Wada Monthly Meetup #3

[Nana_Kwadwo_Safo]

Continuing the discussion from Wada Monthly Meetup

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Wada Monthly Meetup #3

The Wada Monthly Meetup #3 featured a panel discussion with eight active African DReps, exploring the current landscape, key challenges, and ideas to strengthen participation within Cardano governance.
Scheduled: 03/04/2025
Recording: https://youtu.be/woV8P1okwno

Setting the Stage

Mercy opened the session by underscoring the importance of amplifying the voices of DReps in under-supported regions. She highlighted a key stat: African DReps currently receive just about 0.34% of total delegation, signaling an urgent need for better representation.

Ben from IO, who manages the DRep Forum on X (formerly Twitter), shared the platform’s growth from its Nairobi roots to a now 550-member community representing over 51% of Cardano delegation.

Meet the DRep Panelists: Diverse Backgrounds, Shared Purpose

Each panelist brought a unique perspective shaped by local context:

• Laurentine (INKUBA Hub DRep) bridges Francophone Africa and the Cardano ecosystem through education, translation (including the Cardano Constitution), and weekly engagement via the Francophone Corner.

• Seidu Ziblim (Cardano Ghana) co-founded Cardano Ghana Community, emphasizing grassroots governance education and participation in national workshops.

• Darlington (Lido Nation) supports young developers in Kenya and Liberia while mentoring and creating accessible content on governance.

• Kit Willow blends storytelling with blockchain and AI to tackle real-world challenges in Nigeria.

• Maureen (Stakeless DRep) represents small ADA holders and uses Twitter Spaces to stay connected with delegators and share knowledge.

• Nana Safo (Wada DRep) continues Wada’s mission to keep Africa involved in Cardano’s growth from the early Catalyst days.

• Martin (Goma DRep) supports community education in Goma, DR Congo, helping non-technical users access governance tools.

• Ubio (Remostart DRep) leads a platform to connect Africans with blockchain jobs, advocating for localized and inclusive communication.

Key Themes and Challenges

- Communication & Visibility

• Maureen uses Twitter Spaces as her main channel, enabling low-pressure, open discussions. But many African voices remain underrepresented online.
• There was a discussion around the identity of an “African DRep”—is it about who the DRep is, or who delegates to them?

- Language Barriers

• Francophone communities face significant hurdles due to English-only materials. Laurentine and others highlighted the need for translated resources, real-time interpretation, and more inclusive content formats.

- Socioeconomic Realities

• Kit pointed out that many Africans are in survival mode, making governance a luxury unless it’s tied to real benefits.
• Darlington emphasized the need to earn ADA through contribution rather than encouraging risky investments.

- Education & Trust

• Delegation fears persist, with some users believing delegation means giving away their ADA. Seidu and others have had to meet people in person to explain governance fundamentals.
• Nana Safo (Wada DRep) emphasised that the lack of hyper-localized and context-aware, with in-person events preferred over unreliable online options educational efforts is a major knowledge gap for Africa’s participation.

- Governance Must Reflect Local Values

• Many Africans live in self-governed systems, where trust in centralized structures is low.
• Participants emphasized the importance of African-led, contextual governance models instead of copy-pasting Western systems.

- Tools & Discoverability

• Platforms like GovTools were described as clunky and hard to navigate.
• DReps need easier ways to share their values and voting records, especially those without resources to maintain personal websites.

Ideas Towards Solutions

While the next session will dive deeper into practical ideas, some early takeaways include:

• Decentralize education: Empower regional hubs to lead training and outreach.

• Localize communication: Use culturally relevant language, even within English-speaking nations.

• Invest in infrastructure: Support DReps with tools, directories, and discoverability platforms.

• Support policy advocacy: Back initiatives pushing for pro-crypto legislation and clearer distinctions between blockchain and scams.

• Foster global collaboration: Recognize and resource African-led projects that bring population-rich, capital-light regions into the fold.

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Nana Safo.

[devin]

It appears that the meeting was highly productive, judging by the results announced @Nana_Kwadwo_Safo The work of Cardano communities in Africa is truly inspiring, especially in a region that has experienced some of the greatest challenges of the current financial system. As blockchain technologies continue to spread across the continent and governments help establish an institutional foundation, the door will open to stable financing for technological innovation. From what I have observed there is already a robust community infrastructure in Africa that is poised to mobilize once blockchain ecosystems take root.

[kostas]

Judging by the participants and the meeting notes, I am sure it was a very productive meeting indeed! I acknowledge that there are many challenges African Dreps face; one of the most critical is the very low delegation. Although the percentage has almost doubled since the last time I checked, it is still very, very low!

[Nana_Kwadwo_Safo]

You are right Kostas , and I do appreciate your efforts in spreading the word about the need for ADA holders to consider delegating to African DReps. Gradually the numbers would increase.