The Ethereum Foundation has launched a pilot project initiative dubbed ‘The Ethereum Foundation Fellowship Program’ that focuses on seeking opportunities in emerging economies.
The EF initiative inaugural cohort features only 4 change-makers, out of which, one is African.
According to the Ethereum Foundation:
The Ethereum Foundation Fellowship Program is a pilot project that has been launched by Next Billion, a team at EF that focuses on seeking opportunities in emerging economies.
The EF Fellowship Program provides us an opportunity to work with change-makers, whose projects have high potential to create impact in emerging economies by using Ethereum.
The program features a unique experience that includes mentorship, expertise and access to leaders in the Ethereum ecosystem.
Our vision is not only to support these specific projects, but to create a ripple effect. We hope others will learn from the work of this cohort, and be inspired to do similar work in their own communities, or even to create upgraded solutions.”
– The Ethereum Foundation
Among the inaugural cohort includes:
- Benson Njuguna (Acre Fund – Kenya) – Working to implement blockchain solutions to a microinsurance product that protects thousands of small-scale farmers in Kenya from extreme weather events. His project will test and showcase Ethereum’s potential to enable the viability and sustainability of products and services that target the bottom of the wealth pyramid
- Chuy Cepeda (OS.City – Argentina) – Providing municipal and national governments a platform to easily issue digital identities and blockchain-based documents to their citizens, with a vision to one day hold government-issued documents (like permits and IDs) in our Ethereum wallets
- Kuldeep Bandhu Aryal (BRAC – Bangladesh) – Developing a blockchain and crypto strategy for BRAC, the world’s largest NGO. Based in Bangladesh, BRAC serves over 100 million people annually. Kuldeep’s project involves multiple experiments using blockchain
- Naroa Zurutuza (Giga – Global) – A UNICEF global initiative exploring Ethereum-based solutions as part of Giga’s effort to connect every school to the internet. By helping to provide today’s most important public good to billions of currently unconnected people, Naroa is envisioning many roles that blockchain can play for accountability and connectivity
The fellowship program is a new initiative and a new strategic avenue that will allow Ethereum Foundation allocate resources to ‘regions that are still blue ocean for the future of Ethereum’ and on projects that ‘have large and long-term implications on Ethereum’s value as something that can achieve public sector adoption while helping to bring about financial inclusion, positively impacting the fight against climate change and more.’
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