Will Ruddick can be seen on the right giving a seminar at the University of Nairobi, with the hope that more research will focus on these alternative financial programs.
+
+	`#gatina <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/gatina>`_	
+
+#gatina
+

content/blog/grassroots-economics.rst

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+:title: Grassroots Economics has a New Director: Shaila Agha
+:author: Shaila Agha
+:date: Apr 8
+:slug: grassroots-economics
+ 
+:summary: It is an honor to work as a Director along with Will Ruddick and the Grassroots Economics team in their endeavor to rebalance the inequaliti
+:tags: organization,directors,staff,mission
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/grassroots-economics18.webp
+
+
+
+When I was 9 years old, my mother came home one day with a monopoly board game. It was the beginning of the March holidays and she wanted to provide us with an alternative activity to watching cartoons. Every day after that, my brother and I would insistently play game after game; holding on to our colourful money as if our future depended on it. Like all children, we eventually lost interest in the game. However, the colorful currency notes then became our most valuable asset. We used it as a means of exchange to incentivize each other to do each other's chores, as a rental fee to play with shared toys and even  for buying candy off each other. We lived in the middle of rural Kenya, with almost no neighbours or shops, we therefore had no access to national currency. We clearly understood however, that currency (even play money) is merely a medium of exchange; with its value being determined by the users; namely us. 
+
+
+
+Sarafu the pioneering Community Inclusion Currency (CIC) in Kenya, is not so different from the monopoly money my sibling and I used all those years ago. Vulnerable households and communities have no access to credit due to a cycle of poverty that has systematically excluded them from the economy. “Hand a man a fish, he eats for the day, teach him to fish, and he can eat for a lifetime” CIC aims to include the untapped markets who desperately need goods and services yet lack the capacity to pay for them. By including them in the economy,  not only do they become empowered, they are given an opportunity to actively participate in value creation and change their lives. The work of Grassroots Economics has not gotten the attention it deserves from national and regional governments as well as partners in finance and technology spaces. I seek to put an end to that and make sure that field tested best practices and open source technology spread wide and far to heal our society and planet.
+
+
+
+When I was studying Fintech disruptions in traditional finance systems at Oxford, I decided to start my course by asking the question, ‘How does money affect social order and why is money necessary at all’.  CICs are seen as radical reforms to broken systems, they are however, a proven working alternative that is demonstrating a major impact on the power distribution in the local economy. I am eager to measure the impact and get firsthand grassroot evidence on its successes and failures. With a long term multiplier effect of more than 21 times traditional donor aid assistance, this intervention seems to do what donor aid has failed to in the past, create self sufficiency and self reliance. Most importantly we need all hands on deck focused on education and regenerative agriculture programs across the planet and we need a financial system to finance this, create sustainable economies and fair distribution of our common resources. 
+
+
+
+In 2015, I attended a KIICO conference on trade and development. My angle, to understand the Kenyan economy and the government policies in place to promote technology in Finance. I carried a journal with me, a notepad that I scribbled names in that I should research later. Grassroots Economics was on that list, along with other NGOs and organizations that were on a difficult mission to create a circular economy. In 2020, after five years of working in the humanitarian space, I met Will Ruddick, adamant on wealth redistribution and regenerative economics and began advising the organization. 
+
+
+
+It is an honor to work as a Director along with Will and the Grassroots Economics team in their endeavor to rebalance the inequalities existing in our current economy and empower those who are most in need. To tackle today’s challenges, we need not only new solutions, but new methods at arriving at solutions. Data and data science will be at the forefront at meeting these challenges and to social innovation, humanitarian aid and international development. 
+
+	*Shaila is an ocean loving global citizen trained in disruptive Financial systems, she has a keen interest in transformative agriculture and conservation. Her love for science and children led her to create a beginner science lab kit that she aims to launch in primary schools countrywide alongside an activity booklet called “The science of life”. She has held various roles in International organizations and private organizations from business development to analyst roles, all of which revolved around developing alternative financial systems and sustainability. You can find out more information about her here.*
+	*Shaila is an ocean loving global citizen trained in disruptive Financial systems, she has a keen interest in transformative agriculture and conservation. Her love for science and children led her to create a beginner science lab kit that she aims to launch in primary schools countrywide alongside an activity booklet called “The science of life”. She has held various roles in International organizations and private organizations from business development to analyst roles, all of which revolved around developing alternative financial systems and sustainability. You can find out more information about her here.*
+	`here <https://ke.linkedin.com/in/shailaa>`_	

content/blog/gre-for.rst

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 :date: Jul 16
 :slug: gre-for
  
+:summary: Thank you for doing the sacred and life-preserving work of creating financial opportunity and elevating people’s dignity 
 :tags: testimonial
 
 

content/blog/growing-up.rst

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+:title: Growing Up is Hard
+:author: Morgan Richards
+:date: May 28, 2014
+:slug: growing-up
+ 
+:summary: Growing up is hard. It’s especially hard if you’re living on the streets in Mombasa, or if your misbehavior in your community led to your...
+ 
+
+
+
+Growing up is hard. It’s especially hard if you’re living on the streets in Mombasa, or if your misbehavior in your community led to your short-term imprisonment in a correctional facility. These are the children with which we work through the MotoMoto program. Although the children and youth from the streets and the youth from the correctional facility have very different pasts and experiences, they are still responding to our methodology in similarly positive ways.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Who They Are
+
+
+
+The table below contains a summary of basic characteristics of MotoMoto participants separated by type of participant (from the streets or from the Borstal). The average age is very similar, around 18 years old. All the children in the Borstal are male by necessity, but most of the children (all but 2) from the streets are also male. However, those in the Borstal have much more education than those in the streets, having completed at least primary school on average. Prior to entering the Borstal, most of these boys were also living with and being supported by their parents. Those children from the streets, in contrast, were living without parents and supporting themselves primarily by begging, hustling, and garbage collection.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/growing-up36.webp
+
+
+
+What They Need
+
+
+
+These different life experiences have led the youth from the streets and those from the Borstal to have very different needs. Those in the Borstal often need help with psycho-emotional issues and pursuing further education. Addressing psycho-emotional issues and facilitating access to future education will ensure they can reintegrate with their families and pursue meaningful employment after their incarceration. In contrast, the children from the streets most often cite substance abuse treatment and employment skills as key needs, seeking practical skills to maintain themselves on the streets.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+In response to these unique needs, our life skills counselor has focused on providing psycho-emotional tools to deal with these differing challenges. In the Borstal, we focus on teaching self-awareness and positive decision-making skills, so youth, who were mostly incarcerated for petty theft and under-aged sex, can identify their emotional state and make good decisions despite how they feel. On the streets, we focus on why youth use drugs, how it affects them, and how to stop.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+How They’ve Progressed
+
+
+
+On the streets, the youth population is unstable and transitory, they disappear for months only to return and resume training with the Poi and life skills. For that reason, even though the Borstal sessions were added later, those boys have attended almost as many sessions as those on the streets. Not surprisingly, the boys from the Borstal are also rapidly catching up in terms of their Poi skill level, with most being intermediate level (like the street youth) in common tricks like helicopter, weave, and backward weave. Both the Borstal boys and the street children have a meaningful understanding of life skills related to identifying common needs and challenges facing themselves (and youth in general), as well as self-esteem and decision-making. Some of the street youth are already engaging in behavior change, stopping their drug use during class, at least. Further, some in the Borstal are actively expressing more positive attitudes toward themselves and their futures.
+
+
+
+ 
+

content/blog/happy-mothers.rst

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+:title: Happy Mother's Day!
+:author: Daniel Mukosia
+:date: Mar 13, 2018
+:slug: happy-mothers
+ 
+:summary: As a way to celebrate we are happy to share two stories from our network members! Bevelyne Ombayo is a single mother, who lives in Lindi...
+ 
+
+
+
+As a way to celebrate we are happy to share two stories from our network members!
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/happy-mothers24.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Bevelyne Ombayo is a single mother, who lives in Lindi Slums, Kibera.Running a business(selling fruits)and an active member of Lindi Business Network. She is celebrating more than one year being in the network and using Community Currency. She has been able to acquire more sales compared to her previous period before she joined the network. The network has enabled her trade with other members,being involved in activities such as Merry go rounds and table banking.The business caters for some of her daily needs, she doesn't miss a meal on the table and children as well go school. Through working as a team in the network has enabled grow her business through holding more sales from members that has attracted other customers who are not members of the network.She can acquire loans due to her personal savings in the chama.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/happy-mothers47.webp
+
+
+
+Iglah Shimenga a mother of one is a member of Gatina Business Organization and runs a grocery business( tomatoes, onions, fruits and vegetables at ksh 10= ksh 5 + Sc 5) on Muthiora Road in Gatina Location. The price is favourable to the members of the the surrounding community that enables her get more frequent customers making more sales and expanded her business. She joined the network in 2017. Being amongst the most active members has enabled her do savings. She doesn't have to hussle for food since she can purchase food for her family from a vendor  in the network  as well as her child at 4 years old is getting education in a member school Bensofil Community School in the network that allows her to pay part of the tuition using Community Currency.Currently her business is fairing well more than average," I really have more customers to date" she said.
+
+	`#mothersday <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/mothersday>`_	
+
+#mothersday
+

content/blog/help-support.rst

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+:title: Help Support Community Currencies
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: May 1, 2014
+:slug: help-support
+ 
+:summary: Dear Friends and Colleagues, We are happy to announce that we have won a precedent-setting court victory which legitimates community...
+ 
+
+
+
+Dear Friends and Colleagues,
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+We are happy to announce that we have won a precedent-setting court victory which legitimates community currencies as a development tool in Kenya! Finally, community currencies are free to spread, empowering people in slums to take charge of their local economies.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+How? By removing the key barrier to trade – lack of money.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Through community currency programs, people have the are able to issue their own currency within networks of small businesses. This breakthrough allows people to access interest-free credit in the form of vouchers issued by the community, without being locked into unmanageable debt. And the results are immediate—increased sales and market stability.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Over the next month, it is crucial that we raise funds to leverage program development at this unparalleled time in history.
+
+
+
+
+
+We are poised to change the face of aid in Kenya and beyond as we scale these currencies to any and all communities with unstable markets from credit shortages. We need your support to lead this poverty reduction revolution.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+This is not aid as you know it. Together we can create sustainable change that will make a difference for many generations to come.
+
+
+
+
+Please make a donation of at least $50 dollars to give women like Marciana the power to trade through a community currency, despite her poverty, or market conditions. We will be happy to mail you samples of the currency created by the community as well as artwork, and pledge to keep you informed about the change your donation creates.
+
+
+
+
+Please make a donation of at least $50 dollars to give women like Marciana the power to trade through a community currency, despite her poverty, or market conditions. We will be happy to mail you samples of the currency created by the community as well as artwork, and pledge to keep you informed about the change your donation creates.
+
+
+
+
+Please make a donation of at least $50 dollars to give women like Marciana the power to trade through a community currency, despite her poverty, or market conditions. We will be happy to mail you samples of the currency created by the community as well as artwork, and pledge to keep you informed about the change your donation creates.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Visit Indiegogo to contribute.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Thank You!
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+All funds will come to Kenya via – Burners Without Border and The Burning Man Project, a 501(c)(3) organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Federal Tax Exempt ID #45-2638273.
+

content/blog/here-we.rst

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+:title: Here We Are - Kenya 2016
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Dec 21, 2016
+:slug: here-we
+ 
+:summary: Happy holidays! We're seeing the power of community currencies in developing thriving communities and prospering economies. This year has...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/here-we18.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Happy holidays!
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+We're seeing the power of community currencies in developing thriving communities and prospering economies. This year has been exciting for Grassroots Economics Foundation and for Community Currencies in Kenya. With a largely volunteer staff, we've doubled our capacity to over 1000 small business users and 20 schools, and are trading over 100,000 EUR worth of community currency yearly in 5 networks across Kenya. We're seeing people able to accept 30% of their goods and services in Community Currency and equivalent increases to their sales in Kenyan Shillings.
+
+
+
+We've been honored by documentaries (Please watch if you haven't already. 1st minute in Dutch then English), media & research and awards, this year, but failed to find the support needed to really grow as a non-profit foundation. We're seeking matching funds to fulfill a challenge grant from Stichting DOEN, for a June 2017 deadline, but have so far failed to reach our targets. If you are able to support us or can recommend personal connections (rather than general calls for proposals), please continue to push us toward sustainability.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+In order to reach sustainability we are considering, in early 2017, adopting a hybrid social-venture structure in order to generate revenue and investment needed to grow. It would focus on one of the key parts of the Foundation - developing and managing environmentally-sound import-replacing cooperative businesses in community currency networks. We've made headway, but there is a huge amount of work and support needed to get there! We would really love to hear your advice as we move forward!
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Have a wonderful holiday and healthy 2017!
+
+
+
+#kenya #2016 #yearlyreport
+
+	`#kenya <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/kenya>`_	
+
+#kenya
+
+	`#yearlyreport <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/yearlyreport>`_	
+
+#yearlyreport
+

content/blog/hon.-paul.rst

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+:title: Hon. Paul Simba Arati MP Dagoretti - North
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Aug 29, 2014
+:slug: hon.-paul
+ 
+:summary: Nairobi's Dagoretti North MP. Hon. Paul Simba Arati will be attending the launch of Gatina-Pesa in October. Besides support from local...
+ 
+
+
+
+Nairobi's Dagoretti North MP. Hon. Paul Simba Arati will be attending the launch of Gatina-Pesa in October. Besides support from local chiefs, having the interest of the area MP means a lot in terms of political endorsement for the first sister currency to Bangla-Pesa in Kenya. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+It's not often that a community realizes they have a wealth of untapped supply and demand for local goods and services and can create their own medium of exchange to match them. With Bangla-Pesa having traded roughly over 2 million shillings worth of goods and service since it's relaunch in November last year, this first attempt to duplicate the program in Nairobi gives us hope that regional economies built from the ground up are not only possible but inevitable. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Meanwhile we're working hard to spell out good implementation strategies and standards for such programs, so that marginalized communities around the world can take action.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+In Nairobi we've got a long way to go in terms of registering enough small businesses to reach a critical mass before launch but the team is making a huge effort. Richard Ogolla is leading the registration efforts and doing a great job. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+While schools have been the heart of the network in Kawangware Richard has reached out to boda-bodas, maize millers, and so many different kinds of businesses. Dramas are being prepared to explain to people how the program works. The community's designs of the Gatina-Pesa have gone to the printers in Germany and with a little bit more push for awareness we're looking forward to a powerful launch. As Morgan Richards would say - we're cautiously optimistic.
+
+
+
+#gatina #nairobi
+
+	`#gatina <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/gatina>`_	
+
+#gatina
+
+	`#nairobi <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/nairobi>`_	
+
+#nairobi
+

