DRC: in Goma, an aid program for victims of the Nyiragongo eruption 100% in bitcoin

A view of the Nyiragongo volcano which overlooks the city of Goma in the DRC (illustration image).

AFP - ALEXIS HUGUET

Text by: RFI Follow

3 mins

A year ago, in eastern DRC, the Nyiragongo volcano erupted.

The lava devastated part of the outskirts of Goma.

A total of 32 people died and more than 3,500 homes were swallowed up by the magma.

A few days after this disaster, four young people from Goma launched a collection of bitcoin donations.

And now, in the coming weeks, they will launch their first humanitarian operation for the victims.

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With our correspondent in Goma

,

The initiative is called Kiveclair: Kiv for Kivu, since Goma is in the Lake Kivu region and éclair stands for “lightning” in English.

The lightning network is what makes it possible to carry out transactions in the cryptocurrency that is bitcoin.

This initiative has already raised the equivalent of nearly $20,000 in donations, solely via the internet.

The objective is to provide emergency aid to people in need, and in particular

.

There has already been a first distribution to test the device.

The second distribution, which this time will affect around fifty people, will begin in a few days.

But it is not a simple distribution of cash since the objective is to develop bitcoin in Goma.

The beneficiaries received a smartphone which allows the installation of a bitcoin wallet since the compensation is made in satoshis, the smallest unit of bitcoin.

And the adventure does not stop there since the victims also receive training on bitcoin with each payment, twice a month.

Circular economy

For these formations and these payments in satoshis to work, the founders of Kiveclair precisely convinced merchants to accept payment in bitcoin.

“ 

 ,” explains Gloire Wanzavalere, one of the founders of Kiveclair.

“ 

 ,” he continues.

This is also the objective of stage 2 of their project.

They want to establish a “ 

 ” like in El Salvador where the village of El Zonte has created a sustainable economic ecosystem based on electronic money.

► To read also: Cryptocurrencies in ten key questions

Bitcoin is just starting to gain momentum in the Goma region.

Even one of the largest nature reserves in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,

, has gotten into it.

It has been accepting donations in cryptocurrency since last year.

It is a park in danger where animals and resources are threatened by poaching, but also by

in eastern DRC since armed groups use this park as a rear base.

So the aid mobilized in cryptocurrency made it possible in particular to dismantle 1,260 animal traps, and to carry out 24,000 kilometers of aerial surveillance or 65,000 kilometers of foot patrol.

But that's not all, the Virunga park could even earn money via and thanks to bitcoin.

As part of its development program, the park has launched an extensive plan to build hydroelectric power stations.

Virunga Energie, the company that operates the power plants, has decided to experiment

order not to lose these surpluses.

Mining is a way of investing in bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.

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