Last week Niall and I spoke about AidTech’s use of digital identity to change people’s lives by facilitating remittances, tokenized goods, transparent donations and smart contracts.  

This week we continue our discussion – going into the finer details of how this business model can continue to make a difference. The good and the bad. The challenges and the aspirations for a firm with aspirations of this scale. 

As the largest and multi-dimensional blockchain for good firm that I’ve come across, AidTech is an excellent representation of where this sector can go. 

How can blockchain be used to change the entire aid industry: across remittances, donations, smart contracts, supply chains, tokenisation and many more areas?

We've covered a lot of usage cases in this first series but, for me, AidTech summarises the true potential of blockchain in the 'for good' space. Putting digital identity at its core, their impact stretches across countries and across countless functions: showing the power of blockchain to change people's lives everywhere.

This interview is packed with great stories and so I've split it into two. Make sure you come back next week for Part II!

We've looked at solar energy-sharing in another episode (with Solshare) but this is a different angle entirely. 

This is about you being able to supply schools and companies with cheaper electricity; whilst making an income for yourself; whilst using only energy from the sun. 

As Abe from the Sun Exchange explains, this incredible combination has only very recently become possible : thanks to blockchain.

Vaccines touch everyone across the world: from the poorest to the richest countries.

If one in every four vaccines is expired before it is used (excluding the numbers of fake goods), we are all exposed to the cost and the health impacts of this waste. We're either suffering from diseases that are completely preventable - or we're paying for a massive over-supply of drugs to make up the difference.

In this episode, Sid from Statwig explains how he is using blockchain to transform the supply chain for vaccines. Everyone wins when there is more efficiency and more transparency - and blockchain is helping to make that change.

I really hope you're enjoying the #Goodstart interviews and thanks so much for subscribing.

There is no episode this week - but there are plenty more amazing stories to come! 

Join us next week for the next inspiring and original story of how blockchain is changing people's lives!

Sunshine + Blockchain Technology = De-urbanization and Financial inclusion

That's the equation that Solshare is working to in Bangladesh, a country where $3 million worth of electricity is wasted every day from people generating it in their own homes, but not being able to share it. 

By linking together homes and creating micro-grids of electricity, Solshare aims to be able to turn anyone into a Solar Entrepreneur: generating an income, creating financial inclusion and giving people more reasons to stay in their villages and towns, without being one of the 10,000 people that arrives into Dhaka every day.

Sebastian from Solshare explains how

How can blockchain build trust and automation in the farming supply chain – so that the money is shared more fairly? 

Also, how can we get farmers better access to financial services and reduce waste – all through the same answer? 

Genevieve from Agriledger explains how.

Trust in the charity sector is in crisis.

6 houses took one charity 5 years and $500m to build in Haiti. How can you make sure your money doesn’t end up that way?

Alice is leveraging blockchain to transform the way that charities ask for and spend our donations: making measurable outcomes the priority.

Dani from Alice explains how.

Mobile phone connectivity is now one of the biggest concerns for refugees. 

Imagine that you are arriving into a refugee camp and, without government-issued papers, you are unable to get a SIM card and so you can't find out where your family is or connect with the outside world. 

W3 Engineers is working to change that using blockchain: and it's a pleasure to have Ayesha and Rakibul join me to explain how

Gravity are working to put individuals in control of their identities: using blockchain to create mobile, data wallets. By helping refugees and others to store and share data elements from their phones whenever they are applying for education or work, Gravity is helping those in need to integrate and to leave behind the constraints of camp-life.

Johannes Ebert (from Gravity) explains how

One new person is caught into modern slavery every four seconds: but how can blockchain be used to stop that? 

Diginex and the Mekong Club are stemming the tide of worker manipulation in South East Asia by focusing on the security of workers' contracts. Using a new, blockchain-based platform they are leveraging DLT's immutability and transparency to stop workers from getting caught by secretly amended or substituted contracts. 

Mark Blick (from Diginex) explains how.