🤱 The Bitcoin Babies Story: Empowering Kenyan Mothers Through a Circular Economy
Bitcoin is transforming finance globally, and in Kenya, a community called Bitcoin Babies nostr:npub1hkvzzah92u6j3vu3fv9jfmtjsndzh7ctqz03654duz3glze9nxns0a95ux is leveraging its power to empower mothers. Built on a foundation of education, trust, and a circular economy, the community supports mothers while encouraging the adoption of Bitcoin (BTC) in their daily lives.
YakiHonne nostr:npub1yzvxlwp7wawed5vgefwfmugvumtp8c8t0etk3g8sky4n0ndvyxesnxrf8q a decentralized media client built on Nostr, sat down with Evelyn (Eve), the Program Manager at Bitcoin Babies and a former program beneficiary, to discuss the community’s origins, its unique approach to adoption, and the challenges of introducing new technology in Africa.
💖 The Origin of Bitcoin Babies
Evelyn's( nostr:npub1gqxffau23g6xjlmqtmxdwfyfxc5mre3ku9u2s2apfdd3sf9jpy5qfw4rp3 ) journey with Bitcoin Babies began as a beneficiary of their first program. Before joining, she had never heard of Bitcoin. The inspiration for the community came from its founder, Naomi, a Kenyan woman based in the Netherlands. "When she was in Netherlands as a mom... it was easier for her there than it was back home in Kenya. So with the experience, she got in Netherlands... she thought of, how can she help the mothers in Kenya have the same care?"
This desire to improve care for Kenyan mothers, combined with her partner Ramon's( nostr:npub1qg5a5l3t7pakmm4r4up2e764xecsw62fk3rntevm24fwyczhndtsdrvc4x ) knowledge of Bitcoin, led to the formation of Bitcoin Babies.
🌍 A Circular Economy in Kenya
Bitcoin Babies is a two-part program: empowering mothers and fostering a circular economy. The community started with 13 moms. A key element of the program is providing the mothers with $5 worth of Bitcoin to spend. Recognizing that the mothers needed places to spend this BTC, the team created a circular economy within their community, which includes markets, shops, and groceries. This structure encourages the circulation of Bitcoin and prevents the immediate exchange of BTC for Kenyan shillings.
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Growth and Impact: The program is working, with approximately 260 transactions recorded within their local economy within a short time interval. The merchants who receive Bitcoin are now also spending it with each other.
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The Discount Program: Bitcoin Babies runs a discount program with its merchants. This encourages not only the mothers, but also other people in the community to buy from the merchants and gain curiosity about Bitcoin through spending. Some merchants even facilitate the exchange of cash for Bitcoin, further boosting community spending.
🚧 Navigating Challenges
Starting the community involved significant challenges, particularly related to trust and the local economy.
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Trust and Scams: Many mothers, particularly older citizens in Africa, were skeptical and tended to think Bitcoin was a scam due to negative stories and past experiences. The team had to build trust and repeatedly show them the value and reality of the program.
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Economic Barrier: Initially, many mothers were immediately exchanging the $5 worth of Bitcoin into Kenyan shillings. To address this, the organization developed the circular economy, which incentivized spending the Bitcoin within their local network instead of cashing out.
🔮 Bitcoin, Nostr, and the Future of Sovereignty
Bitcoin Babies sees decentralized platforms like Nostr as crucial for the future of their community.
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Nostr Integration: They explain Nostr to the mothers, some of whom have Npub accounts. They use it to share their progress and demonstrate that mothers can earn small amounts of Sats (Bitcoin's smallest unit) by posting videos and quotes.
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Collaboration: Bitcoin Babies uses the YakiHonne client nostr:npub1yzvxlwp7wawed5vgefwfmugvumtp8c8t0etk3g8sky4n0ndvyxesnxrf8q to post their articles and has its own Nostr account to share updates and newsletters.
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Sovereignty: Evelyn envisions the convergence of Bitcoin (for money) and Nostr (for communication) as a path to sovereignty. It gives people freedom and the tools to shape their lives without dependence on a central party. This concept is central to their mission and is highlighted in their book, The Sovereign Mother.
🇰🇪 The Bitcoin Landscape in Kenya
In Kenya, the government's stance on Bitcoin is currently cautious but not actively against it.
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Neutral Ground: The government is largely in a neutral position, watching how the technology plays out.
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The Safaricom Factor: A major factor is the state-owned telco, Safaricom, which handles a massive source of revenue through a popular transaction system. The government may resist losing dominance in this market as Bitcoin adoption grows.
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Youth Curiosity: Despite the government's reserved approach, Evelyn notes that the youth and the general public are curious about Bitcoin and are actively learning about it.
✨ Advice for New Bitcoin Communities
Evelyn offers key advice for anyone looking to start a Bitcoin-focused community:
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Earn Trust : This is the most important step, especially in skeptical communities. Be a friend, and take people through the learning process at their own pace.
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Be Patient: Not everyone can learn quickly, especially the elderly.
The work of Bitcoin Babies in Kenya, which includes Program Manager Evelyn, a mother of three, is a testament to the power of combining technology with a community-focused mission to achieve financial freedom and empowerment. Would you like to know more about the founders Naomi & Ramon or the circular economy model in more detail? Check out Bitcoin Babies handles on NOSTR & X below: