Refugee Integration Organisation (RIO) Refugee UBI New

Inactive
2021 pilot; $71,000+ distributed to 2,500+ refugees by Aug 2021; current status unknown

A 2021 pilot that paid refugees in Kenya's Kakuma camp and in Ghana's Ampain and Krisan camps an Unconditional Basic Income of $1.50 per day in cUSD. It ran on impactMarket, with USSD access for people without smartphones and cash-out to mobile money.

Blockchain

Celo

Social identity

Beneficiaries enrolled by the organisation within the camps (impactMarket community manager model)

Social mining

$1.50/day claimed in cUSD; USSD interface via Kotani Pay, converted to local currency through mobile money

Token economics

Paid in cUSD stablecoin; donor-funded

Verified users
2,500+ refugees (Aug 2021)
Locations
Kakuma, Kenya
Ampain, Ghana
Krisan, Ghana
Links
ThePrint: Refugee camps becoming cryptocurrency hubs (Aug 2021)
Notes

- Billed as the first crypto UBI for refugees
- Planned expansion to the Middle East