FINAL REPORT: ARBITRUM BUILDERS INITIATIVE
Community Name: Umojaverse Community
Twitter: @umojaversepeeps
Metrics: 31.9k followers
Project Title: Arbitrum Builders Initiative - Campus Tour and Hackerhouse
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Achievements:
Campus Tour Success:
The initiative successfully engaged five major universities in Kenya through interactive workshops and ideathons. Over 503 developers participated, generating 104 innovative project ideas. These workshops emphasized blockchain fundamentals and Arbitrum’s unique features, fostering creativity and collaboration.
Physical Turnouts:
- Co-operative University: 117 Participants
- University of Nairobi: 93 Participants
- Dedan Kimathi University: 102 Participants
- Mount Kenya University: 108 Participants
- Kabarak University: 83 Participants
Online Impressions:
- The campus tour and virtual hackerhouse collectively garnered over 50,000 online impressions across social media platforms, significantly increasing awareness of Arbitrum within the blockchain community.
- Tweets and media coverage highlighting the initiative reached developers globally, enhancing Arbitrum’s visibility and influence.
Virtual Hackerhouse Excellence:
Despite security challenges, the physical hackerhouse was transitioned to a virtual format, extending the event to five days. This adjustment provided participants with the flexibility to refine their projects, resulting in 23 project submissions. Among these, 11 outstanding projects were awarded and advanced to the Umojaverse Acceleration Program. The virtual format also allowed expanded mentorship opportunities, improving participants’ technical capabilities.
Game-Changing Contributions:
The initiative facilitated the development of projects with transformative potential, including solutions for DeFi, decentralized applications, and tools that leverage Arbitrum’s unique features like Stylus. These projects are poised to significantly impact the ecosystem.
Challenges Faced:
- Security Concerns: The political instability in Kenya made large gatherings unsafe, necessitating the shift to a virtual hackerhouse. This required a significant reallocation of resources and adjustments to the program.
- Skill Gaps: Many participants were new to blockchain development, requiring extensive mentorship and foundational training. The extended format addressed this but highlighted the need for ongoing skill development in future initiatives.
- Resource Management: Transitioning from physical to virtual formats required reallocating funds originally planned for venues and logistics, ensuring the event remained impactful despite unforeseen challenges.
Blessings and Opportunities:
- Increased Reach and Inclusivity: The virtual format enabled wider participation, as developers who might have faced travel restrictions could engage fully.
- Enhanced Mentorship: Funds reallocated from logistics were used to onboard more mentors, ensuring personalized guidance for all participants.
- Recognition of Potential: Expanding project awards from 5 to 11 ensured broader support, empowering more developers and fostering innovation within the Arbitrum ecosystem.
- Strong Community Engagement: The initiative’s mentorship-driven approach strengthened the bond within the Umojaverse community, enhancing its role as a hub for blockchain innovation in Kenya.
- Increased Awareness of Arbitrum: The initiative generated significant awareness about Arbitrum’s capabilities, inspiring developers to adopt and build on the network.
Future Goals:
With continued support, the Arbitrum Builders Initiative aims to:
- Scale the Acceleration Program: Provide deeper mentorship and resources for the 11 awarded projects, guiding them to market-ready solutions that contribute meaningfully to the Arbitrum ecosystem.
- Expand Geographic Reach: Replicate the success of this initiative across other regions, onboarding and empowering developers from underserved communities.
- Foster Advanced Skill Development: Develop targeted training programs to bridge identified skill gaps, ensuring participants are better equipped to tackle complex blockchain challenges.
- Strengthen Ecosystem Impact: Collaborate with industry stakeholders to integrate innovative projects into real-world use cases, driving adoption and growth within the blockchain space.
- Facilitate Game-Changing Projects: Support the continued development and scaling of innovative projects built during this initiative to maximize their impact on the Arbitrum ecosystem.
Sincerely,
Griffins Oduol
Lead, Umojaverse