content/blog/how-to.rst

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+:title: How to Build a Vulnerable Household Support Network
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Dec 11, 2020
+:slug: how-to
+ 
+:summary: Utilizing and developing Community Currencies can support, strengthen and identify a social safety nets around vulnerable households.
+:tags: support,network,community,vulnerable
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/how-to18.webp
+
+	*Photo credit: Magdaline Mumbi a community network mobilizer.*
+	**Vulnerable Household Support Networks (VHSNs)**	
+	*In this post I'll describe a modality for social support and humanitarian aid such as cash transfer programming utilizing Community Inclusion Currencies (CICs).*
+	**Vulnerable households (VHHs)**	
+
+
+Vulnerable households (VHHs) 
+
+
+
+VHHs in an area are identified via survey carried out by enumerators that seeks to understand which families in the community are most vulnerable and need support. Generally they are families where the head of household is a youth, elderly or very ill. See how Kenyan Red Cross works hard to identify vulnerable households.
+
+	`See how Kenyan Red Cross works hard to identify vulnerable households. <https://www.redcross.or.ke/component/search/?searchword=vulnerable&searchphrase=all&Itemid=0>`_		*Utilizing and developing Community Inclusion Currencies (CICs) can support, strengthen and identify social safety nets around vulnerable households.*
+
+
+A Community Inclusion Currency (CIC) like Sarafu is created and/or distributed regularly (similar to a basic income) in the area to VHHs as well as to all the households in the community in order to enable them to record mutual support among each other. Community members are asked to support the vulnerable families and each other with goods and services, using a CIC to record the support given.
+
+
+
+A Community Inclusion Currency (CIC) like Sarafu is created and/or distributed regularly (similar to a basic income) in the area to VHHs as well as to all the households in the community in order to enable them to record mutual support among each other. Community members are asked to support the vulnerable families and each other with goods and services, using a CIC to record the support given.
+
+	`Sarafu <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/sarafu-network>`_	
+
+For instance: a woman named Rehema who sells tomatoes may offer some tomatoes worth 20 KSH to a VHH. The VHH can record and show their appreciation by sending Rehema 20 CIC tokens using her feature phone.
+- Rehema can now also appreciate her own friends family and even tomato suppliers by sending them CIC in return for their support, goods and services.
+
+
+
+For instance: a woman named Rehema who sells tomatoes may offer some tomatoes worth 20 KSH to a VHH. The VHH can record and show their appreciation by sending Rehema 20 CIC tokens using her feature phone.
+- Rehema can now also appreciate her own friends family and even tomato suppliers by sending them CIC in return for their support, goods and services.
+
+
+
+For instance: a woman named Rehema who sells tomatoes may offer some tomatoes worth 20 KSH to a VHH. The VHH can record and show their appreciation by sending Rehema 20 CIC tokens using her feature phone.
+- Rehema can now also appreciate her own friends family and even tomato suppliers by sending them CIC in return for their support, goods and services.
+
+
+
+For instance: a woman named Rehema who sells tomatoes may offer some tomatoes worth 20 KSH to a VHH. The VHH can record and show their appreciation by sending Rehema 20 CIC tokens using her feature phone.
+- Rehema can now also appreciate her own friends family and even tomato suppliers by sending them CIC in return for their support, goods and services.
+
+
+
+For instance: a woman named Rehema who sells tomatoes may offer some tomatoes worth 20 KSH to a VHH. The VHH can record and show their appreciation by sending Rehema 20 CIC tokens using her feature phone.
+- Rehema can now also appreciate her own friends family and even tomato suppliers by sending them CIC in return for their support, goods and services.
+
+
+
+For instance: a woman named Rehema who sells tomatoes may offer some tomatoes worth 20 KSH to a VHH. The VHH can record and show their appreciation by sending Rehema 20 CIC tokens using her feature phone.
+- Rehema can now also appreciate her own friends family and even tomato suppliers by sending them CIC in return for their support, goods and services.
+
+
+
+For instance: a woman named Rehema who sells tomatoes may offer some tomatoes worth 20 KSH to a VHH. The VHH can record and show their appreciation by sending Rehema 20 CIC tokens using her feature phone.
+- Rehema can now also appreciate her own friends family and even tomato suppliers by sending them CIC in return for their support, goods and services.
+
+
+
+For instance: a woman named Rehema who sells tomatoes may offer some tomatoes worth 20 KSH to a VHH. The VHH can record and show their appreciation by sending Rehema 20 CIC tokens using her feature phone.
+- Rehema can now also appreciate her own friends family and even tomato suppliers by sending them CIC in return for their support, goods and services.
+
+
+
+For instance: a woman named Rehema who sells tomatoes may offer some tomatoes worth 20 KSH to a VHH. The VHH can record and show their appreciation by sending Rehema 20 CIC tokens using her feature phone.
+- Rehema can now also appreciate her own friends family and even tomato suppliers by sending them CIC in return for their support, goods and services.
+
+
+
+For instance: a woman named Rehema who sells tomatoes may offer some tomatoes worth 20 KSH to a VHH. The VHH can record and show their appreciation by sending Rehema 20 CIC tokens using her feature phone.
+- Rehema can now also appreciate her own friends family and even tomato suppliers by sending them CIC in return for their support, goods and services.
+
+
+
+For instance: a woman named Rehema who sells tomatoes may offer some tomatoes worth 20 KSH to a VHH. The VHH can record and show their appreciation by sending Rehema 20 CIC tokens using her feature phone.
+- Rehema can now also appreciate her own friends family and even tomato suppliers by sending them CIC in return for their support, goods and services.
+
+
+
+For instance: a woman named Rehema who sells tomatoes may offer some tomatoes worth 20 KSH to a VHH. The VHH can record and show their appreciation by sending Rehema 20 CIC tokens using her feature phone.
+- Rehema can now also appreciate her own friends family and even tomato suppliers by sending them CIC in return for their support, goods and services.
+
+
+
+For instance: a woman named Rehema who sells tomatoes may offer some tomatoes worth 20 KSH to a VHH. The VHH can record and show their appreciation by sending Rehema 20 CIC tokens using her feature phone.
+- Rehema can now also appreciate her own friends family and even tomato suppliers by sending them CIC in return for their support, goods and services.
+
+
+
+For instance: a woman named Rehema who sells tomatoes may offer some tomatoes worth 20 KSH to a VHH. The VHH can record and show their appreciation by sending Rehema 20 CIC tokens using her feature phone.
+- Rehema can now also appreciate her own friends family and even tomato suppliers by sending them CIC in return for their support, goods and services.
+
+
+
+For instance: a woman named Rehema who sells tomatoes may offer some tomatoes worth 20 KSH to a VHH. The VHH can record and show their appreciation by sending Rehema 20 CIC tokens using her feature phone.
+- Rehema can now also appreciate her own friends family and even tomato suppliers by sending them CIC in return for their support, goods and services.
+
+
+
+:
+
+
+
+20
+
+
+
+KSH
+
+
+
+VHH
+
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+.
+
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+
+VHH
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+
+
+20
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+CIC
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+.
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+-
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+CIC
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+in
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+return
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+for
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+,
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+.
+
+	**Vulnerable Household Support Network Members (NMs):**	
+
+
+Vulnerable Household Support Network Members (NMs): 
+
+
+
+those people that support the VHH by offering goods and services are traditionally not easy to objectively identify or quantify. By receiving a CIC a NM can record of their support in the whole community and around VHHs. This data is recorded securely and anonymously on a blockchain. Those NMs in the community that wish to share their blockchain address can be identified and capacity built / rewarded / supported by individual cash transfers.
+
+	**Vulnerable Household Support Network - Identification:**	
+
+
+Each user in the network has a unique address for their account on the blockchain that can be used to record every single CIC transaction. Any CIC transaction coming from a VHH can be viewed and audited as a record of support being offered to that VHH from members of the VHS-N. 
+
+
+
+For instance a VHH uses their feature phone and sends 100 CIC to appreciate Rehema the sender and record her offer of 100 KSH worth of maize flour as support. 
+
+
+
+For instance a VHH uses their feature phone and sends 100 CIC to appreciate Rehema the sender and record her offer of 100 KSH worth of maize flour as support. 
+
+
+
+For instance a VHH uses their feature phone and sends 100 CIC to appreciate Rehema the sender and record her offer of 100 KSH worth of maize flour as support. 
+
+
+
+For instance a VHH uses their feature phone and sends 100 CIC to appreciate Rehema the sender and record her offer of 100 KSH worth of maize flour as support. 
+
+
+
+For instance a VHH uses their feature phone and sends 100 CIC to appreciate Rehema the sender and record her offer of 100 KSH worth of maize flour as support. 
+
+
+
+For instance a VHH uses their feature phone and sends 100 CIC to appreciate Rehema the sender and record her offer of 100 KSH worth of maize flour as support. 
+
+
+
+For instance a VHH uses their feature phone and sends 100 CIC to appreciate Rehema the sender and record her offer of 100 KSH worth of maize flour as support. 
+
+
+
+For instance a VHH uses their feature phone and sends 100 CIC to appreciate Rehema the sender and record her offer of 100 KSH worth of maize flour as support. 
+
+
+
+For instance a VHH uses their feature phone and sends 100 CIC to appreciate Rehema the sender and record her offer of 100 KSH worth of maize flour as support. 
+
+
+
+For instance a VHH uses their feature phone and sends 100 CIC to appreciate Rehema the sender and record her offer of 100 KSH worth of maize flour as support. 
+
+
+
+VHH
+
+
+
+100
+
+
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+CIC
+
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+of
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+100
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+KSH
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+of
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+as
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+.
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+
+
+That gives us a way to measure and rank how much support Rehema has offered. Indeed we can see the whole network of users that have offered VHHs support. If we look at this whole network we can get a sum of all the support a person like Rehema has offered to ANY vulnerable household - and we can even rank her support for VHHs among ALL the NMs (who are CIC users). 
+
+
+
+Say that Rehema’s amount of received CIC from VHHs (measuring her offers of maize flour) makes her in the top percentile of network members; Here in the example below we can see that she gave 46% of the total support in the community to a VHH. 
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+	**NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%**	
+	**NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%**	
+	**NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%**	
+	**NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%**	
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+	**NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%**	
+	**NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%**	
+	**NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%**	
+	**NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%**	
+
+
+
+NM Name  	| Support / month 	| Percentage
+Rehema Katana  	| 3000 CIC		| 46%
+Fran Miguu	| 2000 CIC		| 31%
+Katana Busia 	| 1000 CIC		| 15%
+Gertrude Mia 	| 550 CIC		| 8%   
+	Total 	| 6550 CIC		| 100%
+
+	**NM**	
+	**|**	
+	**/**	
+	**|**	
+
+
+|
+
+
+
+3000
+
+
+
+CIC
+
+
+
+|
+
+
+
+46
+
+
+
+%
+
+
+
+|
+
+
+
+2000
+
+
+
+CIC
+
+
+
+|
+
+
+
+31
+
+
+
+%
+
+
+
+|
+
+
+
+1000
+
+
+
+CIC
+
+
+
+|
+
+
+
+15
+
+
+
+%
+
+
+
+|
+
+
+
+550
+
+
+
+CIC
+
+
+
+|
+
+
+
+8
+
+
+
+%
+
+	**|**	
+	**6550**	
+	**CIC**	
+
+
+|
+
+	**100**	
+	**%**	
+
+
+The four people or businesses have received 6550 CICs over a month because of the support they offered to vulnerable households. They can choose to offer their information to the public or an aid organization in order to be recognized and potentially rewarded.
+
+	**Vulnerable Household Support Networks (VHSNs) can identified using Community Inclusion Currency (CIC) transaction data and give aid organizations concrete and auditable proof of community support (POCS).**	
+
+
+In this way ANYONE offering support, goods or services to Vulnerable Households can be identified,  acknowledged, rewarded to build their capacity. Because these CICs can continue circulating in the community as long as they are needed they can provide a long term community safety net, especially when Kenyan shillings are scarce or during or recovering from a crisis like COVID.
+
+	**In this way ANYONE offering support, goods or services to Vulnerable Households can be identified,  acknowledged, rewarded to build their capacity. Because these CICs can continue circulating in the community as long as they are needed they can provide a long term community safety net, especially when Kenyan shillings are scarce or during or recovering from a crisis like COVID.**	
+
+
+In this way ANYONE offering support, goods or services to Vulnerable Households can be identified,  acknowledged, rewarded to build their capacity. Because these CICs can continue circulating in the community as long as they are needed they can provide a long term community safety net, especially when Kenyan shillings are scarce or during or recovering from a crisis like COVID.
+
+
+
+*Note that there are MANY other ways to define and identify CSNs: Including voting systems as well as identifying specific areas of support, such as: farming, education or food and water.
+
+:title: How to Host a Currency Potluck
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Aug 1, 2020
+:slug: how-to
+ 
+:summary: Let's get the potlucks started! Here is a short introduction to the methods we use for Community Inclusion Currencies (CICs) potlucks!
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/how-to18.webp
+
+
+
+Let's get the potlucks started! Here is a short introduction to the methods we use for Community Inclusion Currency (CIC) potlucks and how they could be applied to any community – even on social media groups such as: WhatsApp, Telegram Discord, Facebook and so on.
+
+
+
+These are all short iterative processes that can happen in cycles as the group learns by doing.
+
+	**Step 0. Bringing People Together**	
+
+
+This is its own challenge, especailly (physically) today- so I’m assuming you have or can pull together a group of people where each person brings something to the table/social media group (a church group, whatsapp friends etc). Think of this as a potluck (a.k.a braai, coroga, faith supper, hatch party or participatory dinner party) where everyone is bringing an ingredient to amazing dishes that you are all going to cook and eat together.
+
+	**Step 1a. Resource Mapping**	
+
+
+What ingredients do people have and what does everyone want to eat?! Have each person identify what their needs are and what they can offer - including goods, services and national currency. Share this list of offers and needs and see how well the community can meet its own needs and what is missing to have that perfect potluck.
+
+	**Step 1b. Community Projects**	
+
+
+From the needs and offers discussed are there any commonalities? Could the group decide on one or more community projects? (Collective farming, elderly care, open source software development... etc)
+
+
+
+If there is consensus on projects the community would like to do as well as sufficient offers to do those projects – as well as needs being fulfilled by those projects and offers – then you have all the ingredients you need for a great Community Inclusion Currency (Potluck!). Now, solidifying (mixing) these resources toward your goals and projects involves commitment.
+
+	**If there is consensus on projects the community would like to do as well as sufficient offers to do those projects – as well as needs being fulfilled by those projects and offers – then you have all the ingredients you need for a great Community Inclusion Currency (Potluck!). Now, solidifying (mixing) these resources toward your goals and projects involves commitment.**	
+
+
+If there is consensus on projects the community would like to do as well as sufficient offers to do those projects – as well as needs being fulfilled by those projects and offers – then you have all the ingredients you need for a great Community Inclusion Currency (Potluck!). Now, solidifying (mixing) these resources toward your goals and projects involves commitment.
+
+	**Step 2a. Reach Commitment**	
+
+
+What can everyone commit to putting into the potluck? Individually and together we express what we can commit to accepting in return for the CIC we will create: our goods and services, our time on community projects and as well National Currency. 
+
+	**Step 2b. Develop an Agreement**	
+	* Creation: Based on what everyone is putting in: goods, services and national currency – how many CIC tokens should be created? How should they be connected to collateral valued in National Currency? We use a metric in Kenya that for every 1 CIC created there is 1 unit of national currency worth of commitments of goods or services as well as 0.25 national currency (collateral pool) bonded to it – this way the CIC can be spent on committed goods and services as well as cashed out to national currency – note that as well people can add national currency the pool.
+	* Allotment: Based on the community projects and commitments  people offer how should the CIC be distributed? We take the full amount of CIC to be created and divide it in half – where 50% is divided in proportion to people’s commitments and the other 50% goes toward community projects – with designated managers.
+	* n.b. There can be many other rules, such as taxation, demurrage, fines yearly recycling of the CIC. It is good to take time here to think about all the possibilities as you design your own financial system. 
+	* Trade Balance: One core concept/commitment in CICs is the need for people to over time maintain a trade balance – accept as much as you spend, and spend as much as you accept. 
+
+
+Now that all the ingredients are there and they have been mixed together your currency potluck is ready to divide and serve. Dish it out!
+
+	**Now that all the ingredients are there and they have been mixed together your currency potluck is ready to divide and serve. Dish it out!**	
+	**Step 3a. Develop a name for your CIC**	
+
+
+Give your creation (CIC) a name! Both a long name and a short name – this will be the token name people see on their devices when trading. 
+
+	**Step 3b. Mint and Distribute**	
+
+
+These CICs are created and then distributed as per the rules decided. Note there are a lot of options on how to digitally or physically create these tokens and distribute them! See technical discussion below.
+
+	**These CICs are created and then distributed as per the rules decided. Note there are a lot of options on how to digitally or physically create these tokens and distribute them! See technical discussion below.**	
+
+
+These CICs are created and then distributed as per the rules decided. Note there are a lot of options on how to digitally or physically create these tokens and distribute them! See technical discussion below.
+
+	*These CICs are created and then distributed as per the rules decided. Note there are a lot of options on how to digitally or physically create these tokens and distribute them! See technical discussion below.*
+
+
+These CICs are created and then distributed as per the rules decided. Note there are a lot of options on how to digitally or physically create these tokens and distribute them! See technical discussion below.
+
+	**Step 4. Circulation - Let's eat!**	
+	* The group can trade with themselves or anyone else by sending them the CIC tokens they have.
+	* Anyone can do community projects and get paid by that community project manager in CIC tokens
+	* Anyone can add national currency (or other market valued tokens) to the collateral pool and create more CIC.
+	* Anyone holding a CIC can liquidate it and pull out the collateral behind it.
+	**Step 5. Keep meeting and planning and starting over**	
+	**No dinner party should last forever and one potluck is never enough! Ideally your CIC is humming along unlocking your collective untapped potential, but reassessment is key. How is the potluck going and how might we do better next time? Having a duration for your CIC and the community projects you create naturally gives rise to the next CIC – which can be created by a group liquidating the current CIC and creating another with the same process as above.**	
+
+
+No dinner party should last forever and one potluck is never enough! Ideally your CIC is humming along unlocking your collective untapped potential, but reassessment is key. How is the potluck going and how might we do better next time? Having a duration for your CIC and the community projects you create naturally gives rise to the next CIC – which can be created by a group liquidating the current CIC and creating another with the same process as above.
+
+	*We wish you the best loving community currency potluck ever and are here to help!*
+	**Grassroots Economics is dedicated to developing and supporting public infrastructure so the each CIC can be independently created and owned by a community without extractive rent seeking platforms, smart contracts or blockchains. We still have a lot of work todo here and welcome you to our potluck and would love to be invited to yours! You can find a link to Kenyan training materials here: https://gitlab.com/grassrootseconomics/cic-docs/-/blob/master/README.md**	
+
+
+Grassroots Economics is dedicated to developing and supporting public infrastructure so the each CIC can be independently created and owned by a community without extractive rent seeking platforms, smart contracts or blockchains. We still have a lot of work todo here and welcome you to our potluck and would love to be invited to yours! You can find a link to Kenyan training materials here: https://gitlab.com/grassrootseconomics/cic-docs/-/blob/master/README.md
+
+	**Grassroots Economics is dedicated to developing and supporting public infrastructure so the each CIC can be independently created and owned by a community without extractive rent seeking platforms, smart contracts or blockchains. We still have a lot of work todo here and welcome you to our potluck and would love to be invited to yours! You can find a link to Kenyan training materials here: https://gitlab.com/grassrootseconomics/cic-docs/-/blob/master/README.md**	
+
+
+Grassroots Economics is dedicated to developing and supporting public infrastructure so the each CIC can be independently created and owned by a community without extractive rent seeking platforms, smart contracts or blockchains. We still have a lot of work todo here and welcome you to our potluck and would love to be invited to yours! You can find a link to Kenyan training materials here: https://gitlab.com/grassrootseconomics/cic-docs/-/blob/master/README.md
+
+	`https://gitlab.com/grassrootseconomics/cic-docs/-/blob/master/README.md <https://gitlab.com/grassrootseconomics/cic-docs/-/blob/master/README.md>`_	
+
+ 
+
+	**Technically:**	
+
+
+In Kenya we manually do the Mint and Distribute step on behalf of communities – but anyone with a bit of blockchain tech savy can deploy these contracts (we are working on makign this much easier). We mint a CIC/token and bond it to a collateral pool in a digital asset (such as USDC, XCHF - note a community could create it's own reserve currency basket). This process is called defining and deploying a smart contract on a blockchain. The contract is transparent and the rule for how it can be used need to be totally clear. The open source Bancor V1 Bonding Curve contracts can be augmented in many ways to suit the needs of the group. Also note that a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) can be used to do much of the above process and distribution as well as maintain the contract – in lieu of a trusted contract deployer. There are a lot of options if you get stuck on this creation and distribution process - we are happy to discuss!
+

