@ The Bitcoin Community Newsletter

In this edition, we invited Kelvin from Bitcoin Chama to share how his community is leveraging Bitcoin to build a self-sustaining ecosystem in rural areas. **YakiHonne**: Kelvin, thanks for joining us. Before we dive in, I'd like to take a moment to introduce YakiHonne and share a bit about what we do. YakiHonne is a decentralized media client built on the Nostr protocol that enables freedom of speech through technology. It empowers creators to create their own voice, assets, and features. It also allows features like smart widgets, verified notes, and focuses on long-form articles. Today, we’ll be diving into your community. So, let’s start—tell us a bit about yourself and what you do？ **Kelvin**：I'm Kelvin, the founder of Bitcoin Chama, a rule-based Bitcoin community with a mission to build a self-reliant Bitcoin circular ecosystem. How do we achieve this? We empower young people and our community economically by introducing accessible, low-resource projects that require minimal time and space to implement. We then encourage them to save their earnings in Bitcoin, promoting financial independence and long-term sustainability. **YakiHonne**: Given Bitcoin’s increasing value, it’s almost like owning property, but in the form of a digital asset. That’s an incredible concept and a really great initiative!Now, let’s dive into today’s questions. What initially sparked your interest in Bitcoin, and what motivated you to build a community around it? **Kelvin**：Initially, I didn’t know much about Bitcoin. But I had a friend who worked at Boda Boda. He was trying to save up his earnings to buy iron sheets and build a better house for his family. Since he didn't get enough money from Boda Boda, he saved whatever little he could in a bank, a savings group. Over the course of two years, when he finally went to withdraw his money, he realized that the price of iron sheets had increased by almost 100% Originally, he had planned to buy 30 iron sheets, but by the time he withdrew his savings, his money could no longer afford that many. For someone who works so hard to earn a living, this was a major setback. **Kelvin**：That’s when I started thinking—how can we solve this problem? At the time, I didn’t know much about Bitcoin or how money really works. But seeing my friend struggle, I realized that the real issue wasn’t just rising prices, but the financial system itself. **Kelvin**：Then, later that year, I was introduced to Bitcoin, and it suddenly clicked! If my friend had saved in Bitcoin instead of fiat, his purchasing power wouldn’t have been eroded. In fact, he might have even been able to afford nails, labor costs, or additional materials. That realization led me to create Bitcoin Chama—a community to help people save in Bitcoin and protect their hard earned money. **YakiHonne**: It sounds like you were inspired by how Bitcoin’s value appreciates over time, much like an investment in land that continues to grow in value. That’s a truly powerful concept behind Bitcoin.Now, could you share how your community first got started and what strategies you used to attract members in the beginning? **Kelvin**：Building a community from scratch—especially a Bitcoin community—isn’t easy, particularly in a rural area of Kenya where many people lack internet access and don’t even use smartphones. At first, my focus was purely on Bitcoin education. I would go out, meet people, and teach them about Bitcoin. But I soon realized that while knowledge is valuable, most people didn’t have the means to earn and save in Bitcoin. **Kelvin**：That’s when I came up with a different approach. Instead of just educating people, I decided to create small projects that could generate income, sponsor these projects, and help them grow. Over time, as people started earning from these projects, they could begin saving their income in Bitcoin. **Kelvin**：We’ve now been running Bitcoin Chama for almost a year—since May last year. The impact isn’t massive yet, but for a community just getting started, it’s been a significant step forward. Every small step matters, and while growth takes time, I believe these small beginnings will eventually lead to something big in the future.  **YakiHonne**: It's a wonderful start，So far, what challenges have you faced while building and growing the Bitcoin Chama community? **Kelvin**：I don't have many challenges—just two main ones.The first challenge is poverty. Whenever you introduce someone to Bitcoin, you often have to explain its history. Imagine telling someone that in 2010, Bitcoin was worth about $1, and by 2013, its value had increased significantly. Fast forward to 2025, 15 years later, and Bitcoin is now worth around 13 million Kenyan shillings (about $100,000). When people hear this, they see it as a great opportunity to escape poverty. The problem is, they often perceive Bitcoin as free money, rather than understanding it as a long-term investment or financial tool. The second challenge is scamming. Many people think Bitcoin might be a scam. This is a common issue in many communities. **YakiHonne**: Yes, especially the second challenge—people thinking Bitcoin is a scam. This is very common in many emerging communities. A lot of people feel that since they can't see Bitcoin physically, it’s not real, which leads them to doubt its authenticity.Finding a way to convince people of Bitcoin’s legitimacy is crucial. So, what principles guide your community? And how do you maintain trust and reliability in your discussions? **Kelvin**：So, in our community, I’ve discovered something—I’ve found saccos. Right now, I have two saccos(Chama) , and I intend to grow them over