In June I wrote about our new goal on Geyser to pay for transportation of the Oil Press from Windhoek, Namibia to Nakawa in Zambia. We’re already on our way. We just have a little further to go.

We have some good news…you don’t need Bitcoin to help out! Credit card contributions are now open! Geyser made this possible by adding a feature on their platform that converts credit card payments directly into Bitcoin. We still receive your contribution in Bitcoin, which is going to make a significant difference for an upcoming goal to integrate Nakawa with nearby Livingstone (see details below).

You can donate directly, and/or buy pre-sale copies of the Nakawa children’s book, and/or get yourself a 1-year subscription to the Afrika Ascending Podcast. The choice is yours! Click below.

Donate/purchase now by clicking here :)

We’ve had some minor delays, but the Oil Press is almost on its way from China. The shipping container is being loaded as we speak. If all goes as planned, then it should be leaving the port in early September for arrival in Windhoek by the end of October. There will be some import duties at Namibia and Zambia’s borders, so the sooner we reach our second goal, the better :)

Nakawa in October

I’m going to a Bitcoin Mining conference in Lusaka at the end of September, so I will go spend some time in Nakawa afterward. I will likely be there for all of October.

Something BIG is happening

Something incredible has been happening near Nakawa. Bitcoin adoption by merchants in the nearby town, Livingstone, has been accelerating at an incredible pace. This is beyond exciting and is a huge break for Nakawa! I can’t wait to check it out. I’ve even arranged to rent a motorcycle, paid in Bitcoin.

Follow Bitcoin Victoria Falls on X to see what’s happening in Livingstone.

This is huge for Nakawa because it makes it so much easier for Bitcoin contributions to help them. The Bitcoin that Nakawa receives and generates acts as a tool to integrate them into Livingstone’s circular economy. They can spend their Bitcoin directly on the goods and services they need. The possibilities are endless. Oil from the Mongongo Press can be included for sale, and the collaborative effort of the Livingstone community will eagerly integrate Nakawa into their intiatives.

Click the image below to watch how Bitcoin is used in Livingstone.

A renowned open-source Bitcoin education program has been operating in Livingstone, called “My First Bitcoin”. Nakawa residents, and even children, can go participate, and I hope to arrange one of their programs at Nakawa’s own school.

Kids in Zambia learning how to pay with Bitcoin. Click the image to watch.

This type of grassroots financial and social liberation truly empowers people to be innovative and break free. People underestimate the power of financial literacy and inclusion, and being free from the hinderances of banks and politics.

Bitcoin circular economies cultivate exactly this. The value people create (the work they trade their precious time for) no longer leaks to outside interests like VISA/Mastercard, banks, and illogical taxation (stay legal, folks). Not even exchanges take a cut from Bitcoin/fiat conversions in Livingstone because most conversions between Bitcoin and Kwachas (Zambia’s currency) are done peer-to-peer by residents. Just watch what comes from Livingstone and Nakawa. I can’t wait to see how this unfolds and tell you all about it.

My goals for October

When I visit in October, one of my main goals will be to get my friends at Nakawa set up and educated on their own Bitcoin Lightning wallets. This is the infrastructure needed to make day-to-day payments and will allow contributions to go directly to them. I’m going to announce a new Geyser goal along these lines sometime soon.

I will be spending the rest of my time in Nakawa getting familiar with the network of merchants accepting Bitcoin at their stores and journaling for the Nakawa children’s book. In November, I’ll probably go fetch the machine in Windhoek, then make my way back to Nakawa.

Just in case you missed it, click the link below to contribute to Bitcoin Nakawa (Bitcoin/Credit Card). Grab yourself a pre-sale copy of our children’s book and/or a 1-year subscription to the Afrika Ascending Podcast while you’re at it.

Donate/purchase now by clicking here :)

//

Thanks again everyone. We are winning.

G

Announcing Goal #2: Transporting the machine

Please have a look at our new goal on the geyser fund website. The sole purpose of this goal is to transport the machine from Windhoek, Namibia to Nakawa in Zambia, a distance of about 1,400 km.

The costs are estimated based on the value, weight, and volume of the machine for transport, customs clearance, and duties.

Our first goal is still helping us purchase the machine. Have a look to see our progress.

We appreciate you!

Until future updates,

G

Thank you everyone who has been along for the journey!
If you’re just joining us now, refer to this post to learn what this project is all about.