content/blog/interactive-village.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+:title: Interactive Village Market Simulator!
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: May 25, 2018
+:slug: interactive-village
+ 
+:summary: The 5th installment of the Village Market Simulator series is now online! You can find it on YouTube or in the 'Simulations' section of...
+ 
+
+	**The 5th installment of the Village Market Simulator series is now online! You can find it on YouTube or in the 'Simulations' section of our MOOC.**	
+	**The 5th installment of the Village Market Simulator series is now online! You can find it on YouTube or in the 'Simulations' section of our MOOC.**	
+	**The 5th installment of the Village Market Simulator series is now online! You can find it on YouTube or in the 'Simulations' section of our MOOC.**	
+	`YouTube <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyYkJsFGjHg>`_		`MOOC <http://www.grassrootseconomics.org/mooc>`_	
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+This episode goes through the basic premises of community currencies and how they affect economies. The simulator takes an agent based approach to simulating basic economic intereactions with two currencies. Field surveys from (7) locations across Kenya and South Africa suggest that the fragility of local markets due to exogenous market conditions gives rise to volatile local markets that result in chronic seasonal illiquidity and local market stagnation. Further data suggests that endogenous sources of liquidity through circulating vouchers refered to as Community Currency (CC) can counteract these seasonal trends and increase overall trade volume.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/interactive-village41.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+What is especially exciting about this one is that it will be available in Github and you can play with all the bells and whistles, and experiment by yourself how changing different variables affect trade within the village. 
+
+
+
+What is especially exciting about this one is that it will be available in Github and you can play with all the bells and whistles, and experiment by yourself how changing different variables affect trade within the village. 
+
+	`Github <http://github.com/GrassrootsEconomics/vms>`_	
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Make sure you have python running on your computer and have fun with the code!
+
+
+
+ 
+

