Building Economies
From the Ground Up
Commitment Pooling Protocol
Members can publish Offerings and issue vouchers representing commitments for goods and services. Commitment Pools publish the vouchers they support and the terms under which participants can make direct swaps without relying only on scarce national currency.
Based on indigenous Rotational Labor Associations (ROLA) — like Kenya's mwethya or harambee— the protocol is open-source. Each deployment and Pool defines its own operators, terms, limits, and community responsibilities.
Cosmo-Local Credit
The CLC App supports accounts, wallets, vouchers, Offerings, Commitment Pools, transfers, and direct swaps through compatible Pools. Pool terms and redemption responsibilities remain visible to participants.
The historic Sarafu Network transitioned to CLC. This service transition does not mean that every historic account, asset, record, participant, or obligation migrated. Broader routing, insurance, governance, and liquidity mechanisms described in the protocol materials are proposed or depend on a specific deployment.
How it works
Join or Create
Use an account and wallet to join an existing Commitment Pool or create one with published terms and roles.
Issue and Exchange
Create vouchers and Offerings, transfer vouchers, or make a direct swap through a compatible Pool.
Build Networks
Communities can coordinate through independently managed Pools. Wider routing remains proposed and deployment-dependent.
Review Records
Use related public records alongside community reporting and research to understand activity and outcomes.
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
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
Our Journey in Community Finance
From a single currency in Mombasa to open tools 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
Grassroots Economics developed commitment-pooling protocols based on indigenous rotational labor practices, with the historic Sarafu Network operating on Celo.
Mnyumbuni Eco-Hub
Community learning center launched in Takaungu, Kilifi — a living demonstration of regenerative development, syntropic agroforestry, and ecosystem restoration.
Cosmo-Local Credit
The historic Sarafu Network transitioned to Cosmo-Local Credit, with updated open-source tools for community vouchers and Commitment Pools.