We’re not done yet

The full story is …

Read more

Reward #1: Nakawa Children's Book

Reward #1: Nakawa Children’s Book

I've been wanting to write a children's book for a while and Nakawa has inspired me to do so. I will soon be spending more time there to research and write this book.

This is a pre-sale on a limited collection of 1000 copies. Expected delivery is April, 2026.

With each order, contributors receive both a physical and digital copy, and a physical translated copy will be donated to a student at the Nakawa school.

We hope you're as excited about the Nakawa children's book as we are!

Reward #2: 1-year Afrika Ascending Podcast Membership

Reward #2: 1-year Afrika Ascending Podcast Membership

Learn more about the Afrika Ascending Podcast

We recently launched the Afrika Ascending Podcast to accompany the Wandering w/ Purpose publication. We are now offering contributors the opportunity to support Bitcoin Nakawa and receive a 1-year discounted membership to the Afrika Ascending Podcast.

Have a look at the Afrika Ascending Podcast on Substack and Spotify.

Bitcoin is always preferred. Acquiring your Afrika Ascending Podcast membership through our Geyser Fund gives contributors a 33% discount compared to our fiat annual payment channel.

Making progress toward the Mongongo Nut Processing Machine

We are 24% of the way toward reaching our goal to purchase a Mongongo Nut Processing Machine for the Nakawa village. Not bad!

We would like to send a special thanks to our friends in Victoria, B.C., Canada. A good chunk of our contributions came from a Bitcoin event hosted in Victoria recently. I spent a few years living in Victoria, so these are likely from old friends.

If you guys are reading this, please send me your email so I can give you an Afrika Ascending Podcast membership. Thank you!

G

P.s. We are quite active on Stacker News. Click here to see this post on Stacker News.

Where has our funding come from?

After one week, we have six separate contributors. Who are they and where did they come from?

As suspected, most contributions came from a source outside this publication. If not from Wandering w/ Purpose, then where?

In short, Stacker News.

Stacker News is by far my favourite medium when it comes to writing in the Bitcoin world. Think of an online forum like Reddit, except where voting for popular posts are made with direct, instantly-settled Bitcoin micro-payments.

I often enjoy browsing the front-page of Stacker News. The topics are great for anyone either learning more about Bitcoin, or just staying on top of current events. I recommend connecting your own lightning network-enabled Bitcoin wallet for the informative experience of interacting with Bitcoin micro-payments on the web.

Remember, the supply of Bitcoin is fixed at 21 million coins and one Bitcoin is divisible into 100 million units , each of which is typically referred to as a "satoshi" or a "sat". Since even just one sat can be transacted for a fraction of a cent (or free) on the lightning network, then micro-payments, known as "zaps" on Stacker News, are feasible and encouraged.

Who contributed?

So far, the vast majority of our funding came from a single generous contributor who did so from an anonymous account. Their donation was for 100,000 sats (about USD $60, as of writing). Whoever you are, thank you!

The rest of our contributions came in amounts as low as 2,100 sats (about USD $1). These smaller amounts are more than welcome even if only as a gesture of enthusiasm and support for Bitcoin Nakawa. Had this been a fiat platform, small expressions like this may not be practical.

Here's a comment from a contributor on Stacker News

Bitcoin Nakawa wants to hear from you

In return for contributions, Bitcoin Nakawa would like to give something in return. We've prepared the following poll to learn what you might find appealing.

Loading...

Open to ideas

Do you have an idea for something you don't see in the poll? Please share!

Even if not relevant to the poll, please share any ideas or recommendations you may have for Bitcoin Nakawa. Likewise for Wandering w/ Purpose, too.

Additional Nakawa update:

Nakawa recently completed an assessment of the borehole that supplies water to the school. Looks like it'll need an update. For those interested, you can access the assessment here.

Thanks all,

G

P.s. Don’t forget to check out Stacker News. You can click here to see my activity on Stacker News.

(~6 minute read)

"We, not I", corrected Silumba. I nodded while our discussion brought me to compensate for Western biases in my thinking. I felt included in the project. A sense of ownership came over me, helping me understand how empowering this feeling can be among individuals in a community…

Zooming recently from Zambia to Namibia, I was preparing to cross the Kazangula border into Botswana; a shortcut that would take me to the Namibian border the same day. Just before crossing into Botswana, a homely sign caught my attention by the road side, "Nakawa Community Campsite".

I had been to enough organised and wild-camping areas to recognise that this wasn't an ordinary camping spot. It was rare to find a campsite organised by a local community. In fact, this is the only one I have come across since starting in Africa more than a year ago. Organised campsites tend to be an annex of a lodge that provides employment, but aren’t exactly empowering for locals.