content/blog/investment-modelling.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,384 @@
+:title: Investment Modelling in Community Inclusion Currencies
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Jan 12, 2020
+:slug: investment-modelling
+ 
+:summary: While Community Inclusion Currencies (CICs) have been shown to increase local trade they can also be a vehicle for collective share...
+ 
+
+
+
+While Community Inclusion Currencies (CICs) have been shown to increase local trade they can also be a vehicle for collective share holding and impact investment. A large portfolio of CICs could represent millions of dollars of investment while the circulation of the CIC could enable billions of dollars of trade in marginalized communities. All the equations and graphs in the examples below can be here can be found on GitHub here. 
+
+	*While Community Inclusion Currencies (CICs) have been shown to increase local trade they can also be a vehicle for collective share holding and impact investment. A large portfolio of CICs could represent millions of dollars of investment while the circulation of the CIC could enable billions of dollars of trade in marginalized communities. All the equations and graphs in the examples below can be here can be found on GitHub here.*
+
+
+While Community Inclusion Currencies (CICs) have been shown to increase local trade they can also be a vehicle for collective share holding and impact investment. A large portfolio of CICs could represent millions of dollars of investment while the circulation of the CIC could enable billions of dollars of trade in marginalized communities. All the equations and graphs in the examples below can be here can be found on GitHub here. 
+
+	`GitHub here. <http://github.com/GrassrootsEconomics/CIC-Docs>`_	
+
+ 
+
+
+
+We can approximate that the overall impact of a CIC on the economy is proportional to its circulation rate times its total market capitalization i.e. Impact ~= Velocity*(CIC_Supply * Exchange_rate) based on the arguments below and typical usage we should see a cycle of states where CICs starts with an exchange rate of 1:1 with its reserve (currently a National Currency based Stable Coin DAI) followed by the exchange rate moving in either direction. If seen as an investment opportunity and more reserve is added and more tokens are created (as shares of those reserve added) then the exchange rate will increase.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+A typical share price of a company is based capital assets, augmented by investors expectations. Instead with a CIC your share price (exchange rate) is based on known underlying reserves Exchange Rate P = L * Reserve / Supply (L is our leverage as a variable on the smart contract L = 1/F below) and the bonding curve equations as originally defined by Bancor's smart contract:
+
+
+
+A typical share price of a company is based capital assets, augmented by investors expectations. Instead with a CIC your share price (exchange rate) is based on known underlying reserves Exchange Rate P = L * Reserve / Supply (L is our leverage as a variable on the smart contract L = 1/F below) and the bonding curve equations as originally defined by Bancor's smart contract:
+
+	`smart contract <http://github.com/GrassrootsEconomics/CIC-Liquid-Token>`_	
+
+ 
+
+
+
+As more reserve is added, less and less supply (shares) are created and the share value (exchange price of the CIC token to its reserve) increases. (eq1: Minting)
+
+	**As more reserve is added, less and less supply (shares) are created and the share value (exchange price of the CIC token to its reserve) increases. (eq1: Minting)**	
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/investment-modelling46.webp
+
+	*S = the entire supply of CIC tokens, R = the entire Reserve in National Currency and F = 1 / Leverage*
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+As supply of CIC is cashed out or burnt/(reserve redeemed) then less and less reserve is released then that share price drops. (eq2, Redemption)
+
+	**As supply of CIC is cashed out or burnt/(reserve redeemed) then less and less reserve is released then that share price drops. (eq2, Redemption)**	
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/investment-modelling68.webp
+
+
+
+
+Once the price moves up it is because people believe they will get something of value for it in the near to long term holding. Either they will buy a product at market or under market rates using the CIC or they will hold the CIC in order to use it later when the exchange price is higher (a longer term investment).  As more people add to the reserve the price will eventually rise high enough that the long term holders will want to cash out (say once it reaches a plateau – forced or market based). This liquidation of long term holders will cause the price to drop and could cause a cascade effect reducing the reserve to near zero. 
+
+
+
+
+Once the price moves up it is because people believe they will get something of value for it in the near to long term holding. Either they will buy a product at market or under market rates using the CIC or they will hold the CIC in order to use it later when the exchange price is higher (a longer term investment).  As more people add to the reserve the price will eventually rise high enough that the long term holders will want to cash out (say once it reaches a plateau – forced or market based). This liquidation of long term holders will cause the price to drop and could cause a cascade effect reducing the reserve to near zero. 
+
+
+
+
+Once the price moves up it is because people believe they will get something of value for it in the near to long term holding. Either they will buy a product at market or under market rates using the CIC or they will hold the CIC in order to use it later when the exchange price is higher (a longer term investment).  As more people add to the reserve the price will eventually rise high enough that the long term holders will want to cash out (say once it reaches a plateau – forced or market based). This liquidation of long term holders will cause the price to drop and could cause a cascade effect reducing the reserve to near zero. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Once at near zero reserve the remaining CICs in circulation have a near zero exchange rate and so trading will slow down as people lack confidence to accept it for goods and services. But this is also an investment opportunity. At such a low reserve and hence exchange rate, putting more reserve in and minting new tokens is quite cheap. This investment would lead to a middling reserve period whose momentum may bring the currency all the way back to 1:1 with the national currency and even farther to a high reserve period.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/investment-modelling88.webp
+
+
+
+
+These four reserve cases (zero, low, middling, and high) are shown above with their relative merits and detriments. Note that the cycle above is just one possible cycle that we see in the CICs in Kenya and is generally caused by donor aid.
+
+
+
+
+These four reserve cases (zero, low, middling, and high) are shown above with their relative merits and detriments. Note that the cycle above is just one possible cycle that we see in the CICs in Kenya and is generally caused by donor aid.
+
+
+
+
+These four reserve cases (zero, low, middling, and high) are shown above with their relative merits and detriments. Note that the cycle above is just one possible cycle that we see in the CICs in Kenya and is generally caused by donor aid.
+
+
+
+
+Some challenges therein:
+1.   No investment: Should the currency not allow investors a return they will see no reason to invest in the first place - no matter the transaction velocity, there will be insufficient capital behind it to scale. What keeps the currency alive? - both the reserve and the social capital behind it. When the reserve runs out, can someone still use the currency for some good or service at market value? (This is expected market stabilization) If so, then there is a huge local short term investment opportunity (i.e. to buy products at cheaper rates - in this case is arbitrage) – which could translate into a medium and long term investment opportunity.
+
+	**Some challenges therein:
+1.   No investment: Should the currency not allow investors a return they will see no reason to invest in the first place - no matter the transaction velocity, there will be insufficient capital behind it to scale. What keeps the currency alive? - both the reserve and the social capital behind it. When the reserve runs out, can someone still use the currency for some good or service at market value? (This is expected market stabilization) If so, then there is a huge local short term investment opportunity (i.e. to buy products at cheaper rates - in this case is arbitrage) – which could translate into a medium and long term investment opportunity.**	
+
+
+
+Some challenges therein:
+1.   No investment: Should the currency not allow investors a return they will see no reason to invest in the first place - no matter the transaction velocity, there will be insufficient capital behind it to scale. What keeps the currency alive? - both the reserve and the social capital behind it. When the reserve runs out, can someone still use the currency for some good or service at market value? (This is expected market stabilization) If so, then there is a huge local short term investment opportunity (i.e. to buy products at cheaper rates - in this case is arbitrage) – which could translate into a medium and long term investment opportunity.
+
+
+
+
+Some challenges therein:
+1.   No investment: Should the currency not allow investors a return they will see no reason to invest in the first place - no matter the transaction velocity, there will be insufficient capital behind it to scale. What keeps the currency alive? - both the reserve and the social capital behind it. When the reserve runs out, can someone still use the currency for some good or service at market value? (This is expected market stabilization) If so, then there is a huge local short term investment opportunity (i.e. to buy products at cheaper rates - in this case is arbitrage) – which could translate into a medium and long term investment opportunity.
+
+
+
+
+Some challenges therein:
+1.   No investment: Should the currency not allow investors a return they will see no reason to invest in the first place - no matter the transaction velocity, there will be insufficient capital behind it to scale. What keeps the currency alive? - both the reserve and the social capital behind it. When the reserve runs out, can someone still use the currency for some good or service at market value? (This is expected market stabilization) If so, then there is a huge local short term investment opportunity (i.e. to buy products at cheaper rates - in this case is arbitrage) – which could translate into a medium and long term investment opportunity.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+2.    Fast Liquidation: should investors cash out too soon and too much the currency may be too volatile and may never build enough market confidence to reach high transaction amounts with sufficient capital to have high impacts. 
+
+
+
+
+2.    Fast Liquidation: should investors cash out too soon and too much the currency may be too volatile and may never build enough market confidence to reach high transaction amounts with sufficient capital to have high impacts. 
+
+
+
+
+2.    Fast Liquidation: should investors cash out too soon and too much the currency may be too volatile and may never build enough market confidence to reach high transaction amounts with sufficient capital to have high impacts. 
+
+
+
+
+In example 1 below we show the effect of social backing on problem (1) and in example 2 we have the effect of investment on problem (2) above.
+
+
+
+
+In example 1 below we show the effect of social backing on problem (1) and in example 2 we have the effect of investment on problem (2) above.
+
+
+
+
+In example 1 below we show the effect of social backing on problem (1) and in example 2 we have the effect of investment on problem (2) above.
+
+
+	**Example 1. Maize Miller**	
+
+
+For example. If I run a maize mill (a cooperative owned by 25 women in Kenya) and I create a CIC at 4x leverage and put in 100 USD into reserve and mint 400 CIC tokens. Then my Price is 4*100/400 = 1. If I can spend those 400 tokens as if they were equal to $1 on labor and other local needs (rent, school fees, water) then I would have multiplied my purchasing power.  If everyone returns those tokens to me for my maize – I will have simply given myself an advance on my own maize. I could then cash out my share to pull back out the 100 USD that was simply acting as collateral there. My profit is zero but I have increased my turnover.
+
+	**For example. If I run a maize mill (a cooperative owned by 25 women in Kenya) and I create a CIC at 4x leverage and put in 100 USD into reserve and mint 400 CIC tokens. Then my Price is 4*100/400 = 1. If I can spend those 400 tokens as if they were equal to $1 on labor and other local needs (rent, school fees, water) then I would have multiplied my purchasing power.  If everyone returns those tokens to me for my maize – I will have simply given myself an advance on my own maize. I could then cash out my share to pull back out the 100 USD that was simply acting as collateral there. My profit is zero but I have increased my turnover.**	
+
+
+For example. If I run a maize mill (a cooperative owned by 25 women in Kenya) and I create a CIC at 4x leverage and put in 100 USD into reserve and mint 400 CIC tokens. Then my Price is 4*100/400 = 1. If I can spend those 400 tokens as if they were equal to $1 on labor and other local needs (rent, school fees, water) then I would have multiplied my purchasing power.  If everyone returns those tokens to me for my maize – I will have simply given myself an advance on my own maize. I could then cash out my share to pull back out the 100 USD that was simply acting as collateral there. My profit is zero but I have increased my turnover.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Let's say I, the maize miller, do it again and spend the tokens for 400 USD of labor and some of my future customers don’t return their tokens for maize but instead cash them out? This will cause all the remaining tokens to lose some exchange value. Let’s say 50 of the 400 tokens are cashed out for $41USD ([eq2] note only the 1st dollar pulled out has a $ dollar value - hence slippage).
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Let’s say there is now a reserve remaining of $58.6 and 350 tokens remaining and let’s say all these remaining 350 tokens are returned to the maize mill for $350 USD of flour. So, I, the maize mill, now have 350 tokens backed by $58.6USD in reserve and a price of P = 4X $58.6/350 = $0.67USD. Well, I - the maize miller, have gotten $400 USD of labor costs and spent $350 USD in product and am remaining with $58.6 USD of reserve. Meaning that I got an overall $100 in wages reduction – redemption in product at the cost of $41.4USD of my reserve). My profit here is the $400USD in labor I received minus the loss of $350USD of stock + $58.6USD of reserve minus the $100 of reserve initially used = $8.6USD. While the seller of tokens took a loss of $50USD(labor) - $41.4USD(reserve received) = $-8.6USD. 
+
+	**Let’s say there is now a reserve remaining of $58.6 and 350 tokens remaining and let’s say all these remaining 350 tokens are returned to the maize mill for $350 USD of flour. So, I, the maize mill, now have 350 tokens backed by $58.6USD in reserve and a price of P = 4X $58.6/350 = $0.67USD. Well, I - the maize miller, have gotten $400 USD of labor costs and spent $350 USD in product and am remaining with $58.6 USD of reserve. Meaning that I got an overall $100 in wages reduction – redemption in product at the cost of $41.4USD of my reserve). My profit here is the $400USD in labor I received minus the loss of $350USD of stock + $58.6USD of reserve minus the $100 of reserve initially used = $8.6USD. While the seller of tokens took a loss of $50USD(labor) - $41.4USD(reserve received) = $-8.6USD.**	
+
+
+Let’s say there is now a reserve remaining of $58.6 and 350 tokens remaining and let’s say all these remaining 350 tokens are returned to the maize mill for $350 USD of flour. So, I, the maize mill, now have 350 tokens backed by $58.6USD in reserve and a price of P = 4X $58.6/350 = $0.67USD. Well, I - the maize miller, have gotten $400 USD of labor costs and spent $350 USD in product and am remaining with $58.6 USD of reserve. Meaning that I got an overall $100 in wages reduction – redemption in product at the cost of $41.4USD of my reserve). My profit here is the $400USD in labor I received minus the loss of $350USD of stock + $58.6USD of reserve minus the $100 of reserve initially used = $8.6USD. While the seller of tokens took a loss of $50USD(labor) - $41.4USD(reserve received) = $-8.6USD. 
+
+	**Let’s say there is now a reserve remaining of $58.6 and 350 tokens remaining and let’s say all these remaining 350 tokens are returned to the maize mill for $350 USD of flour. So, I, the maize mill, now have 350 tokens backed by $58.6USD in reserve and a price of P = 4X $58.6/350 = $0.67USD. Well, I - the maize miller, have gotten $400 USD of labor costs and spent $350 USD in product and am remaining with $58.6 USD of reserve. Meaning that I got an overall $100 in wages reduction – redemption in product at the cost of $41.4USD of my reserve). My profit here is the $400USD in labor I received minus the loss of $350USD of stock + $58.6USD of reserve minus the $100 of reserve initially used = $8.6USD. While the seller of tokens took a loss of $50USD(labor) - $41.4USD(reserve received) = $-8.6USD.**	
+
+
+Let’s say there is now a reserve remaining of $58.6 and 350 tokens remaining and let’s say all these remaining 350 tokens are returned to the maize mill for $350 USD of flour. So, I, the maize mill, now have 350 tokens backed by $58.6USD in reserve and a price of P = 4X $58.6/350 = $0.67USD. Well, I - the maize miller, have gotten $400 USD of labor costs and spent $350 USD in product and am remaining with $58.6 USD of reserve. Meaning that I got an overall $100 in wages reduction – redemption in product at the cost of $41.4USD of my reserve). My profit here is the $400USD in labor I received minus the loss of $350USD of stock + $58.6USD of reserve minus the $100 of reserve initially used = $8.6USD. While the seller of tokens took a loss of $50USD(labor) - $41.4USD(reserve received) = $-8.6USD. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+In this case the community are being incentivized to use the tokens at the maize mill or other CIC accepting businesses, rather than cashing them out. But now that the maize miller has all the tokens again buyers of flour should be able to put in more reserve themselves and mint tokens at the market price of $0.67USD to make a profit themselves.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Let’s say the one buyer of maize who lost above by cashing out, decided to take all his $41.4USD that he cashed out and put it back into the reserve? This automatically creates for him 50 tokens [eq1] so the total supply of tokens now is 350+50 = 400 and there are now $58.6+$41.4 = $100USD in reserve. The 400 tokens are now worth: P = 4* $100/400 = $1.00USD in exchange value (back to parity).
+
+
+
+
+Let’s say now that buyer purchased all $50 USD worth of maize from me (costing him only $41.4 USD). Now, I the maize miller, have all 400 tokens backed by $100 USD, and I have used up $400 USD of flour and I have bought $400 units of labor. So my total profit is $-400(product)+$400(labor)+$100(reserve value)-$100(initial reserve)= $0USD and my customer has made back the $8.6 USD he lost before and is at 0 net profit. So both the maize miller and the buyer are back at zero profit.
+
+
+
+
+Let’s say now that buyer purchased all $50 USD worth of maize from me (costing him only $41.4 USD). Now, I the maize miller, have all 400 tokens backed by $100 USD, and I have used up $400 USD of flour and I have bought $400 units of labor. So my total profit is $-400(product)+$400(labor)+$100(reserve value)-$100(initial reserve)= $0USD and my customer has made back the $8.6 USD he lost before and is at 0 net profit. So both the maize miller and the buyer are back at zero profit.
+
+
+
+
+Let’s say now that buyer purchased all $50 USD worth of maize from me (costing him only $41.4 USD). Now, I the maize miller, have all 400 tokens backed by $100 USD, and I have used up $400 USD of flour and I have bought $400 units of labor. So my total profit is $-400(product)+$400(labor)+$100(reserve value)-$100(initial reserve)= $0USD and my customer has made back the $8.6 USD he lost before and is at 0 net profit. So both the maize miller and the buyer are back at zero profit.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+In all three stages here $400, $350 and $50 = $800USD of flour was consumed and another $400USD + 400 USD of Labor was purchased that is $1600 USD of trade based on a reserve of $100USD being leveraged into 400 tokens which circulated 4x for a total impact of 16x when compared to just spending the reserve. Again if we assume Impact ~= Velocity*(Supply * Exchange rate) and we 4x the supply and 4x the circulation and average out the exchange rate to 1. This could continue on and on resulting in more and more trade facilitated.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/investment-modelling158.webp
+
+
+
+
+So there is a key assumption here: That the CIC issuer will accept CIC’s for flour pegged 1:1 with the Research (National Currency). If the issuer – maize mill owner decides to gouge clients after spending at full rates then people will not accept the CICs for labor at full rates in the future. This represents the social backing of the voucher and gives someone a reason to put in money into the reserve when the price is low. 
+
+
+
+
+So there is a key assumption here: That the CIC issuer will accept CIC’s for flour pegged 1:1 with the Research (National Currency). If the issuer – maize mill owner decides to gouge clients after spending at full rates then people will not accept the CICs for labor at full rates in the future. This represents the social backing of the voucher and gives someone a reason to put in money into the reserve when the price is low. 
+
+
+
+
+So there is a key assumption here: That the CIC issuer will accept CIC’s for flour pegged 1:1 with the Research (National Currency). If the issuer – maize mill owner decides to gouge clients after spending at full rates then people will not accept the CICs for labor at full rates in the future. This represents the social backing of the voucher and gives someone a reason to put in money into the reserve when the price is low. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Now given a market with many CIC issuers, if an issuer decided to price gouge clients – those clients have other options – they can convert their CIC to another CIC issuers token.
+
+If the CIC issuer wants to continue using CICs in order to buy labor and increase turnover and is assured, there will be some buyers in the future he is obligated to continue accepting CICs at the same rate he spent them in the first place (1:1 with National Currency). 
+
+
+
+Now given a market with many CIC issuers, if an issuer decided to price gouge clients – those clients have other options – they can convert their CIC to another CIC issuers token.
+
+If the CIC issuer wants to continue using CICs in order to buy labor and increase turnover and is assured, there will be some buyers in the future he is obligated to continue accepting CICs at the same rate he spent them in the first place (1:1 with National Currency). 
+
+
+
+Now given a market with many CIC issuers, if an issuer decided to price gouge clients – those clients have other options – they can convert their CIC to another CIC issuers token.
+
+If the CIC issuer wants to continue using CICs in order to buy labor and increase turnover and is assured, there will be some buyers in the future he is obligated to continue accepting CICs at the same rate he spent them in the first place (1:1 with National Currency). 
+
+
+
+Now given a market with many CIC issuers, if an issuer decided to price gouge clients – those clients have other options – they can convert their CIC to another CIC issuers token.
+
+If the CIC issuer wants to continue using CICs in order to buy labor and increase turnover and is assured, there will be some buyers in the future he is obligated to continue accepting CICs at the same rate he spent them in the first place (1:1 with National Currency). 
+
+
+
+Now given a market with many CIC issuers, if an issuer decided to price gouge clients – those clients have other options – they can convert their CIC to another CIC issuers token.
+
+If the CIC issuer wants to continue using CICs in order to buy labor and increase turnover and is assured, there will be some buyers in the future he is obligated to continue accepting CICs at the same rate he spent them in the first place (1:1 with National Currency). 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+If we imagine the primary market is the maize seller and buyers and the secondary market is the smart-contract (eq,1&2) then a third market could be impact investors and humanitarian aid providers. This is where long term CIC buyers and holders can come in. They can do two important things – contribute initial seed funds to reserves to offset risk for a CIC issuer and they can purchase CICs when the price is low and sell them when it is high. This second function is similar to an insurance fund which could be automated and holds both CICs and their reserve and continually readjusts the price within a band.
+
+	**If we imagine the primary market is the maize seller and buyers and the secondary market is the smart-contract (eq,1&2) then a third market could be impact investors and humanitarian aid providers. This is where long term CIC buyers and holders can come in. They can do two important things – contribute initial seed funds to reserves to offset risk for a CIC issuer and they can purchase CICs when the price is low and sell them when it is high. This second function is similar to an insurance fund which could be automated and holds both CICs and their reserve and continually readjusts the price within a band.**	
+
+
+If we imagine the primary market is the maize seller and buyers and the secondary market is the smart-contract (eq,1&2) then a third market could be impact investors and humanitarian aid providers. This is where long term CIC buyers and holders can come in. They can do two important things – contribute initial seed funds to reserves to offset risk for a CIC issuer and they can purchase CICs when the price is low and sell them when it is high. This second function is similar to an insurance fund which could be automated and holds both CICs and their reserve and continually readjusts the price within a band.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+	**Example 2 – Impact Investor:
+
+Let’s say I am an impact investor and I see the situation happening above over a 1 year period and I believe it could happen much faster. So at the end of the 1st period when the price has dropped I decide to put in $10.0 USD into the reserve and create 14 tokens (eq1) and then wait until someone else puts in another $31.4 USD to buy more maize locally. At that point the price has climbed back up to $1USD (parity with reserve) and I cash out all my 14 tokens to receive $13.33USD. I have gotten a 33% return on my investment of $10USD and dropped the token price back down to $0.7 USD. If I take my original $10 out of the system, I'll be left with ~3USD of tokens which I can just leave there as a donation or further investment – that will continue to enable trading and circulation.**	
+
+
+Example 2 – Impact Investor:
+
+Let’s say I am an impact investor and I see the situation happening above over a 1 year period and I believe it could happen much faster. So at the end of the 1st period when the price has dropped I decide to put in $10.0 USD into the reserve and create 14 tokens (eq1) and then wait until someone else puts in another $31.4 USD to buy more maize locally. At that point the price has climbed back up to $1USD (parity with reserve) and I cash out all my 14 tokens to receive $13.33USD. I have gotten a 33% return on my investment of $10USD and dropped the token price back down to $0.7 USD. If I take my original $10 out of the system, I'll be left with ~3USD of tokens which I can just leave there as a donation or further investment – that will continue to enable trading and circulation.
+
+
+
+Example 2 – Impact Investor:
+
+Let’s say I am an impact investor and I see the situation happening above over a 1 year period and I believe it could happen much faster. So at the end of the 1st period when the price has dropped I decide to put in $10.0 USD into the reserve and create 14 tokens (eq1) and then wait until someone else puts in another $31.4 USD to buy more maize locally. At that point the price has climbed back up to $1USD (parity with reserve) and I cash out all my 14 tokens to receive $13.33USD. I have gotten a 33% return on my investment of $10USD and dropped the token price back down to $0.7 USD. If I take my original $10 out of the system, I'll be left with ~3USD of tokens which I can just leave there as a donation or further investment – that will continue to enable trading and circulation.
+
+
+
+Example 2 – Impact Investor:
+
+Let’s say I am an impact investor and I see the situation happening above over a 1 year period and I believe it could happen much faster. So at the end of the 1st period when the price has dropped I decide to put in $10.0 USD into the reserve and create 14 tokens (eq1) and then wait until someone else puts in another $31.4 USD to buy more maize locally. At that point the price has climbed back up to $1USD (parity with reserve) and I cash out all my 14 tokens to receive $13.33USD. I have gotten a 33% return on my investment of $10USD and dropped the token price back down to $0.7 USD. If I take my original $10 out of the system, I'll be left with ~3USD of tokens which I can just leave there as a donation or further investment – that will continue to enable trading and circulation.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/investment-modelling192.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Practically we restrict (eq2) how fast someone can cash out their tokens by having them vest over time, to ward off the case where someone drops the token price dramatically in a short period. So as an investor I can take out my profit slowly and must therefore leave in my principal for a longer period - building market confidence. 
+
+
+
+Also note that if instead of $100 USD in reserve we have $100,000 USD in reserve and create 400,000 CIC tokens (these could be aggregated over many CICs) and our investment is $10,000 USD, I would pull out $13,333 USD in the end and could donate the $3,333 profit. The net effect is that I lent 10K when it was most needed.Rather than extracting wealth from marginalized people, an impact investor has invested capital in boosting the local economy of CIC holders.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+With a CIC portfolio of millions of dollars’ worth of many CICs there is ample room for investment and at the same time - with ~5x the circulation than National Currency we could see billions of dollars of trade in marginalized communities. CICs incentivize wealth creation with minimal capital because they drive internal trade and penalize external trade. Users have abundant internal liquidity, but if a CIC holder really needs reserve (dollars), they can get them (at a small premium which they can afford). All the equations and graphs here can be found on GitHub here.
+
+	`GitHub here. <http://github.com/GrassrootsEconomics/CIC-Docs>`_	
+
+#investment #modeling #bondingcurves #CIC
+
+
+
+#investment #modeling #bondingcurves #CIC
+
+
+
+#investment #modeling #bondingcurves #CIC
+
+	`#investment <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/investment>`_	
+
+#investment
+
+	`#modeling <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/modeling>`_	
+
+#modeling
+
+	`#bondingcurves <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/bondingcurves>`_	
+
+#bondingcurves
+
+	`#CIC <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/CIC>`_	
+
+#CIC
+

content/blog/kakuma-refugee.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+:title: Kakuma Refugee Testimonial
+:author: Amina Godana and Janet Akinyi Otieno
+:date: Mar 28
+:slug: kakuma-refugee
+ 
+:summary: Nyota explains below how after living in the refugee camp for 10 years, Sarafu has helped her to maintain trade with her community and grow 
+ 
+
+
+
+After hearing about Sarafu local leaders of a small community group started building a support network in their community. Nyota explains below how after living in the refugee camp for 10 years, Sarafu has helped her to maintain trade with her community and grow their collective farming even when there are no shillings available.
+
+
+
+After hearing about Sarafu local leaders of a small community group started building a support network in their community. Nyota explains below how after living in the refugee camp for 10 years, Sarafu has helped her to maintain trade with her community and grow their collective farming even when there are no shillings available.
+
+	`hearing about Sarafu <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/post/refugee-economics-in-kakuma-kenya>`_	
+
+.. image:: images/blog/kakuma-refugee30.webp
+
+
+
+Here the FHE group in Kakuma are meeting to talk about community farming and community inclusion currencies which they learned more about after a trip to Siaya Kenya..
+
+
+
+Here the FHE group in Kakuma are meeting to talk about community farming and community inclusion currencies which they learned more about after a trip to Siaya Kenya..
+
+	`FHE group in Kakuma <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/post/refugee-economics-in-kakuma-kenya>`_	
+
+.. image:: images/blog/kakuma-refugee50.webp
+
+
+
+Here the Kaukuma community leaders traveled to Siaya to learn about how Sarafu is used there and about community farming practices that Sarafu helps to make economically sustainable (circular economy). Communities teaching other communities how to use Community Currency is always the best way to share.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/kakuma-refugee64.webp
+
+
+
+This is the beginning of a new community farm in Siaya where the Kakuma team was learning. The poster is showing the intention of the community farm and soil regenerative practices that are being used. Below is a testimonial of one of the farmers in Siaya that taught the Kakuma refugees to follow their example to build a strong local economy. 
+

