Multimedia University Web3 Developer Training

Acknowledging that blockchain technology has often been associated with scandals and quick financial gains, it becomes imperative to instill a sense of social responsibility among new developers, engineers, designers, and all contributors to the Web3 ecosystem. This is essential to harness the potential of these technologies for addressing humanity’s most pressing needs. At this stage, technology transitions from being an abstract concept to a tangible tool for reflecting and, ultimately, resolving societal challenges. With this mission in mind, Impact+ forged a partnership with the local university MMU to organize a one-week Web3 Training program in Kenya. The outcomes of this initiative were both remarkable and inspiring. The training, led by Kelvin Kariuki, a lecturer at the Faculty of Computing and Information Technology, aimed to equip participants with blockchain skills while emphasizing the importance of social responsibility in using these skills to tackle societal issues. During the training, participants received specialized instruction geared toward leveraging their developer skills for social impact. Moreover, they had the unique opportunity to engage with representatives from Web3 gaming companies and local enterprises like UTU Technologies and Kotani Pay. The training reached its pinnacle with the presentation of six innovative projects. Participants pitched blockchain-based solutions designed to address various social challenges, including the establishment of transparent voting and government systems, academic certificate verification, and the creation of NFT artifacts to empower women artisans in remote African communities. Activity: MMU Web3 Developer Training When: 11-15 July, 2022 Where: Kenya, Nairobi

Gender Hackathon

We at Impact Plus are dedicated to bringing more women into the Web3 space and believe that blockchain can be used as a force for gender equality. We’re lucky to have the support of experts on women’s empowerment, such as Lonah Mueni Wanjama of Mercy Corps, who spoke at our recent Gender Hackathon. This three-day event brought together people from different backgrounds and teamed them together with gender experts to tackle the most pressing issues faced by women in our industry. A number of organizations participated, including Binance and Harmony. The winners’ outfit was named “FemCent” – a female-centered, blockchain savings and investment platform with the mission of proffering crypto-investment opportunities to chamas. The Kenya Gender Hackathon spanned over three days at iHub in Nairobi. The event gathered 93 participants into 20 gender diverse teams of developers, gender experts and idea-generators. As a result of the January gender meetup, women encouraged other women to join the event. The dev training also sharpened their skills for the Hack! The event opened with a keynote speech by Mercy Corps’ gender advisor Lorna Mbogo bringing to our attention the currently limited trajectory of women in tech and howx that path can change through blockchain adoption. Following the keynote addresses, a discussion on gender issues was held between blockchain and gender experts, moderated by Professor Shelby Darnell from Strathmore College. The panel discussion brought topics that challenged conventional thinking on education, health, business opportunities, gender-pay gap, power, and influence. A globally and locally joined team of mentors provided direction to the teams, virtually and in person. In addition to the panelists, the mentors included Ferran Prat, Vincent Sipoi, Frank Tamre, and Marios Isaakidis among others. Mentors assisted the teams in developing essential technical and non- technical features of their projects. Top 5 Teams:  @FemcentKenya is a female-centered financial platform using blockchain to create a secure, decentralized solution for women to access investment options, capital/loans, as well as integrating with other local women’s savings communities. @SamakiZetu combats the women sex trade for fish by securing the fish supply chain. Samakizetu leverages blockchain to track fish from the source to the final consumer with the help of QR codes providing fisherwomen an increase in income and asecure employment opportunity.  @SupaLipaKe provides financial security for women in the informal sector recognizing that in sub-saharan Africa alone, women make up 3 out of 4 workers in the gig economy. The application leverages blockchain technology to transform how payments are made in this sector ensuring secure,guaranteed payments to workers, and service delivery to clients. @SafePG is a one-step health hub providing young women in low-incomeareas with potential maternal health care facilities and service providers in abid to increase dissemination of health information and promote maternal literacy.  @Nabo4all champions the education and empowerment of women affected by female genital mutilation (FGM) through decentralized, streamlines, and traceable access to funding for organizations combating FGM.Congratulations to the winners!

Polygon Developers training

A Web3 training was presented by Polygon in conjunction with Impact Plus  and Harmony at the iHub innovation and incubator center in Nairobi. The training provided developers with skills to advance their careers and to prepare them for the upcoming Gender Hackathon. The training included a “Polygon” section. The introductory training course covered technical and non-technical aspects of blockchain protocol paying special attention to tech-for-good cases on identity, agriculture, environment, and more. Topics covered included distributed ledger technology primitives, issues, trends, and smart contracts for new financial business models. African creators exchanged ideas, built networks with similar-minded individuals, and gained valuable advice from international developers and community members. The training consisted of 72 developers, 26% of whom were women, with at least one year of coding experience using JavaScript, Python, and other tools. Through a follow up pole on metti.com, students had the opportunity to ask further questions and provide feedback. Many students went on to attend the hackathon and were able to share their newly acquired knowledge of Polygon protocol. Activity: Polygon Developers training When: March 22-26 2022 Where: IHUb Innovation Center, Nairobi, Kenya

Nfts and responsibility

Polygon’s first NFT meet-up for Kenyan artists was a hit. Participation was encouraged for artists from disenfranchised communities that would otherwise not have exposure to NFTs. Polygon’s Michael Jordan, from the Enterprise team, led the discussion. Along with the event theme, an ethical venue, parity, and social commitment played a vital role in the event’s success (over 70 attendees!). The activity took place at the August 7th Memorial Museum, a highly respected place for Kenyans. By choosing such an important venue, we intend to reinforce messages of peace while transmitting the significance of participants’ work. The next steps include hands-on support for artists as they mint NFTs followed by a showcasing at Polygon’s Nairobi Gender Hackathon (coming up in April). Activity; Nfts and responsibility (Meet up) When: March 6 2022 Where: 7th August Memorial Museum  Kenya, Nairobi

Media workshop

A media & web3 for social impact workshop was hosted at the Game Development Center in Nairobi. In a half-day session, journalists from Kenya Media Council explored the advantages of blockchain technology and how it can positively influence social change. Working with journalists is particularly important, as there is a general tendency to confuse blockchain technology with crypto and to associate crypto with scams. The 30+ participants spoke of influential journalism and blockchain technology topics on how to alleviate challenges all over Africa and provide the basis of technological solutions related to identity, product traceability, and insurance. Moreover, journalists hope to enrich their industries and share blockchain for good stories, both within and beyond their own communities. Activity: Media workshop When: March 3, 2022 Where: Nairobi, Kenya

Gaming for Social Impact

Our recent workshop on gaming for social impact, which took place at Usiku Games in Nairobi, Kenya, showcased the talents of top developers from platforms around the world. Vice President of Business Development NFT & Gaming at Polygon, Steven Bryson-Haynes, highlighted initiatives achieving true social impact in the Web3 space. A total of 124 individuals attended the event, including many via live stream from gaming centres in 17 countries across Africa.   Activity: Gaming for Social Impact Meetup When: 25th January 2022 Where: Nairobi, Kenya

Gender Meetup

Ever more inspired by the women in our field and the passion they bring to social and tech development. More than 140 people attended our gender meet-up, where they heard a powerful message from Muskan Kalra, Lead Developer Relations at Polygon on the vital role women will play in our industry’s future. Other female leaders in there to share their knowledge of blockchain included Onalle Star from H.E.R. DAO, Sophia Adampour from Verse NFT Gallery, Lilli F from Crypto Manga P2E platform, and tech journalist and crypto author Laura Shin. The event underscored the fact that a growing number of African women are influencing the Web3 movement, while using their cultural know-how to make a positive social impact.    Activity: Gender Meetup When: 14 January 2022 Where: Nairobi, Kenya