Global NGO CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere) has launched two pilot programs to deliver crypto-based vouchers to people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya.
The vouchers are being facilitated in partnership with Binance through its Blockchain Charity Foundation (BCF).
As part of the initial program, the organization will distribute crypto vouchers to Village Savings and Loans Associations dealing with the impact of the pandemic in Kenya.
CARE has also kicked off the program for women in Ecuador, alongside Celo, the mobile-first blockchain focused on emerging markets.
CARE is also partnering with University of California think tank, Lab for Inclusive Fintech (LIFT), which will assist in the design of a rigorous experimental evaluation of blockchain technology. This is to determine blockchain as a viable and effective option to deliver aid in developing countries.
Objectives of the pilot program include
- To assess tech readiness of VSLAs and vendors.
- To carry out focus groups to better understand trust and information barriers for technology.
- To study, use of, and opportunities for stablecoins.
In a statement, CARE summarizes its objectives as, “The promise of a world where people can send money to loved ones or those in need overseas at a fraction of today’s cost, where people fleeing from conflict or crisis can easily protect themselves from the risks of currency devaluation or hyper-inflation, or where anyone, anywhere, can be financially included.”
The NGO, which previously worked with Ripple, has also launched CARE Crypto Fund for Humanitarian Aid which aims to raise $10 million by late 2022 to directly fund critical healthcare.
In 2020, CARE reached more than 90 million people in 100 countries with humanitarian relief and poverty-fighting programs.
CARE accepts the following cryptocurrencies:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- LiteCoin (LTC)
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
- ZCash (ZEC)
- Gemini Dollar (GUSD)
- Basic Attention Token (BAT)
- ChainLink (LINK)
- ox (ZRX)
- Storj (STORJ)
- Dai (DAI)
- Amp (AMP)
- The Graph (GRT)
- UMA (UMA)
- 1inch (1INCH)
- BUSD