content/blog/kangemi-pesa-launch.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+:title: Kangemi-Pesa Launch Prep and More Currency News
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Mar 27, 2015
+:slug: kangemi-pesa-launch
+ 
+:summary: Kangemi-Pesa is launching on April 4th 2015! After six months of preparation the Kangemi Businessness Network has reached over 100...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/kangemi-pesa-launch18.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Kangemi-Pesa is launching on April 4th 2015! After six months of preparation the Kangemi Businessness Network has reached over 100 members-including small shops, tailors, teachers, suppliers, resalers, restaurants and much more. Each member on the launch day will be allotted 400 Kangemi-Pesa of which 200 goes toward a community fund to pay for trash collection and other community efforts. The Kangemi-Pesa is backed by the goods and services of the community.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Along with Bangla-Pesa, first launched in 2013  and Gatina-Pesa launched in 2014, Kangemi-Pesa is the third of what will be six community currencies trading in Kenya by the end of this year. Kangemi-Pesa's introduction and launch was suported by Lush Cosmetic. Neighboring Gatina-Pesa in Kawangware will be tradable with Kangemi-Pesa. These business networks form the core of a decentralized banking system for Nairobi County. Coming soon are currencies in Kibera as well as two more in Mombasa County. We are also excited to be supporting the implementation of programs in South Africa and are looking forward to a community currency being launched there in May!
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Experiences from Community Currency users remind us of why these programs are important. John Wacharia has a small Kinyozi (Barber shop), and when there was a system wide power outage for three days, he told us, "Bangla-Pesa allowed me to provide for my family, eat and survive when I could no longer work". These programs form a buffer system against unstable markets by allowing people to trade their goods and services even when they don't have Kenyan shillings. So far each one of these currency programs creates an additional 3 million shillings of trade each year. Networked together, hundreds of these programs could increase the GDP by more than a Billion dollars.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/kangemi-pesa-launch53.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+

content/blog/kangemi-pesa-launched.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+:title: Kangemi-Pesa Launched
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Apr 4, 2015
+:slug: kangemi-pesa-launched
+ 
+:summary: Overcoming many obstacles in a shaken Kenya, we had an amazing launch today of the third community currency in Kenya! Kangemi-Pesa is...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/kangemi-pesa-launched18.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Overcoming many obstacles in a shaken Kenya, we had an amazing launch today of the third community currency in Kenya! Kangemi-Pesa is also tradeable with Gatina-Pesa their neighboring community, who came out in force to support the program along with the area chief. These two community currencies are the beginning of a grassroots economic network of decentralize monetary systems.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The event was honored with students and teachers from 8 different schools in the area that will be accepting Kangemi-Pesa for school fees - helping to raise the salaries of local teachers by allowing parents to pay with their goods and services.
+
+
+
+We are also on track to launch Lindi-Pesa in Kibera, and two more currencies in Mombasa this year! These programs would not be possible without Nyendo a German organization that works with local schools, LUSH who have helped sponsor our Nairobi programs and DOEN who are helping with our Mombasa programs. Chiemgauer and Regios from Germany also kindly helped with printing of the Kangemi-Pesa.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Community Currencies represent the foundation of what is rapidly becoming a global movement toward democratic and decentralised monetary systems. With immediate social and financial impacts, these currencies bypass the limitations of crypto-currencies and micro-finance, by enabling resilient markets across Africa.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Currently community currencies are now trading in areas effecting over 100,000 people with over 500 local businesses in Nairobi and Mombasa. Four more programs have already started this year in Kenya and two in South Africa via FlowAfrica which will put community currencies unlocking the trade potential of over 200,000 people by 2016. Each community currency so far can increase local trade in impoverished communities by as much as 100K EUR each year. Increasing trade in Africa by more than 10 Billion Dollars a year is not only possible but within our reach. Support for these programs has enabled communities to being to sustainably trade goods and services, raising standards of living and even allowing people to pay for school fees.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+

content/blog/kenyan-women.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+:title: Kenyan Women - Ahead of the IMF
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Feb 9, 2020
+:slug: kenyan-women
+ 
+:summary: Could the IMF and Commercial banks learn from women in rural Kenya how to create a decentralized and de-risked (transparently 100% backed) c
+ 
+
+	` <http://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WP/Issues/2019/12/20/Money-Creation-in-Fiat-and-Digital-Currency-Systems-48843>`_	
+
+.. image:: images/blog/kenyan-women18.webp
+
+
+
+ IMF's latest working paper shows that debt creation is the main source of money creation - commercial banks (not central banks) create and inflate the money supply through loan issuance based on market demand. The paper goes on to establish the possibility of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) echoing a the IMF's wish for a Revised Chicago Plan. 
+
+
+
+ IMF's latest working paper shows that debt creation is the main source of money creation - commercial banks (not central banks) create and inflate the money supply through loan issuance based on market demand. The paper goes on to establish the possibility of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) echoing a the IMF's wish for a Revised Chicago Plan. 
+
+	*IMF's latest working paper shows that debt creation is the main source of money creation - commercial banks (not central banks) create and inflate the money supply through loan issuance based on market demand. The paper goes on to establish the possibility of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) echoing a the IMF's wish for a Revised Chicago Plan.*
+
+
+ IMF's latest working paper shows that debt creation is the main source of money creation - commercial banks (not central banks) create and inflate the money supply through loan issuance based on market demand. The paper goes on to establish the possibility of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) echoing a the IMF's wish for a Revised Chicago Plan. 
+
+	`working paper <http://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WP/Issues/2019/12/20/Money-Creation-in-Fiat-and-Digital-Currency-Systems-48843>`_	
+
+ 
+
+
+
+"This is a starting point to explain the systemic flaw of our monetary system, and recurring economic crises pattern."  - Vincentius Arnold
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Community Inclusion Currencies built on Central Bank Digital Currency reserves would de-risk and decentralization the commercial banking system. If Central Banks were required to hold 100% reserve in CDBC and issue their own inter-operable credits and not issue / inflate National Currency like they do now - they might use something similar to Community Inclusion Currencies.
+
+	`Community Inclusion Currencies <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/whitepaper>`_	
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Some highlights of the IMF working paper include: 
+
+
+
+Some highlights of the IMF working paper include: 
+
+
+
+Some highlights of the IMF working paper include: 
+
+	* "the fact that the money stock is endogenously and elastically driven by demand and constrained loosely by regulation. 
+	* "we highlight that liquid funds are required to back the transfer of newlycreated, initially illiquid loans and deposits in a multi-bank system. Liquid funding needs do not negate the fact that banks create money “out of nothing.” 
+	* "how Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) systems would be designed in terms of credit provision,which, if backed 100 percent by the new digital currency, would resemble the Chicago plan ofthe 1930s 
+
+
+For a primer on where the IMF is going with this, they released a Revised Chicago Plan in 2012:
+
+
+
+For a primer on where the IMF is going with this, they released a Revised Chicago Plan in 2012:
+
+	`Revised Chicago Plan in 2012 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chicago_Plan_Revisited>`_	
+
+"The basic idea is that banks should be required to have full coverage for money they lend; this is called 100% reserve banking, which would replace the fractional reserve banking system and reduce inflation."
+
+
+
+ 
+
+	**How does this relate to Community Inclusion Currencies (CICs)?**	
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+CICs are 100% backed by reserve - (ala the Revised Chicago Plan via a synthetic National Currency ala DAI via Maker DAO and AMA). The reserve is leveraged into a credit supply (CICs) with a variable value based on bonding curves originally created by Eyal Hertzog which he calls the Bancor Protocol. 
+
+	**CICs are 100% backed by reserve - (ala the Revised Chicago Plan via a synthetic National Currency ala DAI via Maker DAO and AMA). The reserve is leveraged into a credit supply (CICs) with a variable value based on bonding curves originally created by Eyal Hertzog which he calls the Bancor Protocol.**	
+
+
+CICs are 100% backed by reserve - (ala the Revised Chicago Plan via a synthetic National Currency ala DAI via Maker DAO and AMA). The reserve is leveraged into a credit supply (CICs) with a variable value based on bonding curves originally created by Eyal Hertzog which he calls the Bancor Protocol. 
+
+	*CICs are 100% backed by reserve - (ala the Revised Chicago Plan via a synthetic National Currency ala DAI via Maker DAO and AMA). The reserve is leveraged into a credit supply (CICs) with a variable value based on bonding curves originally created by Eyal Hertzog which he calls the Bancor Protocol.*
+
+
+CICs are 100% backed by reserve - (ala the Revised Chicago Plan via a synthetic National Currency ala DAI via Maker DAO and AMA). The reserve is leveraged into a credit supply (CICs) with a variable value based on bonding curves originally created by Eyal Hertzog which he calls the Bancor Protocol. 
+
+	**CICs are 100% backed by reserve - (ala the Revised Chicago Plan via a synthetic National Currency ala DAI via Maker DAO and AMA). The reserve is leveraged into a credit supply (CICs) with a variable value based on bonding curves originally created by Eyal Hertzog which he calls the Bancor Protocol.**	
+
+
+CICs are 100% backed by reserve - (ala the Revised Chicago Plan via a synthetic National Currency ala DAI via Maker DAO and AMA). The reserve is leveraged into a credit supply (CICs) with a variable value based on bonding curves originally created by Eyal Hertzog which he calls the Bancor Protocol. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+If banks were to create credit in the same manner of CICs it would mean that they would lock 100% reserves into a  verified on-chain collateral (no more loose regulation). A bank with 1 Million USD of reserves would be able to issue 4 Million Tokens. These tokens would have a variable rate depending on the reserve behind them. We would not call them US Dollars or Kenyan Shillings - they would be the Banks credit (Wells Fargo Cash, Barclays Bucks, etc) and only have a one-to-one value with National currency IF they have sufficient reserve.
+
+	**If banks were to create credit in the same manner of CICs it would mean that they would lock 100% reserves into a  verified on-chain collateral (no more loose regulation). A bank with 1 Million USD of reserves would be able to issue 4 Million Tokens. These tokens would have a variable rate depending on the reserve behind them. We would not call them US Dollars or Kenyan Shillings - they would be the Banks credit (Wells Fargo Cash, Barclays Bucks, etc) and only have a one-to-one value with National currency IF they have sufficient reserve.**	
+
+
+If banks were to create credit in the same manner of CICs it would mean that they would lock 100% reserves into a  verified on-chain collateral (no more loose regulation). A bank with 1 Million USD of reserves would be able to issue 4 Million Tokens. These tokens would have a variable rate depending on the reserve behind them. We would not call them US Dollars or Kenyan Shillings - they would be the Banks credit (Wells Fargo Cash, Barclays Bucks, etc) and only have a one-to-one value with National currency IF they have sufficient reserve.
+
+	**If banks were to create credit in the same manner of CICs it would mean that they would lock 100% reserves into a  verified on-chain collateral (no more loose regulation). A bank with 1 Million USD of reserves would be able to issue 4 Million Tokens. These tokens would have a variable rate depending on the reserve behind them. We would not call them US Dollars or Kenyan Shillings - they would be the Banks credit (Wells Fargo Cash, Barclays Bucks, etc) and only have a one-to-one value with National currency IF they have sufficient reserve.**	
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+What is important about this concept is that it de-risks credit issuance and can be done ala secure and transparent blockchain contracts. What is revolutionary about it is that women's groups in Kenya are already doing this. They are locking Kenyan shillings (donor supported) and creating their own credit systems (unique to their village) - without inflation. $100 USD locked into such a CIC reserve creates 400 tokens that are used as a local medium of exchange and being valued locally as a social credit 1:1 with the National Currency. This provides a substitute for lacking Kenyan Shillings - while still allowing exchange into Kenyan Shillings and market stabilization. If a CIC's reserves are depleted and the issuer (a group of women or even a bank) is offering services, market forces will rebuild that reserve in order to mint CICs and purchase those services. CICs are essentially a share of the common's economy using them.
+
+	**What is important about this concept is that it de-risks credit issuance and can be done ala secure and transparent blockchain contracts. What is revolutionary about it is that women's groups in Kenya are already doing this. They are locking Kenyan shillings (donor supported) and creating their own credit systems (unique to their village) - without inflation. $100 USD locked into such a CIC reserve creates 400 tokens that are used as a local medium of exchange and being valued locally as a social credit 1:1 with the National Currency. This provides a substitute for lacking Kenyan Shillings - while still allowing exchange into Kenyan Shillings and market stabilization. If a CIC's reserves are depleted and the issuer (a group of women or even a bank) is offering services, market forces will rebuild that reserve in order to mint CICs and purchase those services. CICs are essentially a share of the common's economy using them.**	
+
+
+What is important about this concept is that it de-risks credit issuance and can be done ala secure and transparent blockchain contracts. What is revolutionary about it is that women's groups in Kenya are already doing this. They are locking Kenyan shillings (donor supported) and creating their own credit systems (unique to their village) - without inflation. $100 USD locked into such a CIC reserve creates 400 tokens that are used as a local medium of exchange and being valued locally as a social credit 1:1 with the National Currency. This provides a substitute for lacking Kenyan Shillings - while still allowing exchange into Kenyan Shillings and market stabilization. If a CIC's reserves are depleted and the issuer (a group of women or even a bank) is offering services, market forces will rebuild that reserve in order to mint CICs and purchase those services. CICs are essentially a share of the common's economy using them.
+
+	**What is important about this concept is that it de-risks credit issuance and can be done ala secure and transparent blockchain contracts. What is revolutionary about it is that women's groups in Kenya are already doing this. They are locking Kenyan shillings (donor supported) and creating their own credit systems (unique to their village) - without inflation. $100 USD locked into such a CIC reserve creates 400 tokens that are used as a local medium of exchange and being valued locally as a social credit 1:1 with the National Currency. This provides a substitute for lacking Kenyan Shillings - while still allowing exchange into Kenyan Shillings and market stabilization. If a CIC's reserves are depleted and the issuer (a group of women or even a bank) is offering services, market forces will rebuild that reserve in order to mint CICs and purchase those services. CICs are essentially a share of the common's economy using them.**	
+
+
+What is important about this concept is that it de-risks credit issuance and can be done ala secure and transparent blockchain contracts. What is revolutionary about it is that women's groups in Kenya are already doing this. They are locking Kenyan shillings (donor supported) and creating their own credit systems (unique to their village) - without inflation. $100 USD locked into such a CIC reserve creates 400 tokens that are used as a local medium of exchange and being valued locally as a social credit 1:1 with the National Currency. This provides a substitute for lacking Kenyan Shillings - while still allowing exchange into Kenyan Shillings and market stabilization. If a CIC's reserves are depleted and the issuer (a group of women or even a bank) is offering services, market forces will rebuild that reserve in order to mint CICs and purchase those services. CICs are essentially a share of the common's economy using them.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Current banking policies are not working to enrich or support marginalized communities - rather they are extractive. Could the IMF and Commercial banks learn from women in rural Kenya how to create a decentralized and de-risked (transparently 100% backed) credit system? - I think so.
+

