Polkadot Meetup: Goma, DR Congo
🌐 A Look Back at the Second Polkadot Meetup in Goma, DRC: A Day of Inspiration, Education, and Connection🌐
🔊 Speakers of the Meetup
While Olivier served as the primary host, three additional speakers made powerful contributions that enriched the day’s program:
- Martin Musagara opened with a fascinating talk on the evolution of the web from Web1.0 to Web3.0. He provided practical use cases of Web3 and its natural connections to the Polkadot blockchain.
Paul Mupenda captivated the audience with a more technical presentation on how blockchain works. He placed particular emphasis on one of the industry's biggest challenges: interoperability, making Polkadot’s mission and structure even more relevant.
Bandu Balume Boaz, a Rank I Polkadot Fellowship Ambassador, delivered a detailed introduction to the Polkadot ecosystem: its mission, governance model, the DOT token, and its Nominated Proof of Stake (NPoS) system. A key highlight of the day!
🕒Hightlighs of the Event
12:00 PM – Introduction of the day’s schedule and speakers.
12:06 – 12:35 PM
Martin Musagara’s session on Web3: its origins, evolution, benefits, and how it intersects with Polkadot.
X handle: Martin Mugara on X
Paul Mupenda’s session on blockchain fundamentals and interoperability issues, illustrating how Polkadot solves one of the most pressing problems in Web3.
X handle: Paul MUPENDA on X
1:11 – 1:26 PM: Networking session.
Participants were split into seven discussion groups to reflect on the question: “What are the key barriers to blockchain adoption in the DRC, and how can they be overcome?”
Key challenges identified: Lack of tech education, High illiteracy rate, Perceived complexity of blockchain, Limited internet access, Lack of government support
Proposed solutions:, More educational meetups and blockchain workshops, Introducing blockchain in school curricula, Expanding internet access infrastructure, Peer-to-peer community advocacy.
1:27 – 2:15 PM
A short video on Polkadot’s mission and architecture was screened, followed by Boaz’s deep dive into its foundational elements including tokenomics, staking, and governance.
The video, which is in French, can be accessed via this link: Polkadot en 5 mim
X handle: Boaz Bandu on X
2:16 – 2:25 PM: Polkadot Opportunities and Social Media Channels
Olivier Mwatsimulamo closed the presentation segment by highlighting concrete opportunities within Polkadot, especially through the Polkadot Africa initiative. He encouraged participants to join and engage on Polkadot’s social media platforms.
2:26 – 2:40 PM – Questions and answers: The participants asked theire questions and was been answared.
2: 41- 2:45 PM: Group photo session.
Find here the link for all images for the ivent:
🌱A Tangible Impact: Growing the Polkadot Community in Goma
The event successfully brought together 50 participants, many of whom shared that they finally understood what Polkadot is and how it works. As a sign of their enthusiasm and engagement, several attendees downloaded Polkadot wallets, such as Nova Wallet, right after the presentations, a clear indication that the meetup had a positive impact on awareness and adoption.
From this moment onward, Polkadot is no longer a stranger in Goma. Conversations around this innovative blockchain are beginning to emerge within local tech circles, marking the beginning of a growing and vibrant ecosystem in the city.
🎯 Conclusion
In conclusion, we believe that this Polkadot meetup held in the city of Goma was a valuable opportunity for the local community to discover Polkadot, a blockchain that remains relatively unknown in Goma and the Democratic Republic of Congo as a whole.
The event covered key topics such as Web3, blockchain fundamentals, the challenge of interoperability, and an introduction to the Polkadot ecosystem; including how it works, its opportunities, and its social channels. These discussions opened participants' minds to a new way of understanding blockchain technology and sparked genuine motivation to explore Polkadot more deeply.
Even more importantly, it inspired attendees to become ambassadors of the Polkadot ecosystem, contributing to its growth and visibility across the country.
We extend our sincere thanks to Polkadot Africa for supporting us throughout the planning process, offering guidance and valuable resources that were crucial to the success of this meetup. We are also grateful to the DOT Meetups curation team for their various forms of support.
And finally, to all the participants and speakers: thank you. Without your presence and contributions, this event would not have been possible.
Important links:
- Evenent Announcement on X: Link 1 and Link 2
- Some posts from participants: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, Link 4, Link 5, Link 6
- Find here Slides used for the event: Introduction du Polkadot
- Polkadot social medias: Discord Channel, X channel, Polkadot Website
- Polkadot Africa: Polkadot Africa
- Follow Dot meetups on X: DOTMeetups
Contact me:
- G-mail: mwatsimulamoolivier@gmail.com
- follow me on X: OlivierMWATSIM1
- Discord: oliviermwatsimulamo
- Telegram: @OlivierMWATSIMULAMO
- Linkdlin: Olivier MWATSIMULAMO
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