time. Within these two circles, we use the Machangura app. The app has an option for creating a clan, so we organize people into two saccos, forming two clans. We then add all members from each sacco into their respective clan. This setup ensures a trustless system. For example, if someone wants to withdraw money from their shared account or sell Bitcoin, the system notifies all members. This way, everyone stays informed, and people don’t have to feel insecure about the funds they have saved. **YakiHonne**: So at least that’s how you maintain integrity, transparency, and trust within the community. So How does your community educate its members and keep them updated on Bitcoin developments? **Kelvin**：I am the founder of Bitcoin Chama, and right now, I’m mostly focused on community activities. We usually hold meetups oftenly, but I wouldn’t say we focus entirely on Bitcoin only. Instead, our discussions are more about how to improve what we do, grow more, and build new projects. That’s the main focus for me at the moment. That said, I am planning to start physical Bitcoin lessons. Since Bitcoin Chama is located in my community, I know that a lot of people visit the area—many come here to shop and buy things. So, I plan to post a notice at the location, inviting new members who are interested in learning about Bitcoin. We’ll create a timetable so that people can come at specific times to attend lessons. Additionally, we’ll leverage our existing clients and brainstorm ways to make this work for a wider audience. **YakiHonne**: It's still part of the education process，maybe not fully in-depth, but it’s still valuable. So, that’s actually a good thing. You guys are doing something very meaningful, which is great.The meetups also serve as a way to educate people about Bitcoin, making them an important part of the process. It’s definitely a solid approach. **YakiHonne**: So, Kelvin, how does your community collaborate with the broader Bitcoin ecosystem? And what partnerships have you formed so far that have had the biggest impact on BitcoinTerminal? **Kelvin**：We haven’t had any major collaborations yet. So far, we’ve been riding solo. We’ve had some support from friends and well-wishers, but we haven’t partnered with any major organizations yet. **YakiHonne**: That’s okay! You guys will get there very soon, I’m sure of it. So far, in the process of building your community, what initiatives have you taken to promote the adoption of Bitcoin in your local environment? **Kelvin**：Well, besides our existing clients, we have about three shops that currently accept Bitcoin payments. I’m still working on overcoming the major challenges we face while also trying to find ways to encourage people to use Bitcoin in their daily lives. **Kelvin**：First, I need to support the people who are already part of our community, making sure they have the resources and knowledge they need. I don’t know if I’m fully answering the question, but this is what I’m working on. I’m not solely focused on growing a large community right now. Instead, I’m focused on quality growth—on educating people who truly understand Bitcoin, know how to use it, and grasp what it really means. My approach is to start small and expand gradually, ensuring that at each stage, people gain a deeper understanding of Bitcoin and how it can impact their lives. **YakiHonne**: I’m sure you guys will succeed. You don’t necessarily have to start big, but I believe you’ll grow much faster than you expect. With the effort and passion you’re putting in, I have no doubt that Bitcoin Chama will expand significantly. So,moving on to my last question,what are your community’s goals for the next 6 to 12 months? And how do you see it evolving with Bitcoin’s development? **Kelvin**：My goal for the next year is to continue the projects I’ve been working on. We have a community team that serves as a gathering point where people can come together, coordinate meeting times, and discuss Bitcoin and our future plans. **Kelvin**：so far for example, we built and distributed 15 beehives to different young people in our community. They harvest honey, sell it, and save the earnings in Bitcoin. We piped free clean water which can be accessed by any member in our community, significantly improving daily convenience.  **Kelvin**：We are planning to build two chicken coops and provide chickens to two groups of five people each. They will raise chickens, sell eggs, and save their earnings in Bitcoin. Over time, we aim for each member to have their own chicken coop with a sustainable flock by the end of the year.  **Kelvin**：We plan to lease a piece of land for the women in our community to grow vegetables and sell them at the local market. Their earnings will also be saved in Bitcoin. If the project is profitable, we will reinvest in more land to expand vegetable farming.Additionally, we plan to lease 2-3 acres of land specifically for commercial maize farming. The maize will be sold for Bitcoin, and if we generate profits, we will expand the farmland. **Kelvin**：Our long-term goal is to build a self-sufficient community, enabling it to operate independently and achieve sustainable development. This is also our core objective. **YakiHonne**: I truly love all the ideas behind this. I admire the fact that you are giving back to the community and that people are experiencing real benefits from the Bitcoin ecosystem. This way, they have something positive and meaningful to say about Bitcoin. **YakiHonne**: Thank you so much, Kelvin, for joining us today. We’ve reached the end of our interview, and I’m really happy to have had this conversation with you. We look forward to seeing Bitcoin Chama grow!