content/blog/kenyas-food.rst

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+:title: Kenya's Food Exports vs Food Aids
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Jan 8, 2013
+:slug: kenyas-food
+ 
+:summary: Amazing as it may sound Kenya exports over 3 billion dollars worth of food! The World Food Program says that Kenya has a yearly need of...
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/kenyas-food24.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Amazing as it may sound Kenya exports over 3 billion dollars worth of food! 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The World Food Program says that Kenya has a yearly need of $300 million USD to pay for food aid, while exporters brag that Kenya exported roughly $3 billion USD in food products in 2010.
+
+
+
+The World Food Program says that Kenya has a yearly need of $300 million USD to pay for food aid, while exporters brag that Kenya exported roughly $3 billion USD in food products in 2010.
+
+
+
+The World Food Program says that Kenya has a yearly need of $300 million USD to pay for food aid, while exporters brag that Kenya exported roughly $3 billion USD in food products in 2010.
+
+	`says <http://www.wfp.org/countries/kenya/operations>`_		`brag <http://www.indexmundi.com/trade/exports/?country=ke>`_	
+
+ 
+
+
+
+For every one dollar in food-aid Kenya receives, it exports ten dollars of food! How can this be? 
+
+	* When fertile land in Kenya is extremely scarce (less than 10% arable land) and over 1 million people in the country are receiving food aid each year?  
+	`scarce <http://en.worldstat.info/Asia/Kenya/Land>`_		* In a country experiencing mass poverty, where does this $3 billion USD go?  
+	`mass poverty <http://www.unicef.org/kenya/overview_4616.html>`_		* If Kenya can produce that much food and EXPORT it ... (The cultivation of fruits, vegetables and flowers alone earned  
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+  
+
+	`  <http://allafrica.com/stories/201209041174.html>`_	
+
+USD in 2011.) Why does it need food aid every year? 
+
+
+
+Whatever way you want to classify it, Kenya is exporting a lot. In a fair and just world the country should be wealthy and just one starving child should be headline news. Instead Kenya is a country where millions barley survive on less than a dollar a day.
+
+
+
+Let this sink in. These numbers boggle the mind .
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Simply put, the companies that are exporting the food, flowers and coffee are mostly foreign owned. The vast majority of the $3 billion dollars does not stay in Kenya. Kenyan minimum wage is about $2 dollars per day. This is not enough money to put children through school and improve your family home. While many Kenyans are employed by these companies, few find the ability to move ahead in life. With poor working conditions and little benefits many Kenyans are simply trapped in these jobs and are unable to save money.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Is Kenya becoming more and more of a Banana Republic and following the poor example of countries like Guatemala?
+
+
+
+Is Kenya becoming more and more of a Banana Republic and following the poor example of countries like Guatemala?
+
+
+
+Is Kenya becoming more and more of a Banana Republic and following the poor example of countries like Guatemala?
+
+	`Banana Republic <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_republic>`_		`Guatemala <http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/01/09-6>`_	
+
+ 
+
+
+
+How does the Kenyan political class allow this? The Ministers of Agriculture in Kenya have a long history of making deals that favor large corporations and not common Kenyans. Is this unfettered capitalism? Can a corporation buy up as much land as they want in Kenya, give Kenyans a meager wage and pay off the correct politicians, and walk away with millions in profit?
+
+
+
+How does the Kenyan political class allow this? The Ministers of Agriculture in Kenya have a long history of making deals that favor large corporations and not common Kenyans. Is this unfettered capitalism? Can a corporation buy up as much land as they want in Kenya, give Kenyans a meager wage and pay off the correct politicians, and walk away with millions in profit?
+
+	`Ministers of Agriculture  <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Agriculture_(Kenya)>`_	
+
+If NGO's and world-wide aid organizations see the amount of food being exported from Kenya, why are they still sending aid?
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Alan Coyne an international aid worker and human rights activist gives aid organizations the benefit of the doubt by stating, "corruption in Kenya is so ingrained that aid organizations like UNFP can do nothing against it. So they simply give food. Not only is the problem corruption but political power and land ownership has been handed down from generation to generation." Indeed, the richest man in Kenya is Uhuru Kenyata, the son of the first president and owner of at least 500,000 acres. (Currently running for president while also facing charges at the ICC).
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Price Waterhouse Coopers found Kenya to be the most financially corrupt country in the world; yes, above Nigeria and Mexico. Transparency International lists Kenya among the worst countries for corruption. UN reports also list Kenya as having the biggest inequalities in Africa.
+
+
+
+Price Waterhouse Coopers found Kenya to be the most financially corrupt country in the world; yes, above Nigeria and Mexico. Transparency International lists Kenya among the worst countries for corruption. UN reports also list Kenya as having the biggest inequalities in Africa.
+
+	`Price Waterhouse Coopers <http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/economic-crime-survey/download-economic-crime-people-culture-controls.jhtml>`_		`UN reports <http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/ken.html>`_	
+
+Regardless of how we got here, current solutions, like food aid, are not solving the problem. 
+
+
+
+So what are some solutions? 
+
+	* Tackle corruption as the major cause of all of Kenya's development problems. Promote Kenyans to take an active roll in making sure Kenyans are not being exploited and can grow their own food. Kenya needs accountable leadership: Look at how both the US and Japan subsidize their farmers and limit imports.  
+	* Kenya instigates regional and a national complementary currency systems to incubate and promote local production similar to the Swiss WIR.  
+	* Kenyans take over management and control of foreign owned corporations; promoting Cooperatives like the Rumuruti Forest Association.  
+	* Businesses make sure that companies are majority locally owned, and are socially responsible to make sure there is no need for food aid.  
+	* International food aid stops! Food aid for Kenya should come from Kenya ... period. Obviously there is enough food being produced in Kenya to feed Kenyans. Aid food kills the market for local industries.  
+	* Foreign aid funding is directed solely at fighting corruption, building cooperatives and supporting Kenyan-owned businesses. 
+
+
+Lets put a stop to all this nonsense that is causing more and more people to suffer!
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+#environment #agriculture #corruption #aid
+
+
+
+#environment #agriculture #corruption #aid
+
+
+
+#environment #agriculture #corruption #aid
+
+	`#environment <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/environment>`_	
+
+#environment
+
+	`#agriculture <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/agriculture>`_	
+
+#agriculture
+
+	`#corruption <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/corruption>`_	
+
+#corruption
+
+	`#aid <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/aid>`_	
+
+#aid
+

content/blog/kiberas-lindi-pesa.rst

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+:title: Kibera's Lindi-Pesa Gaining Momentum
+:author: Robin Gerbaux
+:date: Jun 10, 2015
+:slug: kiberas-lindi-pesa
+ 
+:summary: June 6th 2015 was bound to be a typical morning in Kibera - but Saturday morning, the inhabitants of Kibera, the biggest slum of Nairobi,...
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+June 6th 2015 was bound to be a typical morning in Kibera - but Saturday morning, the inhabitants of Kibera, the biggest slum of Nairobi, saw their daily routine disturbed by the sound of children, tamtam, klaxons and a megaphone when a vibrant and empowered group marched through the streets, cheering and distributing flyers about something called “Lindi-Pesa“.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The march was organized by the Lindi Business Network to raise awareness in the community of Kibera about Lindi-Pesa, the third community currency of Nairobi that will be launched in the coming months. The group already has over 120 small businesses pre-registered and waiting for the launch!
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The group that attended the march was composed of members of Lindi Business network that answered the call of the committee members equipped with a megaphone, pupils from member schools, a group of drummers and a dozen boda-boda's (motorcycles). Members of the committees of Kangemi Business Network and Gatina Business organization were also there to represent the already existing currencies (Gatina-Pesa and Kangemi-Pesa).
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The march across Kibera was 3 km long and the lasted two hours. The businesses along the way were given flyers about the community currency and the chairman lost his voice speaking through the megaphone! The walkers were very energetic and even the rain didn’t stop the older members of the troop from dancing to the rhythm of the drums.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Once the destination was reached, the chairman of Gatina Business Organisation, Francis Wanjala and Lindi Business Network George Owino gave a speech and the participants were offered drinks bought from one of the member. We warmly thank Citizen Radio for covering the event - And also the participation of Nyendo-lernen. Two German students, part of Nyendo-lernen, attended the event, one of whose hands are part of the design of the Lindi-Pesa itself!
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The march was a success and we hope, as the chairman of Gatina Business Organisation told the participants of the march, that the Lindi-Pesa will surpass in users and dynamism all the other currencies launched so far.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+About the author - Robin Gerbaux is studying International Development Studies as a graduate student at the Université Joseph Fourier, in Grenoble, France. He has been investigating community currencies while living in Nairobi.
+
+
+
+Many thanks to our partners Nyendo-lernen, Lush Cosmetics and DOEN for making this a reality.
+
+
+
+#kibera #nairobi
+
+	`#kibera <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/kibera>`_	
+
+#kibera
+
+	`#nairobi <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/nairobi>`_	
+
+#nairobi
+

content/blog/kilifi-kenya.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+:title: Kilifi Kenya - a hub for Community Driven Basic Income
+:author: Isavary Khabuqwi
+:date: Feb 10
+:slug: kilifi-kenya
+:modified:  Feb 12
+:summary: The current reality is that following Covid-19 many have fallen deeper and deeper into debt. However, most individuals would still not...
+:tags: Kilifi,Kenya,debt,Basic Income,community currency
+
+
+
+The current reality is that following Covid-19 many have fallen deeper and deeper into debt. However, most individuals would still not openly disclose this reality to avoid the negative connotation that comes with owing. Imagine a world where household debt is no longer an individual burden, but rather a tool to build a strong local economy?  Instead of waiting for Kenyan Shillings from the government or donors, basic income programs built via community currencies like Sarafu are communalizing  and trading debt to reduce poverty. A perfect example of this is the diverse and welcoming population of Kilifi, who have begun to accept a basic income (locally called Sarafu) for goods and services, as a way of reverting the loss they would have incurred through stagnate loans and markets. 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/kilifi-kenya21.webp
+
+
+
+Residents of Kilifi like Kimmy Katana above at Red House, are accepting their role in driving economic change by embracing a different outlook to financial freedom. 
+
+
+
+The implementation of a basic income program in Kilifi, as developed by Grassroots Economics and supported by the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS), helps ''Kilifians'' choose to collectively curb the issue of prolonged debt amongst the vulnerable in the community. Thanks to the local sub-chief, Mr. Tony Tuva, the program exists as hope for a better future by empowering communities to build prospering economies. 
+
+
+
+What Sarafu means for me…
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/kilifi-kenya49.webp
+
+
+
+When a Kilfi resident, like Pascaline Wanjiku, accepts to receive Sarafu, she offers her customers a way out of debt. This means that rather than continuing my debt streak, I get an opportunity to clear my existing debt with the Kenya shillings I save when I purchase her bed sheets using Sarafu. Apart from helping the community, a user like Jesse Komora (a boda boda) accepting Sarafu from Pascaline for a ride then re-spending it to buy a shirt, is ensuring circulation continues rather than stagnation of debt and local markets. 
+
+
+
+Market Days
+
+
+
+Kilifians come to weekly Sarafu market days to sell goods and services using basic income (Sarafu ya Jamii). One such market happens at Mnarani Chief’s office behind MTG grounds each Sunday and is an ideal place to meet other people who believe in community driven basic income. This is an opportunity to buy and sell with Sarafu to support yourself and the economy while exploring your social-entrepreneurial spirit. 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/kilifi-kenya81.webp
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/kilifi-kenya96.webp
+
+
+
+Anyone can receive a basic income in Sarafu by dialing *384*96# or call 0757628885 for more information. This national service is free and available to all Kenyans thanks to the Red Cross. Kilifians who don’t need a basic income, often support others by giving theirs to those in need and accepting it for goods and services or in place of debt.
+
+	**Anyone can receive a basic income in Sarafu by dialing *384*96# or call 0757628885 for more information. This national service is free and available to all Kenyans thanks to the Red Cross. Kilifians who don’t need a basic income, often support others by giving theirs to those in need and accepting it for goods and services or in place of debt.**	
+
+
+Anyone can receive a basic income in Sarafu by dialing *384*96# or call 0757628885 for more information. This national service is free and available to all Kenyans thanks to the Red Cross. Kilifians who don’t need a basic income, often support others by giving theirs to those in need and accepting it for goods and services or in place of debt.
+
+
+
+While these are the early days of Kilifi embracing a basic income it is wonderful to be part of such a vibrant and diverse community!
+
+
+
+Follow the flow ... 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/kilifi-kenya125.webp
+

content/blog/kwaheri-2015.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+:title: Kwaheri 2015 - Community Service and Results
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Dec 16, 2015
+:slug: kwaheri-2015
+ 
+:summary: Five Community Currency (CC) trading business networks in Kenya have started their end of the year activities, using collected membership...
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Five Community Currency (CC) trading business networks in Kenya have started their end of the year activities, using collected membership dues in CC as a community fund to care for the needy. A lot has happened this year. With only ~2,000 Euros worth of CC in circulation between five networks, we're seeing as much as 350 Euros of daily trade. This makes a huge impact on the lives of small businesses and schools in informal settlements.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Trade Volume
+
+
+
+ 
+
+	* Amount in circulation: 216,000 Kenyan Shillings (1,911 EUR)  
+	* Daily Circulation estimate in November. 39,430 Kenyan Shillings. This is 18% of total in circulation traded daily. (358 EUR)* This is a low estimate for average yearly as we approach holiday seasons.  
+	* Monthly Circulation: ~1,118,000 Kenyan Shillings (10,750 EUR)  
+	* Yearly Circulation: ~14,000,000 Kenyan Shillings (129,000 EUR) This as new trade within five low income informal settlements. 
+
+
+The amount of trade is more than 200% higher than the amount of funding it has taken to setup these programs and will continue to grow.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+CC Users 
+
+
+
+CC Users 
+
+
+
+CC Users 
+
+	* Business Network Members: 599 
+	* Schools: 18 
+	* Teachers: 72 
+	* Community Fund beneficiaries outside of Networks( such as service work participants): ~500. 
+	* Saving & Loan Members: ~100 
+
+
+Secondary Users 
+
+
+
+Secondary Users 
+
+
+
+Secondary Users 
+
+	* Students: 540 
+	* Family members: ~3000 
+	* Surrounding communities depending on businesses and schools: 100,000 (at roughly 20k people in each community around the shops) 
+
+
+Typical CC Uses
+
+
+
+General Trade 
+
+
+
+General Trade 
+
+
+
+General Trade 
+
+	* Increases to sales and customers 
+	* Not going hungry and stability during poor markets 
+	* Offering CC as change during National Currency sales. 
+
+
+Schools 
+
+
+
+Schools 
+
+
+
+Schools 
+
+	* Higher enrollment and less student debt 
+	* Teacher salary advances 
+
+
+Open Air Markets 
+
+
+
+Open Air Markets 
+
+
+
+Open Air Markets 
+
+	* Selling more stock and getting new clients 
+	* Public usage of CC during event 
+
+
+Savings and Loan 
+
+
+
+Savings and Loan 
+
+
+
+Savings and Loan 
+
+	* Ability to save and invest. Networks savings increasing. 
+
+
+Community Services 
+
+
+
+Community Services 
+
+
+
+Community Services 
+
+	* Waste Collection, care for the needy, sports events, networking and cooking, school events. 

content/blog/lindi-and.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+:title: Lindi and Ng'ombeni Pesa Launched
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Aug 19, 2015
+:slug: lindi-and
+ 
+:summary: The 4th and 5th Kenyan Community Currencies were launched last week within a span of 7 days. We now have our 3rd Nairobi Currency in...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/lindi-and18.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The 4th and 5th Kenyan Community Currencies were launched last week within a span of 7 days. We now have our 3rd Nairobi Currency in Kibera, known as the Lindi-Pesa - linking together with Kangemi-Pesa and Gatina-Pesa in Kawangware. In Mombasa, we have Ng'ombeni-Pesa, the first currency to branch out of Bangla-Pesa in Mikindani. These were our first launches to feature our new Community Currency User Guide and Quiz as well as directories for all the business and school members.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+These five Community Currencies in Kenya are significant not only because they network and empower more than 500 small businesses and schools, but also because they are able to grow horizontally by demonstrating to their neighbors how the programs work and what benefits they have. Each community currency is owned and operated by Community Based Organizations (CBOs) which are made up of small businesses and schools in the area that back and issue the currency.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Lindi-Pesa comes from the Lindi-Location inside East Africa's largest slum – Kibera. With a shifting and growing population Kibera is reported to house up to half a million people, living in extremely harsh conditions. The Lindi Business Network consists of several schools, nurseries and more than 100 small businesses. This group of over 90% women run businesses, has already taken the community currency concept and run with it. The Lindi-Pesa launch was graced by the presence of the area Chief and the Deputy Commissioner officer (DC) who officially cut the ribbon on behalf of local government. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Ng'ombeni-Pesa or (Cow Money) comes the the Kwa Ng'ombe area of Mikindani, Mombasa, not far from the original Bangla-Pesa location. A group of women took up the call to create a business network after they saw the example of Bangla-Pesa. While smaller than Lindi with roughly 85 members so far, they are growing fast. Women from the group used the currency launch event to put on a fashion show for dresses they created themselves, as well as to exhibit a variety of goods they make and sell - such as liquid detergent soap. In attendance was Hon. Twalib Badii the Member of Parliament who supported Bangla-Pesa during its shaky start in 2003. Also in attendance was a representative of the local Sentator and Women's representative, as well as Mr. Wangare the local Councilor. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+For their help in making these two currencies a reality we offer a special thanks to: 
+
+
+
+For their help in making these two currencies a reality we offer a special thanks to: 
+
+
+
+For their help in making these two currencies a reality we offer a special thanks to: 
+
+	* For the Lindi and Ng'ombeni Business Networks - for taking on these programs and showing us how to use them. 
+	* Nyendo-lernen who are dedicated to helping Kenyan schools and are featured on the Lindi and Ng'ombeni vouchers. 
+	* Chiemgauer - for helping with the printing and specialty paper 
+	* Stichen DOEN - who supported both currencies through implementation. 
+	* LUSH Cosmetics - who assisted with Kangemi and Lindi-Pesa 
+	* Carol Opondo and Tatjana Posavec for their artistic talents doing the original art and graphic design for the currencies. 
+	* For the Grassroots Economics Team - especially Robin Gerbaux for his work on the directories and user guide - who will be heading back to France in September. 
+
+
+South Africa: This last month the 2nd Community Currency following the original Bangla-Pesa model was launched in Kokstad, South Africa. We're extremely proud of the FlowAfrica.org team on there work there and hope they can keep up the momentum.
+
+
+
+South Africa: This last month the 2nd Community Currency following the original Bangla-Pesa model was launched in Kokstad, South Africa. We're extremely proud of the FlowAfrica.org team on there work there and hope they can keep up the momentum.
+
+	`FlowAfrica.org <http://FlowAfrica.org>`_	

