From The Founder's Desk Episode 4 | Ronnie Mdawida on Building Afribit Kibera

In this episode, we sit down with Ronnie Mdawida, AfriBit Kibera’s Founder, to discuss how AfriBit Kibera is building a Bitcoin circular economy from the ground up in Kibera, Nairobi. Ronnie shares how his journey with Bitcoin began, why AfriBit Kibera started with real community needs rather than Bitcoin itself, and how the project uses Bitcoin and Lightning to support waste management, local businesses, microtasks, education, and savings. We also discuss the challenges of building Bitcoin infrastructure in a community where internet access, smartphones, financial literacy, and trust cannot be taken for granted. Ronnie explains how incentivized learning, self-custody education, and community-led development are helping participants move from simply receiving Bitcoin to saving, using, and building with it. From community members saving their sats to start businesses and improve their livelihoods, to developing local educators and merchants, AfriBit Kibera offers a practical look at what Bitcoin adoption can look like when it is built around real economic activity. In this episode, we explore what it takes to build a sustainable Bitcoin circular economy, the lessons AfriBit Kibera has learned, and what the next three to five years could look like for the project. Watch the full conversation with Ronnie Mdawida to learn how AfriBit Kibera is putting Bitcoin to work at the community level.