Sarafu Network Community Asset Vouchers, 2022-2023

DOI

We describe a dataset of account information and transaction records for many digital community inclusion currencies aka community asset vouchers in Kenya as well as Cameroon and South Africa. One unit of each voucher is equivalent in value to a 10 Kenyan shillings of the issuers products. The Sarafu.Network system has existed since 2010 and began operating digitally via USSD feature-code cellular technology in 2017. This dataset includes pseudonymized account information for around 20,000 users and records of all voucher transactions conducted from 20/04/2022 to 04/07/2023. User transactions capture various economic and financial activities such as purchases, transfers, and participation in traditional rotational labor and savings and lending groups. So-called "chamas" are key to the operation of the Sarafu.Network system and clearly labeled in the data. This dataset will contribute to research on the operation of community inclusion currencies, monetary systems, and economic networks in underdeveloped areas.We describe a dataset of account information and transaction records for many digital community inclusion currencies aka community asset vouchers in Kenya as well as Cameroon and South Africa. One unit of each voucher is equivalent in value to a 10 Kenyan shillings of the issuers products. The Sarafu.Network system has existed since 2010 and began operating digitally via USSD feature-code cellular technology in 2017. This dataset includes pseudonymized account information for around 20,000 users and records of all voucher transactions conducted from 20/04/2022 to 04/07/2023. User transactions capture various economic and financial activities such as purchases, transfers, and participation in traditional rotational labor and savings and lending groups. So-called "chamas" are key to the operation of the Sarafu.Network system and clearly labeled in the data. This dataset will contribute to research on the operation of community inclusion currencies, monetary systems, and economic networks in underdeveloped areas.

Information about account holders and digital transaction records are collected by Grassroots Economics, a Kenyan nonprofit Foundation, in the routine administration of the Sarafu.Network system. Users interact with the community currency over a USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) interface, secure behind a personal authentication code. The core functionalities are creating an account, updating account information, checking a balance, and making Sarafu.Netowrk voucher transactions to other accounts. These are accessible via feature-code menus from most mobile phones over regular cellular service. During the observation period, from 20/04/2022 to 01/07/2024, a PostgreSQL database as well as Kitabu blockchain recorded activity generated via four administrative processes: voucher creation, account creation, routine transactions, algorithmic currency management, and ad-hoc administrative tasks.

Identifier
DOI https://doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-SN-856593
Metadata Access https://datacatalogue.cessda.eu/oai-pmh/v0/oai?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=oai_ddi25&identifier=12dad88f57be688916a13d7e32e383873d22b158d65133b7a65b2bdfac018430
Provenance
Creator Ruddick, W, Grassroots Economics Foundation
Publisher UK Data Service
Publication Year 2023
Funding Reference Kenya Red Cross; OneProject; Interchain Foundation - Cosmos; Celo Foundation; GIZ; Danish Red Cross; Innovation Norway; Norweigian Red Cross; Mustard Seed Trust
Rights William Ruddick, Grassroots Economics Foundation; The Data Collection is available for download to users registered with the UK Data Service.
OpenAccess true
Representation
Resource Type Numeric; Text; Geospatial
Discipline Economics; Social and Behavioural Sciences
Spatial Coverage Kenya; Cameroon; South Africa