Excerpt
I discuss the critical role that community and meetups play in driving Bitcoin adoption and education, especially in Africa. Watch now to learn why grassroots efforts and local initiatives like Bitcoin for Fairness Zambia matter.
Transcript
Importance of Being on the Ground
It’s very important to be on the ground, to show up, and to explain things—especially to understand the real problems people face. We can’t imagine the challenges that people in these countries are dealing with. Their daily realities are very different from ours, and people have to hustle every day. From that perspective, when they attend a talk or a workshop, it’s crucial to build trust.
The Need for Sustainable Education
From there on, I believe you need sustainable education—meaning there should be a person or a group of people one can consistently turn to. It’s the same in Europe with meetups. Meetups are great because you always have the opportunity to meet someone who knows more about Bitcoin than you, and you can ask them questions. You might even exchange Bitcoin for fiat currencies and back.
Value of Local Initiatives
That’s why I think it’s so important to have local initiatives—local Bitcoin meetup groups that can share knowledge with each other. They can have their own WhatsApp or Telegram groups to stay in touch and keep up with new developments in their own region.
Role of Bitcoin for Fairness and Crack the Orange
That is what we have been doing with Bitcoin for Fairness in Zambia and Zimbabwe, and supporting other initiatives in other African countries. Crack the Orange is basically leveling it up—it’s a level two education program that helps local communities grow independently.
A Continuous Learning Process
The program lasts 12 months, and during that time, participants can always check in and ask new questions. As we all know, Bitcoin—and especially Lightning—is a fast-developing technology, so things change frequently. I think it’s important that people have contacts they can return to for updates, like knowing what the best wallet is at any given moment.
