Building Economies
From the Ground Up
Economic tools that belong to the people who use them
We support communities to take charge of their livelihoods through Economic Commons — instruments like Community Asset Vouchers and Commitment Pooling that act as a medium of exchange independent of scarce national currency. Our programs serve businesses and people in informal settlements and rural areas, with tools broadly applied worldwide.
Everything we build is open. All software is AGPL 3.0 and all content is CC Share-Alike With Attribution. Copy, modify, and share freely.
Vision
A world where every community has the tools to build a regenerative, self-sustaining economy that works for people and the planet.
Mission
To develop and deploy open-source economic tools that enable communities to formalize, pool, and exchange their commitments — without dependency on external capital.
Values
Transparency · Community Sovereignty · Ecological Stewardship · Open Knowledge · Non-extraction
14 Years of Community Finance
From a single currency in Mombasa to a global protocol for community economies.
Eco-Pesa
Launched a backed community currency in three informal settlements near Kongowea, Mombasa. 75 businesses participated, achieving community service and environmental goals.
Bangla-Pesa
First program not fully dependent on donor funds, launched in Bangladesh settlement, Mombasa. 218 businesses joined with 87,200 KSH-equivalent vouchers in circulation.
Bangla-Pesa Arrests
In May 2013, six people — including founder Will Ruddick — were arrested for launching Bangla-Pesa in Bangladesh settlement, Mombasa, charged with currency forgery. The case drew international attention from BBC, Al Jazeera, and HuffPost. Charges were dropped, and the attention amplified the community currency movement worldwide.
Gatina-Pesa
First replication of the Bangla-Pesa model in Kawangware, Nairobi — officially launched by the area Member of Parliament with 258 businesses.
Sarafu-Credit Network
Five community currency networks unified under Sarafu-Credit, enabling cross-network exchange and digital platform testing.
Sarafu-Network Launch
Grassroots Economics pivots to supporting Community Asset Vouchers — customizable tokenized commitments — on a digital platform.
Red Cross Partnership
Red Cross pilots Community Inclusion Currencies in Mukuru Kayaba and Kisauni Mombasa. Registered users grow to 50,000+, supporting communities through COVID-19.
Commitment Pooling
Launched cyber-social protocols based on indigenous rotational labor practices. Sarafu.network becomes a polycentric ecosystem using Celo Blockchain.
Mnyumbuni Eco-Hub
Community learning center launched in Takaungu, Kilifi — a living demonstration of regenerative development, syntropic agroforestry, and ecosystem restoration.
Cosmo-Local Credit DAO
Launched a decentralized autonomous organization providing open protocol infrastructure for community-led credit systems and decentralized finance.
The People Behind the Work
A multidisciplinary team of economists, developers, ecologists, and community organizers.
Njambi Njoroge
Programs Director
Aude Péronne
Ecosystem Stewardship Director
Amina Godana
Community Development Officer
Joyce Kamau
Community Development Officer
A Global Ecosystem of Support
Implementation Partners
Organizations that deploy our programs in their communities.
Funding Partners
Foundations and investors who make our work possible.
Research Partners
Academic institutions studying community economies.
Technology Partners
Tech organizations powering our infrastructure.