Basic Information

Application Status Summary

Score Overview and Reviewer Comments

→ Total Average Score: 13.60 / 16

“Clear program, with prior impact”

“Solar Saving Circles as a mechanism already in Phase 2 of a pilot program demonstrates a strong use case for Ethereum adoption and localized empowerment. The program has a well defined set of stakeholders and accountability metrics that seem well suited to the scope and purpose of Localism Round 01. While the direct mechanism is technically a loan to be repaid, the program is more likely to be self-sustaining as a result of this circular economic structure combined with education, training, and technology support. The program leverages proven local payment infrastructure that is appropriate to community UX needs while onboarding rural communities into web3.” | | 2️⃣ Local Co-Funding & Financial Sustainability | 2.7 | “Minimum co-funding met ($5–10k typical)”

“Strong co-funder, but should start reaching out to regional institutions early to potentially scale iniative further.”

“With baseline co-funding hard committed from Solar Foundation, the program meets basic co-funding requirements but it is uncertain whether or not the full $14k budget could be raised. The application would receive a 4 or 5 if additional funding partners were secured, particularly institutional partners like local government/NGO or CRDB bank as it would demonstrate institutional legibility that could scale with other Tanzanian and international partners.” | | 3️⃣ Round Operations, Mechanisms & Impact Framework | 3.7 | “Clearly articulated round design and operational plan, including how projects will apply, be evaluated, selected, and funded”

“Round is clear, with veriviable steps.”

“The strength of this program comes from the sophistication of the mechanism and the legibility of impact metrics. Because loans are either repaid or not, successful ventures will be easier to measure and report. By combining local onchain payments infrastructure and allocation decision-making with Karma Gap, the program does a fantastic job of linking community decision-making on funding priorities with measurable outcomes and milestones that can demonstrate a track record in use of funds.” | | 4️⃣ Team Capacity & Community Anchoring | 3.8 | “Strong anchoring in established hub/chapter with deep community trust”

“Strong and diverse team, seem like the right fit for the program.”

“The team is another exceptional aspect of the program’s application. Combining local and global technology expertise with an existing network of primarily women entrepreneurs and community leaders, the program demonstrates a sophisticated combination of social, technological, and operational capacity. Given the integration of local knowledge, technical expertise, and grant program design experience, this application receives full marks in this category from me.” |

Public Summary Comments

“ReFi Tanzania demonstrates excellence in scope, Web3 integration, and team capacity. The innovative tools show promise but require further validation at scale. A more diverse funding base is needed for long-term impact.”

“Strong application, with proven traction. Could benefit from mapping clear plans on how they would further scale after this program, and contact potential future partner early.”

“Overall, ReFi Tanzania represents an ideal expression of what Localism Fund aims to serve and support. Linking local expertise with appropriate technologies, sophisticated mechanism design, and highly measurable and verifiable outcomes, this program is an ideal demonstration of how subsidiary funding networks can direct capital into micro-savings circles that create substantial transformative shifts for local economies, empowering women while producing circular impact models that can lift entire communities out of poverty. ReFi Tanzania should be incredibly proud of their work to date and I look forward to working with them!”

Evaluation Summary

The ReFi Tanzania Evaluation Report reflects an exceptionally strong proposal, scoring 13.6 out of 16, with particular excellence in program scope, team capacity, and operational clarity. Reviewers highlight the project’s deep local grounding, effective use of Web3 tools, and demonstrated community trust, especially through its Solar Saving Circles initiative that empowers rural women via decentralized finance mechanisms.