Pan-African blockchain platform Mara has opened applications for its “Hack The Mara” competition, calling on innovators to create decentralised applications that provide sustainable solutions for last mile payment tracking to Maasai communities.
Mara will host the “Hack The Mara” on September 17-26, bringing 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.
In the Masai Mara, landowners, wildlife and tourism depend on one another for survival. COVID-19 brought tourism to a standstill, jeopardising revenues and threatening to bring the ecosystem down. 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.
Global early-stage VC and startup builder Antler will offer the winning solution the opportunity to join the Antler Nairobi programme to further develop their idea into a business and potentially receive investment.
Applications are open here until August 5.
