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Blockchain pilot II: summary of learnings

In 2016, a €50,000 grant to Start Network from the government of Estonia, which is leading the world in its drive to adopt the new technology, enabled us to pilot blockchain for humanitarian financing. So, in 2017 Start Network formed a partnership with a start-up social enterprise Disberse to push forward our plan to test blockchain in the delivery of humanitarian finance. Using the Disberse platform, we set out to test blockchain in a series of small disbursements. The pilot involved the creation of digital wallets on the blockchain that donors could use the transfer funding to NGOs, the NGO could then use its digital wallet to transfer the funding onto country teams. Through the pilot we aimed to prove that blockchain could potentially be used to speed up the distribution of aid funding and trace exactly how it is spent. In this 'Blockchain Pilot II: summary of learnings' piece the Start network, Disberse, Trócaire Ireland, Trócaire Rwanda and Caritas Rwanda review the lessons learnt during the implementation of the pilot and analayse whether blockchain helped to make the delivery of humanitarian aid more effective, transparent and accountable

26Nov18

Blog Post

Simon O'Connell: Consolidation is key to better aid delivery

There are simply too many charities operating in international development. It is time we ourselves took action, argues the executive director of Mercy Corps.

23Nov18

Blog Post

Start Fund Rapid Response: helping Uganda landslide survivors

With their homes destroyed, livestock buried, and crops washed way affected families were left stranded, struggling to survive and forced to depend on the help of their neighbouring communities.

21Nov18

Blog Post

Start Fund: A rapid response to flooding in El Salvador

In early October, heavy rainfall from two low pressure systems led to devastating flash floods and landslides in El Salvador. More than a 1000 people were forced to leave their homes as rivers burst their banks, mudslides in the country’s hilly interior cut roads, buried buildings, and flooded homes.

19Nov18

Blog Post

The African Risk Capacity Replica

What are the significant challenges that humanitarian organisations face today when responding to disasters?

16Oct18

Case study

‘We survived Cyclone Sagar’

Start Network member, The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) was awarded Start funds to provide a rapid response to families who had been affected by Cyclone Sagar in Djibouti. According to United Nations OCHA, it is estimated 830,000 people had been affected by the cyclone and 290,000 had been temporarily displaced.

05Oct18