A Bitcoin (BTC) educator in Tanzania climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, sponsoring the entire trip with Bitcoin and Nostr donations.
Kweks (pseudonym) crowdfunded over $1,700 in Bitcoin (0.0018 BTC) to pay for the price increase, which doubled as a result of the announcement of Tanzania’s new Bitcoin Education Academy.
“Kweks” recently moved to a new city in Tanzania with his wife and opened a learning center, the “Proof-of-Work Academy” (POWA). Kweks told Cointelegraph that while POWA is a pun on the Bitcoin consensus protocol (proof of work), it also refers to the Zwahili word “Poah,” which means new or cool.
To promote the new school and subtly hint at his love for decentralized protocols, including Bitcoin and Nostr (notes and other things transmitted via relays), Kweks funded the project with Satoshis, or “Sats” (a Satoshi is a unit) Nearly 6,000 meters of climbing. One Bitcoin is equivalent to one millionth of a Bitcoin).
Bitcoin Lightning Network donations are pouring in from around the world through the Geyser Fund crowdfunding and Zapraise or the Bitcoin Lightning Network crowdfunding through NOSTR (also known as Zaps).
Kweks held up and waved a giant Nostr flag while sharing updates on multi-day hikes on X, Nostr and WhatsApp. Speaking to Cointelegraph from Tanzania, Kweks explained that while the funds raised make sense in covering the cost of entering the national park, the impact is primarily educational:
“I think this (the rise) will be a good case study to show what Bitcoin can do and then introduce Bitcoin to some people.”
This climb demonstrated to his local community that the global base of Nostriches (Nostr users) and generous Bitcoin advocates around the world are happy to support Kweks’ climbing and educational efforts in Tanzania.
In addition, Kweks also received a tip from a tour guide who led a group to the top of “Kili” (known as “Kili” to locals), indicating that Bitcoin is already being adopted at the grassroots level in Tanzania.
Kweks explained that Tanzania clearly has some knowledge of Bitcoin, but one of the key challenges is the “export” of exchange for local currency. Companies such as Coinbase, Kraken and Gemini do not operate in Tanzania, so exchanging cash for Bitcoin and vice versa can be challenging.
During the hike, Kweks received questions and curious comments from Tanzanians about how he financed the adventure, as well as the inevitable question, “What is Bitcoin?”.
Ultimately, Bitcoin adoption in Tanzania is very different from the UK, where Kweks spent 25 years before moving to Tanzania.
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He explained that there was more of a barter trading system in East Africa. It can be a challenge to explain money and hyperinflation and why currencies with programmed inflation rates, such as Bitcoin, can provide society with an alternative economic system.
“When I arrived in Tanzania ten years ago, one dollar was equal to 1,500 Tanzanian shillings. As of today, (one dollar is equal to) 2,600. That’s ten years later. It’s crazy!”
Ultimately, the key to unlocking Bitcoin education is using terminology that people can relate to: “I do talk to them about the amount of bread and the amount of fuel, and they understand that,” Kweks explains.
“They find it harder to make ends meet. So, with these concepts, they understand that Bitcoin is a tool that can help them – this is work. This is work that needs to be shared and explored.”
Kweks continues to publish and share educational resources on Nostr and X, while POWA, an educational resource, provides free educational courses to Tanzanians near Kilimanjaro.
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