content/blog/lindi-business.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+:title: Lindi Business Network Gumbaru Trainings
+:author: Daniel Mukosia
+:date: Mar 4, 2018
+:slug: lindi-business
+ 
+:summary: Empowering women is  a great ways to boast our economy . This however  doesn't come without  facing challenges of Illitracy  among most...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/lindi-business18.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Empowering women is  a great ways to boast our economy . This however  doesn't come without  facing challenges of Illitracy  among most members.  Many of them lack reading and writing skills and others can't understand English. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+GE finds it's important to support the women and men through Gumbaru school. By paying 20 sarafu credit money people are able to assist classes taught by our volunteer Carol where they can learn basic reading and writing skills and thus be able to carry out daily financial transaction without any difficulties. The money received for these lessons is  used to purchase chalkdust and pens at LBN shop in Kibera. 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+#education #sarafu
+
+	`#education <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/education>`_	
+
+#education
+
+	`#sarafu <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/sarafu>`_	
+
+#sarafu
+

content/blog/liquidity-risk.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+:title: Liquidity Risk in Community Currency
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Jan 17, 2017
+:slug: liquidity-risk
+ 
+:summary: We're very happy to start the year with a visit from our Director of Risk Management Jimmy Heyns from Belgium with over 18 years of...
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+We're very happy to start the year with a visit from our Director of Risk Management Jimmy Heyns from Belgium with over 18 years of international experience in the Financial Industry. As our community currencies move more and more toward cooperative toolsets for creating liquidity based on assets, we've been seeking to have a stronger and stronger credit policy.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+As of 2016 there are thousands Complementary Currency Programs worldwide. Given this is still an unregulated industry the collateral requirements of the organization issuing community currency don't really exist. In the worst cases organizations can issue much more credit than they have any tangible backing for. 
+
+
+
+As of 2016 there are thousands Complementary Currency Programs worldwide. Given this is still an unregulated industry the collateral requirements of the organization issuing community currency don't really exist. In the worst cases organizations can issue much more credit than they have any tangible backing for. 
+
+
+
+As of 2016 there are thousands Complementary Currency Programs worldwide. Given this is still an unregulated industry the collateral requirements of the organization issuing community currency don't really exist. In the worst cases organizations can issue much more credit than they have any tangible backing for. 
+
+	* Generally all this credit ends up at the most popular shops 
+	* Those shops stops accepting it because they can't use it fast enough. 
+	* Other shops start to default – causing a chain reaction (reputation risk). 
+	* If everyone then wants to cash out – there isn't even enough euros (collateral) to satisfy them. This is basic Liquidity Risk. The organization is acting like an unregulated bank and issuing tons of uncollateralized credit to consumers. 
+
+
+If a community currency is being used in a commercial business – there must be some assurance that, that business won't get stuck with too much community currency. In the simulation there are enough cascading defaults that there is a critical system failure. Essentially the currency was a bubble that could not be sustained. This is bad for businesses and the economy at large.
+
+
+
+When we first started we used mutual guarantee. Where members would back other members. And disputes were moderated. This was great at small scale but hard to implement for more than 100 business. So what we did was being to create cooperative businesses that were the liquid and asset collateral basis for the community currency.
+
+
+
+So what do we recommend? 
+
+
+
+So what do we recommend? 
+
+
+
+So what do we recommend? 
+
+	* First that all currency is backed fully in cooperatively owned liquid and physical assets. This means creating cooperative businesses in these communities that offer security for the currency. 
+	* Second we allow for a steam release valve - which we call Credit-clearing. If you keep adding heat to a system – it gets too hot and needs a way to cool off – or it will explode. If business such as schools collect too much currency over a short period of time, we give them a way to exchange for national currency or other assets that the cooperative keeps as collateral. 
+	* The amount of liquid (cash) collateral vs Asset collateral (stock or other assets) that needs to be kept on hand for credit-clearing is based on a risk analysis. We're lucky to have a risk manager on our board that can set our standards higher than those of the banking industry. 
+	`#liquidityrisk <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/liquidityrisk>`_	
+
+#liquidityrisk
+

content/blog/looking-back.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,202 @@
+:title: Looking Back at 40,000 Blockchain Transactions
+:author: Caroline Dama
+:date: Jul 12, 2019
+:slug: looking-back
+ 
+:summary: So far, after roughly 6 months of piloting we've witnessed 40,000 blockchain transactions! So what does that actually mean?
+ 
+
+
+
+So far, after roughly 6 months of piloting we've witnessed 40,000 blockchain transactions! So what does that actually mean?
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+4,065 Kenyans representing families living below the poverty line have traded 3,263,081 Kenyan Shillings worth of goods and services (about 30,000 USD) with each other - ensuring more stable trade than with the often scarce Kenyan Shillings. Using their community currencies, like Miyani-Pesa on the Sarafu network, people have supported themselves and bought from each other:
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/looking-back27.webp
+
+	* 2,567 daily farming wages have been paid  
+	* 54,928 servings of vegetables  
+	* 5,361 kilos of flour  
+	* 2,506 rides on local transport  
+	* 843 school tuition payments  
+	* 484,404 liters of water  
+	* 59 visits to the doctor 
+	**Note these are general services and products among categories of vendors - many more are being traded.*
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+(Chart shows enrollment in our pilot programs. Each user is given, free of charge, 400 Community Currency Tokens with which to trade.)
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Most if not at all of these purchases would not have happened otherwise. We're encouraged by community members embracing community currencies to access resources that would otherwise go underutilized, and taking the opportunity to save their valuable Kenyan Shillings. This translates to children staying in school, families being better nourished, workers earning a reliable income, and so much more.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+What are we looking forward to: 
+
+	* Open source code and systems that allow any community to create their own medium of exchange to supplement scarce national currencies and create resilient markets.  
+	* Voting systems to help communities manage their currencies, raise local taxes and support social services.  
+	* Connection to stable tokens that allow people to support community currencies that build thriving economies as a new form of Cash Transfer Programming.  
+	* Responding to the worldwide refugee crisis through Refugee Inclusive Community Currencies that help regions develop credit and employ refugees.  
+	* Working with internal savings and loaning women's groups, which are key hubs in the community. 
+
+
+What we need to get there: 
+
+	* Developers to build an open and full stack solution.  
+	* Supporters and partners to help fund these solutions and spread the information through online courses and resource centers.  
+	* Researchers to analyse data to improve our systems and help spread these concepts.  
+	* Volunteers to work in Kenyan communities to explain and expand on these programs. 
+
+
+Community currencies are well-named, in that it takes an entire network of people to make them work. Our thanks go to the community members, ambassadors, volunteers, staff, supporters, and partners who have contributed their time and belief to get us to 40,000 transactions. If you'd like to get involved reach out to us. Here's to the next 40,000 - 80,000 - 100,000!
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+#quarterlyupdate #blockchain #transactions #Kenya #impacts
+
+
+
+#quarterlyupdate #blockchain #transactions #Kenya #impacts
+
+
+
+#quarterlyupdate #blockchain #transactions #Kenya #impacts
+
+
+
+#quarterlyupdate #blockchain #transactions #Kenya #impacts
+
+	`#quarterlyupdate <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/quarterlyupdate>`_	
+
+#quarterlyupdate
+
+	`#blockchain <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/blockchain>`_	
+
+#blockchain
+
+	`#transactions <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/transactions>`_	
+
+#transactions
+
+	`#Kenya <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/Kenya>`_	
+
+#Kenya
+
+	`#impacts <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/impacts>`_	
+
+#impacts
+
+:title: Looking Back at 40,000 Blockchain Transactions
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Jul 12, 2019
+:slug: looking-back
+ 
+:summary: So far this year, after roughly 6 months of piloting we've witnessed 40,000 transactions!
+4,065 Kenyans representing families living below
+ 
+
+
+
+So far, after roughly 6 months of piloting we've witnessed 40,000 blockchain transactions! So what does that actually mean?
+
+
+
+4,065 Kenyans representing families living below the poverty line have traded 3,263,081 Kenyan Shillings worth of goods and services (about 30,000 USD) with each other - ensuring more stable trade than with the often scarce Kenyan Shillings. Using their community currencies, like Miyani-Pesa on the Sarafu network, people have supported themselves and bought from each other:
+
+	**4,065 Kenyans representing families living below the poverty line have traded 3,263,081 Kenyan Shillings worth of goods and services (about 30,000 USD) with each other - ensuring more stable trade than with the often scarce Kenyan Shillings. Using their community currencies, like Miyani-Pesa on the Sarafu network, people have supported themselves and bought from each other:**	
+
+
+4,065 Kenyans representing families living below the poverty line have traded 3,263,081 Kenyan Shillings worth of goods and services (about 30,000 USD) with each other - ensuring more stable trade than with the often scarce Kenyan Shillings. Using their community currencies, like Miyani-Pesa on the Sarafu network, people have supported themselves and bought from each other:
+
+	*4,065 Kenyans representing families living below the poverty line have traded 3,263,081 Kenyan Shillings worth of goods and services (about 30,000 USD) with each other - ensuring more stable trade than with the often scarce Kenyan Shillings. Using their community currencies, like Miyani-Pesa on the Sarafu network, people have supported themselves and bought from each other:*
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/looking-back26.webp
+
+
+
+Enrollment in our pilot programs - each user is given free of charge 400 Community Currency Tokens to trade with
+
+	* 2,567 daily farming wages have been paid
+	* 54,928 servings of vegetables
+	* 5,361 kilos of flour
+	* 2,506 rides on local transport
+	* 843 school tuition payments
+	* 484,404 liters of water
+	* 59 visits to the doctor
+	* *Note these are general services and products among categories of vendors - many more are being traded.
+
+
+Most if not at all of these purchases would not have happened otherwise. We're encouraged by community members embracing community currencies to access resources that would otherwise go underutilized, and taking the opportunity to save their valuable Kenyan Shillings. This translates to children staying in school, families being better nourished, workers earning a reliable income, and so much more.
+
+
+
+What are we looking forward to:
+
+	* Open source code and systems that allow any community to create their own medium of exchange to supplement scarce national currencies and create resilient markets.
+	* Voting systems to help communities manage their currencies, raise local taxes and support social services.
+	* Connection to stable tokens that allow people to support community currencies that build thriving economies as a new form of Cash Transfer Programming.
+	* Responding to the worldwide refugee crisis through Refugee Inclusive Community Currencies that help regions develop credit and employ refugees.
+	* Working with internal savings and loaning women's groups, which are key hubs in the community.
+
+
+What we need to get there:
+
+	* Developers to build an open and full stack solution.
+	* Supporters and partners to help fund these solutions and spread the information through online courses and resource centers.
+	* Researchers to analyse data to improve our systems and help spread these concepts.
+	* Volunteers to work in Kenyan communities to explain and expand on these programs.
+
+
+Community currencies are well-named, in that it takes an entire network of people to make them work. Our thanks go to the community members, ambassadors, volunteers, staff, supporters, and partners who have contributed their time and belief to get us to 40,000 transactions. If you'd like to get involved reach out to us. Here's to the next 40,000 - 80,000 - 100,000!
+
+
+
+Community currencies are well-named, in that it takes an entire network of people to make them work. Our thanks go to the community members, ambassadors, volunteers, staff, supporters, and partners who have contributed their time and belief to get us to 40,000 transactions. If you'd like to get involved reach out to us. Here's to the next 40,000 - 80,000 - 100,000!
+
+	`reach out to us <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/contact>`_	

content/blog/looking-towards.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+:title: Looking Towards 2015
+:author: Will Ruddick
+:date: Dec 19, 2014
+:slug: looking-towards
+ 
+:summary: 2014 has been an intense year developing the structures to allow community currency programs to one day become accessible across Africa....
+ 
+
+
+
+2014 has been an intense year developing the structures to allow community currency programs to one day become accessible across Africa. Besides our currency programs we have also worked with hundreds of street living youth in Kenya, to help them reintegrate with society. We're looking forward to 2015! In 2014 we: 
+
+
+
+2014 has been an intense year developing the structures to allow community currency programs to one day become accessible across Africa. Besides our currency programs we have also worked with hundreds of street living youth in Kenya, to help them reintegrate with society. We're looking forward to 2015! In 2014 we: 
+
+
+
+2014 has been an intense year developing the structures to allow community currency programs to one day become accessible across Africa. Besides our currency programs we have also worked with hundreds of street living youth in Kenya, to help them reintegrate with society. We're looking forward to 2015! In 2014 we: 
+
+	* continued to monitor the first and now vibrant community currency program in Kenya. Looking back, our first award winning pilot in 2010 Eco-Pesa gave us the tools to implement and develop Bangla-Pesa starting in 2012 Via mutual credit backing and circulating vouchers. Bangla-Pesa has enabled over 3 million shillings worth of trade in an impoverished informal settlement in Mombasa. We've measured as much as an 80% increase in sales revenue in the community during poor market conditions, through better utilization of excess capacity and interconnectedness between small over 300 informal businesses.  
+	* Set a legal precedent by defending our programs in court. 
+	* enabled networks of businesses to save Kenyan Shillings for investment and cooperative enterprises. 
+	* duplicated Bangla-Pesa now in Nairobi's Kawangware informal settlement with Gatina-Pesa(named after Gatina location where it is centered.) There are 4 schools in Mombasa and 4 so far in Nairobi accepting community currency for school fees, helping to raise and stabilize teachers salaries. 
+	* established community currency as a low cost innovation that can be spread to communities across Africa 
+	* collaborated with and trained the FLOW team in South Africa to implement in two municipalities in South Africa, which will launch community currencies in mid 2015. The team in South Africa led by John Ziniades and Anna Cowen from Cape Town are doing amazing work. The teams of FLOW Ambassadors that they are creating to help implement these programs along with their support from local municipalities really set them apart from other CC programs. 
+	* presented community currencies at an international 
+
+
+In 2015 we will: 
+
+
+
+In 2015 we will: 
+
+
+
+In 2015 we will: 
+
+	* Form a foundation to help establish legislation, expand research and implement more community currency programs. 
+	* Start another 4 currencies in Kenya (2 in Nairobi and 2 more in Mombasa Counties) Thanks to Lush Cosmetics and DOEN! 
+	* Assist in 2 more currencies being implemented in South Africa 
+	* Assist local government to be able to monitor and manage community currency programs. 
+	* We hope - find the support to create an office for East Africa promoting community currency programs. 
+
+
+#gatina #bangla
+
+	`#gatina <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/gatina>`_	
+
+#gatina
+
+	`#bangla <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/bangla>`_	
+
+#bangla
+

