Mara calls on African innovators to apply to the “Hack The Mara” competition. Hackathon participants will create decentralised applications that provide sustainable solutions for last mile payment tracking to Maasai communities.
Mara, the Pan-African blockchain platform has opened applications for African innovators to participate in the “Hack The Mara” competition set to take place from 17th-26th of September 2022. The competition looks to bring together African Developers for one week to create innovative solutions that will ensure all parties in the Masai Mara ecosystem can have visibility into the disbursement process for funded social impact projects.
The purpose of the Mara Hackathon is to develop systems that will ensure that donor funds disbursed for community transformation reach the intended beneficiaries. The solutions prototyped during the hackathon are expected to strengthen the financial sustainability of ongoing conservation projects in the Mara for better livelihoods.
“Blockchain for social impact is at the heart of everything we do at Mara. Through our non-profit foundation, our aim is to empower problem-solvers to build blockchain solutions which promote long-term beneficial, social and environmental change in Africa” Said Kate Kallot, Co-Founder and Chief Impact Officer at Mara.
The Hackathon in partnership with Circle, the issuer of USD Coin (USDC) and Euro Coin, will challenge developers to use blockchain via USSD and M-Pesa for payment transparency. “Developers are core to what we do at Circle. We hope to see more technical breakthroughs that make financial services more inclusive, efficient and scalable. We are excited to give African innovators an opportunity to build solutions that may change the world and certainly the world of finance,” said Sandra Persing, VP of Developer Relations and Ecosystem Marketing at Circle.
Global early-stage VC and start-up builder Antler, will offer the winning solution the opportunity to join the Antler Nairobi program to further develop their idea into a business and potentially receive investment.
The competition will take place in five stages, starting online with the final stages completed in person. In a world first, the top 8 teams will be invited for a physical hack in the Mara where they will be hosted at Ishara. Located in the heart of the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Ishara is an immersive experience dedicated to preserving the wildlife, the communities and the land of this globally significant conservation area.
“Deployment of these smart technologies is going to be transformative and impactful in many diverse respects, from uplifting and empowering communities to the preservation and conservation of our wildlife and nature. Together with Mara, we are excited to pioneer these efforts. We look forward to welcoming brilliant creators to our camp and enabling them to experience the magic of Ishara and Mara.” Said Azhar Madhani, Co-Founder of Ishara.
The most promising solutions will also have the opportunity to be piloted with local conservancies in the Masai Mara. “We are looking forward to understanding how this technology can make a sustainable use of data and help uncover a sustainable financing solution that can be beneficial to the local communities in addressing environmental challenges,” said Victor Ohuruogu, Senior Africa Regional Manager, at the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data. “It’s an honour for us to see African technologists coming together in our dear Masai Mara National Reserve to build innovative solutions, powered by data.”
A panel of judges will award the teams based on originality, creativity, innovation, analytical skills, strategic thinking and practical implementation. Participants of the hackathon will benefit by getting prizes from a pool of cash and in-kind up to $100,000 alongside opportunities for follow-on support by Mara Foundation and Antler.
“Blockchain has the potential to take financial services and last mile payment solutions to new heights. With a direct focus on solving real local challenges, these innovators may create globally relevant solutions and drive the future of finance” said Chi Nnadi, Co-founder and CEO at Mara.
Registration for Hack The Mara will close on the 5th of August, developers from all over the continent are encouraged to register on the Mara Foundation website marafoundation.org/hackathons
