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As a global public resource, technology must remain open, accessible, and dedicated to advancing the common good. The Next Billion Fellowship program is a testament to this vision, seeking to capture the stories of communities whose lives are being changed for the better. Today, we are proud to introduce seven individuals with remarkable stories to share. Their narratives offer a glimpse into their diverse contexts and potential futures—ones we cannot fully predict but where humanity is being lifted. Inspired by the stories of the Next Billion Fellows, we hope to imagine a future where this open protocol for human coordination serves as a common good for billions of people.
The Next Billion Fellows Group 4
David Uzochukwu Leading an initiative focused on promoting decentralization in Ethereum by educating the community in Africa on how to run an Ethereum node. By exploring barriers such as lack of stable internet access and power outages as well as possible solutions, this project seeks to clarify the considerations that must be taken into account to achieve decentralization and inclusion.
Eddie Kajo Works on Antogroa platform that digitizes production records and farm metadata to create on-chain reputation scores. It aims to provide affordable working capital to smallholder farmers and cooperatives in Kenya by unifying farmer data for interoperability. Eddy seeks to unlock low-cost credit and scalable agricultural insurance.
Liu’s strength He works for freedom of information as a co-founder of Matters Towna censorship-resistant digital space and publishing platform. His project aims to support high-quality open content by integrating advertising protocols with the Harburger Tax and quadratic funding.
Lefteris arabakis He grew up in a family of fishermen and quickly realized that fishermen were collecting a lot of plastic from the ocean. He built a social enterprise called EnaliaThe Lefteris project focuses on reducing marine plastic pollution, starting in Greece and expanding to the rest of the Mediterranean. As part of his fellowship, Lefteris will implement a system that enables the tracking of recycled marine plastic on Ethereum.
Mercedes “Michi” Rodriguez Simon Mish conducts practical research on using Web 3 solutions to support human rights organizations in Venezuela. As a dedicated human rights activist and a key member of Ethereum Venezuela, Mish aims to bring her knowledge to address the political and humanitarian crises in Venezuela.
Rebecca McAmelo Explores the integration of local electronic cash machine-based currencies with traditional economic practices in Africa. Her research, with Popular economyThis article will compare two different models of community currencies: traditional digital vouchers backed by government bodies and a model where the community combines its future productive capacity with commitment.
Tomislav “Tomo” Mamic Works on Municipal Quadrant Financing Initiative (MUQA)a project designed to help cities use Quadratic Voting (QV) and Quadratic Financing (QF) mechanisms to allocate funding for public projects. Its pilot project in Split, Croatia, will test Quadratic Voting in the areas of culture and green spaces, with the aim of introducing transparency, efficiency and citizen participation in the management of public resources.
What then?
Over the next six months, each Fellow will lead a small project that works toward larger goals in their story. Fellows will share their progress at Devcon 7 Southeast Asia, November 12-15. Follow @EFNextbillion For updates. Need financial support to attend Devcon? Check out the Devcon SEA Scholars Program and Apply by July 7, 2024!