content/blog/managing-their.rst

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+:title: Managing their Own Economy during Crisis
+:author: Ruth Njau & Antony Ngoka
+:date: May 23, 2020
+:slug: managing-their
+ 
+:summary: She is a powerhouse making her community thrive during crisis and charting a path toward a resilient economic recovery.
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/managing-their14.webp
+
+
+
+Laurence and his brother together run the Blues Hotel - a small take away restaurant specializing in delicious chapati. Anyone in Mukuru Kayaba’s Kambi Moto village can come buy food there using Sarafu (a Community Inclusion Currency (CIC) - 400 Sarafu (USD $4) as well as a basic income is given freely to community members as part of a Red Cross initiative to support local economies during crisis) 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/managing-their28.webp
+
+
+
+Over the last 1 month they have had 268 clients come buy over $3,000 USD worth of their cooked food!  What makes it even more amazing is that they have spent an equivalent of $2,600 USD of Sarafu to purchase cooking oil, fuel and wheat flour for their business. Circular economy - circular chapati!
+
+
+
+Over the last 1 month they have had 268 clients come buy over $3,000 USD worth of their cooked food!  What makes it even more amazing is that they have spent an equivalent of $2,600 USD of Sarafu to purchase cooking oil, fuel and wheat flour for their business. Circular economy - circular chapati!
+
+
+
+Over the last 1 month they have had 268 clients come buy over $3,000 USD worth of their cooked food!  What makes it even more amazing is that they have spent an equivalent of $2,600 USD of Sarafu to purchase cooking oil, fuel and wheat flour for their business. Circular economy - circular chapati!
+
+
+
+Over the last 1 month they have had 268 clients come buy over $3,000 USD worth of their cooked food!  What makes it even more amazing is that they have spent an equivalent of $2,600 USD of Sarafu to purchase cooking oil, fuel and wheat flour for their business. Circular economy - circular chapati!
+
+
+
+Over the last 1 month they have had 268 clients come buy over $3,000 USD worth of their cooked food!  What makes it even more amazing is that they have spent an equivalent of $2,600 USD of Sarafu to purchase cooking oil, fuel and wheat flour for their business. Circular economy - circular chapati!
+
+
+
+Over the last 1 month they have had 268 clients come buy over $3,000 USD worth of their cooked food!  What makes it even more amazing is that they have spent an equivalent of $2,600 USD of Sarafu to purchase cooking oil, fuel and wheat flour for their business. Circular economy - circular chapati!
+
+
+
+Over the last 1 month they have had 268 clients come buy over $3,000 USD worth of their cooked food!  What makes it even more amazing is that they have spent an equivalent of $2,600 USD of Sarafu to purchase cooking oil, fuel and wheat flour for their business. Circular economy - circular chapati!
+
+
+
+Over the last 1 month they have had 268 clients come buy over $3,000 USD worth of their cooked food!  What makes it even more amazing is that they have spent an equivalent of $2,600 USD of Sarafu to purchase cooking oil, fuel and wheat flour for their business. Circular economy - circular chapati!
+
+
+
+Over the last 1 month they have had 268 clients come buy over $3,000 USD worth of their cooked food!  What makes it even more amazing is that they have spent an equivalent of $2,600 USD of Sarafu to purchase cooking oil, fuel and wheat flour for their business. Circular economy - circular chapati!
+
+
+
+Over the last 1 month they have had 268 clients come buy over $3,000 USD worth of their cooked food!  What makes it even more amazing is that they have spent an equivalent of $2,600 USD of Sarafu to purchase cooking oil, fuel and wheat flour for their business. Circular economy - circular chapati!
+
+
+
+Over the last 1 month they have had 268 clients come buy over $3,000 USD worth of their cooked food!  What makes it even more amazing is that they have spent an equivalent of $2,600 USD of Sarafu to purchase cooking oil, fuel and wheat flour for their business. Circular economy - circular chapati!
+
+
+
+1
+
+
+
+268
+
+
+
+3
+
+
+
+,
+
+
+
+000
+
+
+
+USD
+
+
+
+of
+
+
+
+!
+
+
+
+of
+
+
+
+2
+
+
+
+,
+
+
+
+600
+
+
+
+USD
+
+
+
+of
+
+
+
+ to purchase cooking oil
+
+
+
+,
+
+
+
+ fuel and wheat flour 
+
+
+
+for
+
+
+
+ their business
+
+
+
+.
+
+
+
+ Circular economy 
+
+
+
+-
+
+
+
+ circular chapati
+
+
+
+!
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/managing-their103.webp
+
+
+
+Vincent and his mother have used Sarafu for the past 8 months providing different delicacies to the people of Mukuru Kayaba. They have decided to support their community in Mukuru by accepting Sarafu from any customer and also they spend their CIC by buying wheat flour,beans and other products from different outlets.
+
+
+
+Over the last month they have had 123 customers and sold $840 USD by accepting Sarafu when Kenyan Shillings is scarce and they have spent roughly the same amount on their own basic needs - creating and maintaining a circular economy.
+
+
+
+Over the last month they have had 123 customers and sold $840 USD by accepting Sarafu when Kenyan Shillings is scarce and they have spent roughly the same amount on their own basic needs - creating and maintaining a circular economy.
+
+
+
+Over the last month they have had 123 customers and sold $840 USD by accepting Sarafu when Kenyan Shillings is scarce and they have spent roughly the same amount on their own basic needs - creating and maintaining a circular economy.
+
+
+
+Over the last month they have had 123 customers and sold $840 USD by accepting Sarafu when Kenyan Shillings is scarce and they have spent roughly the same amount on their own basic needs - creating and maintaining a circular economy.
+
+
+
+Over the last month they have had 123 customers and sold $840 USD by accepting Sarafu when Kenyan Shillings is scarce and they have spent roughly the same amount on their own basic needs - creating and maintaining a circular economy.
+
+
+
+123
+
+
+
+840
+
+
+
+USD
+
+
+
+-
+
+
+
+.
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/managing-their135.webp
+
+
+
+Susan is a mother and tailor in Mukuru. She was started using CICs 2 months ago and she also registered her Women's Savings Group into the network. Susan and the group members work tirelessly in order to provide masks to people in her community by selling them using Sarafu. She uses the currency to purchase food for her family and also save some in the group since national currency is scarce at the moment.
+
+
+
+In the last month Sarah has sold $756 USD worth of masks to over 100 people. Need a mask? Talk to Susan!
+
+
+
+In the last month Sarah has sold $756 USD worth of masks to over 100 people. Need a mask? Talk to Susan!
+
+
+
+In the last month Sarah has sold $756 USD worth of masks to over 100 people. Need a mask? Talk to Susan!
+
+
+
+In the last month Sarah has sold $756 USD worth of masks to over 100 people. Need a mask? Talk to Susan!
+
+
+
+In the last month Sarah has sold $756 USD worth of masks to over 100 people. Need a mask? Talk to Susan!
+
+
+
+In the last month Sarah has sold $756 USD worth of masks to over 100 people. Need a mask? Talk to Susan!
+
+
+
+In the last month Sarah has sold $756 USD worth of masks to over 100 people. Need a mask? Talk to Susan!
+
+
+
+756
+
+
+
+USD
+
+
+
+of
+
+
+
+100
+
+
+
+.
+
+
+
+?
+
+
+
+!
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/managing-their169.webp
+
+
+
+This guy is amazing! Victor joined the network of Sarafu users 2 months ago. He is in the jua kali sector and very popular in his area for making metalic doors, desks and even jiko (ovens). He accepts Sarafu in his business since he can as well spend it in order to get food for his family. His business had been stuck due to covid 19 but when he joined Sarafu, customers started coming as they wanted some study desks and metallic doors for their homes and businesses.
+
+
+
+Victor in the last month has had 54 clients and sold $1,246 USD worth of his services using Sarafu
+
+
+
+Victor in the last month has had 54 clients and sold $1,246 USD worth of his services using Sarafu
+
+
+
+Victor in the last month has had 54 clients and sold $1,246 USD worth of his services using Sarafu
+
+
+
+Victor in the last month has had 54 clients and sold $1,246 USD worth of his services using Sarafu
+
+
+
+Victor in the last month has had 54 clients and sold $1,246 USD worth of his services using Sarafu
+
+
+
+Victor in the last month has had 54 clients and sold $1,246 USD worth of his services using Sarafu
+
+
+
+in
+
+
+
+54
+
+
+
+1
+
+
+
+,
+
+
+
+246
+
+
+
+USD
+
+
+
+of
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/managing-their203.webp
+
+
+
+Grace is one of the Red Cross' disaster response team members and is also a caring mother. She has a cereal shop in Mukuru and she feeds more than a hundred households. She joined the network 8 months ago and in this time of the pandemic, she has dedicated her shop to feed even more families by use of the CIC (Sarafu). She has increased her trade volume in order to help families get a meal. In return, Gertrude also spends more of her Sarafu in the community and by doing so, she is able to save the national currency which she uses to buy more stock for her shop.
+
+
+
+Grace is one of the Red Cross' disaster response team members and is also a caring mother. She has a cereal shop in Mukuru and she feeds more than a hundred households. She joined the network 8 months ago and in this time of the pandemic, she has dedicated her shop to feed even more families by use of the CIC (Sarafu). She has increased her trade volume in order to help families get a meal. In return, Gertrude also spends more of her Sarafu in the community and by doing so, she is able to save the national currency which she uses to buy more stock for her shop.
+
+
+
+Gertrude
+
+
+
+Grace has given out $2,286 USD worth of food to 114 community members this month using Sarafu and has spent $2,316 USD on restocking and her family basic needs. She is a powerhouse making her community thrive during crisis and charting a path toward a resilient economic recovery.
+
+
+
+Grace has given out $2,286 USD worth of food to 114 community members this month using Sarafu and has spent $2,316 USD on restocking and her family basic needs. She is a powerhouse making her community thrive during crisis and charting a path toward a resilient economic recovery.
+
+
+
+Grace has given out $2,286 USD worth of food to 114 community members this month using Sarafu and has spent $2,316 USD on restocking and her family basic needs. She is a powerhouse making her community thrive during crisis and charting a path toward a resilient economic recovery.
+
+
+
+Grace has given out $2,286 USD worth of food to 114 community members this month using Sarafu and has spent $2,316 USD on restocking and her family basic needs. She is a powerhouse making her community thrive during crisis and charting a path toward a resilient economic recovery.
+
+
+
+Grace has given out $2,286 USD worth of food to 114 community members this month using Sarafu and has spent $2,316 USD on restocking and her family basic needs. She is a powerhouse making her community thrive during crisis and charting a path toward a resilient economic recovery.
+
+
+
+Grace has given out $2,286 USD worth of food to 114 community members this month using Sarafu and has spent $2,316 USD on restocking and her family basic needs. She is a powerhouse making her community thrive during crisis and charting a path toward a resilient economic recovery.
+
+
+
+Grace has given out $2,286 USD worth of food to 114 community members this month using Sarafu and has spent $2,316 USD on restocking and her family basic needs. She is a powerhouse making her community thrive during crisis and charting a path toward a resilient economic recovery.
+
+
+
+Grace has given out $2,286 USD worth of food to 114 community members this month using Sarafu and has spent $2,316 USD on restocking and her family basic needs. She is a powerhouse making her community thrive during crisis and charting a path toward a resilient economic recovery.
+
+
+
+Grace has given out $2,286 USD worth of food to 114 community members this month using Sarafu and has spent $2,316 USD on restocking and her family basic needs. She is a powerhouse making her community thrive during crisis and charting a path toward a resilient economic recovery.
+
+
+
+2
+
+
+
+,
+
+
+
+286
+
+
+
+USD
+
+
+
+of
+
+
+
+114
+
+
+
+this
+
+
+
+2
+
+
+
+,
+
+
+
+316
+
+
+
+USD
+
+
+
+.
+
+
+
+.
+

content/blog/mangroves-and.rst

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+:title: Mangroves and the Eco-nomy
+:author: Caroline Dama
+:date: Mar 9, 2016
+:slug: mangroves-and
+ 
+:summary: We've been working to replace the need for Mombasa's Bangladesh residents to import food and conserve their environment. Two schools near...
+ 
+
+
+
+.. image:: images/blog/mangroves-and18.webp
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+We've been working to replace the need for Mombasa's Bangladesh residents to import food and conserve their environment. Two schools near a mangrove forest have: 
+
+
+
+We've been working to replace the need for Mombasa's Bangladesh residents to import food and conserve their environment. Two schools near a mangrove forest have: 
+
+
+
+We've been working to replace the need for Mombasa's Bangladesh residents to import food and conserve their environment. Two schools near a mangrove forest have: 
+
+	* begun stabilizing eroded soils by planting grasses and trees 
+	* catching rainwater by installing gutters 
+	* planting vegetables 
+	* and conserving the mangrove forests to stabilize spawning locations for crabs 
+
+
+February has been a great month. The schools have worked hard at their gardens and have tried to bring in water whenever it is needed even though there was a shortage. Baby vegetable seedlings are starting to sprout and the pioneer plants the lemon grass and bamboo are doing well.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+PROGRESS REPORT FOR PERMACULTURE GARDENS IN ST. ANGELINE’S AND ST.PETER AND PAUL
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The setting up of permaculture gardens in the two schools had the following main objectives for Grassroots Economics: 
+
+
+
+The setting up of permaculture gardens in the two schools had the following main objectives for Grassroots Economics: 
+
+
+
+The setting up of permaculture gardens in the two schools had the following main objectives for Grassroots Economics: 
+
+	* Combat the severe soil erosion in the compounds 
+	* Inculcate in the children a sense of social responsibility 
+	* Boost the nutrition of the families by growing vegetables and fruit trees in the gardens 
+	* Link the schools and the community through use of community currency 
+
+
+The objectives are being achieved gradually and the pupils have been working hard at it. Albeit we have had a few challenges but we are on course to set up within six months.
+
+
+
+Combating Severe soil erosion. This objective is being achieved by: 
+
+
+
+Combating Severe soil erosion. This objective is being achieved by: 
+
+
+
+Combating Severe soil erosion. This objective is being achieved by: 
+
+	* i. Setting up tree nurseries that will provide a sustainable way to continuously plant trees even after the targeted six months. The children have set a target of planting trees at least three times their age by the end of the year Tree nurseries have been set for indegenous trees like the Mrabai, Bambakofi and Luceana which will be great pioneer trees as they already grow in the surrounding villages along with the Flamboyant and neem trees. We taught the children to do seed harvesting so we hope to have an explosion of tree species of their choosing as they have fun planting. 
+	* ii. Planting of pioneer trees and plants that will help in covering the ground and also combat soils erosion- this has been started off by the planting of Lemon grass and bamboo which are trees that have roots that can hold soil and are part of companion planting initiatives. The lemon grass can be used for pest control when planted around the vegetable gardens and will also prevent soil loss through erosion. Bamboo planted at the bottom of the slopes will hold water and also when planted at the top will help in cleaning grey water that will run into the kitchen gardens. 
+	* iii. We also ensured to build swales- that will help in slowing water down as it runs down the slope and is a form of natural water harvesting technique. 
+
+
+Inculcating a sense of social responsibility in the children.This has been achieved by: 
+
+
+
+Inculcating a sense of social responsibility in the children.This has been achieved by: 
+
+
+
+Inculcating a sense of social responsibility in the children.This has been achieved by: 
+
+	* i. Holding weekly sensitization classes- for the pupils on the uses of trees and how it is their resposibility to leave the school better than it is. 
+	* ii. We have also partnered with another organizations – so that they can be trained on the benefits of mangroves and how to propagate them. They have also started setting up mangrove nurseries. The mangove will be planted at the beach near the school and it will be their way of giving to the community. 
+
+
+Boosting the Nutrition of the community by planting fruit trees and vegetables. We started this off by ensuring the schools had: 
+
+
+
+Boosting the Nutrition of the community by planting fruit trees and vegetables. We started this off by ensuring the schools had: 
+
+
+
+Boosting the Nutrition of the community by planting fruit trees and vegetables. We started this off by ensuring the schools had: 
+
+	* i. Tanks with gutters- that at the onset of rains they would be able to harvest rain that will in turn nourish the vegetables. 
+	* ii. We also involved the community in digging of swales- that we filled up with manure and dry grass that we left for about for a month that would help in boosting the nutrition content of the severely eroded soils. 
+	* iii. We had the children trained on setting up tree and vegetable nurseries- that they would plant in the swales, and the other small vegetable gardens. Vegetables that are in the seedbed are: Kales, bringles and spinach. We hope to introduce gradually tomatoes, water melons, pumkins and some traditional vegetables as we want them to have a stacked garden with creepers that act as cover crops to retain moisture and other vegetables that grow taller. As for food and fruit trees we will introduce the nitrogen fixing and nutrient enriching Moringa Oliefera whose leaves are medicinal and super rich in nutrients along with paws paws, bananas, grafted mangoes and oranges. We will also introduce sugar cane on areas that pool with water. 
+	* iv. The schools have also been trained on companion planting- so that the know how to plant the vegetables and food trees to ensure maximum yield and using organic pest control methods. 
+
+
+So far each school has two kitchen gardens one that will be mostly vegetables and a few food trees and one that will contain fruit trees and vegetables
+
+
+
+The schools as part of the Sarafu – Credit community currency.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+At the onset we had meetings with the schools with one of the Bangla-Pesa representatives who would act as a link between the business community and the school. The lady Sylvia Osodo will ensure that when the community is involved in program is involved in the program especially the youth the business network can pay part of the labor fees in Sarafu-Credit from the community basket whenever the need for payment arises.
+
+
+
+We envision however the community will gradually take part especially ones within the business network and once we harvest the vegetables we could have the business community buy in part Kenya Shillings and Sarafu-Credit and at a subsidized rate than they would get at the Market and have the schools in turn purchase goods or services from the Business community on normal days and especially during market days.
+
+
+
+#bangla #environment #mombasa
+
+
+
+#bangla #environment #mombasa
+
+	`#bangla <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/bangla>`_	
+
+#bangla
+
+	`#environment <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/environment>`_	
+
+#environment
+
+	`#mombasa <https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/blog/hashtags/mombasa>`_	
+
+#mombasa
+