DirectEd Development Foundation

DirectEd Development Foundation (DDF) is building a decentralised application for scholarship crowdfunding, starting coding boot camps for high-potential students in Kenya and Ethiopia.

The first problem we solve is that we bring transparency by design to charitable donations. By combining Atala PRISM and extending the capabilities of existing smart contracts, our platform uniquely allows donors to independently verify that their donations are going to the right person and are used for the intended purpose. Scholarships are released only upon meeting the pre-specified milestones - impact, or your donation back!

The second problem we solve is that we quantify progress and impact. In the short term, users who hold donor NFTs can follow the progress of the cohort of students they are supporting through a dashboard. In the longer term, we work with leading academic researchers to quantify the impact of these donations.

The last problem we solve is that of developer shortage. In Europe alone, it is estimated that the shortage of IT professionals amounts to half a million. We work with leading online course providers, universities and employers to identify high-potential students from the best high schools in Nairobi and Addis Ababa. Our scholarship programme then provides these talents with all the economic and other support they need to succeed in a career as remote developers.

How do we plan to achieve economic sustainability? When our top scholars graduate and find employment, part of their salary is being transferred directly from our tech partner companies back to the scholarship funding pool. By donating to the first cohorts, you help us bootstrap this self-perpetuating cycle of funding for future scholars!

We are exploring more ways to incorporate NFTs and decentralised governance into the project. For example, by selling naming rights in the form of NFTs.