I pulled in and was soon greeted by Cynthia and Silumba: a wife and husband duo taking initiative to create a better future for their community, “Nakawa”.

Nakawa consists of multiple villages in an area known as "Kazangula" in South-western Zambia. Cynthia and Silumba refer to themselves as "game-changers" given their will to push back against cyclical African issues.

Upon moving from town to their rural land in Nakawa, Cynthia and Silumba’s journey started when they noticed insufficient educational opportunities for Nakawa’s children. Taking action, they gathered their community to build a school near their home, employing individuals from Nakawa as first-time teachers. Despite limited income, Cynthia and Silumba have managed to bootstrap their initiative; often from the support of inspired friends and allies.

I have become one such ally. Upon meeting Cynthia and Silumba, I quickly realised they are the real deal. After plenty of kilometres through Africa, it was intuitive to recognise the integrity in their grassroots effort. I camped at their site, and soon followed multiple thought-provoking stories and insights into African challenges and how we can work together to impact the future of Nakawa.

We started brainstorming ideas to leverage one of Nakawa’s key strengths: the traditional knowledge of their elders. It was a fascinating discussion revealing just how rich the land and people of Nakawa and Africa are, but how brainwashed and sabotaged the people have become due to the greed and influences of foreign interests and the domestically corrupt.

The Mongongo Nut

Our plan of action was soon clear: the Mongongo Nut grows abundantly in the area, the trees of which have proven resilient to persistent droughts. This nut has multiple uses, including dietary health benefits and agricultural uses (cooking oil, animal feed, food). By optimising the processing method, we can employ locals to supply the nut while we produce value-added Mongongo products. What Nakawa needs is a nut processing machine.

I quickly volunteered to provide funding for the machine. The decision was seamless. I already knew how I would do it; via a crowd-funding campaign. I knew which platform I would use and the community I would reach out to.

Launching today, “Bitcoin Nakawa”

It is my pleasure to announce the official launch of our community crowd source fund,"Bitcoin Nakawa", starting today.

Bitcoin Nakawa Geyser Fund

Funding the purchase of the Mongongo Nut processing machine is the first project for this fund. Upon its completion, Bitcoin Nakawa aims to fund further projects to support the long-term sustainability of Nakawa.

For many of you reading this newsletter, this project may prove tricky to support because the platform of our crowd-sourcing campaign, Geyser Fund, only accepts donations in Bitcoin.

I suppose alternative donations are welcome (send me a message). It's just that the ethos of Bitcoin as money, and the community surrounding it, aligns to counteract the type of systemic issues Nakawa is up against. This is also why Bitcoin payments are much preferred to support this publication.

Why would I go through the effort of jumping through the hoops of rent-seeking banks and private payment-processing middle men to accept fiat currencies (USD, CAD, EURO, etc.) that serve as instruments of monetary imperialism? Bitcoin is apolitical, and promotes the freedom of individuals as an instrument of humanitarianism.

I highly suggest exploring readings on fiat currency as extensions of imperial power. The CFA Franc (a pair of fiat currencies used in West and Central Africa) is an especially pernicious example of monetary colonialism in the modern age.

Suggested reading:
https://mises.org/mises-wire/africas-way-out-monetary-colonialism

I also suggest reading and listening to Alex Gladstein, CSO for the Human Rights Foundation, for more on how Bitcoin serves as a humanitarian technology.

Some Alex Gladstein articles:
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/authors/alexgladstein

Bitcoiners are a very supportive and tight-knit community. From my past-involvement and understanding, I'm confident they'll quickly understand the essence of this project.

Getting started

The idea may seem simple, but adapting with nature, instead of harvesting the trees for charcoal (a common local source of income), protects the environment, encourages traditional ecological knowledge preservation, and is a more sustainable and value-dense source of income for Nakawa. It’s a subtle, but empowering shift in their incentives to foster growth.

The Mongongo Nut is just one amongst a wealth of priceless pieces of wisdom I have learned from my time with Nakawa's elders. It has become evident that now it's just a matter of getting started.

I would like to thank everyone for their enthusiasm in supporting this project. Even for those who don’t contribute, your readership is a blessing.

I will be documenting and posting updates and developments in Nakawa through this publication, and through my X (Twitter) account.

G

Nakawa Links:

Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/6Ai797NSoBe2emNj8

iOverlander: https://ioverlander.com/places/221610-nakawa-community-campsite

Website: http://nakawacommunityschool.org/ (pending...)