Tag Archives: Africa

Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, International, Opinion, Technology

Dash Supporting Healthy Communities in Africa

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Dash Africa is one of a several grassroots efforts coming from the Dash community. The grassroots efforts in places like Africa take community outreach to the next level while increasing awareness of Dash around the globe.

Dash Africa is supporting the Dash Leopards soccer team; they are working to enable a better life for kids in Africa through sports, education, and social activities. Thanks to Dash, soccer program founder Coach Ricardo— along with the other coaches— use soccer as a tool to help the players achieve comprehensive life skills.

The Dash Leopards program also offers tutoring to help children with their schoolwork. They’re learning about healthy food and nutrition and preparing snacks and smoothies prepared with fresh ingredients.

Dash Africa’s community outreach efforts have brought awareness of Dash to the African continent, a place where Dash can flourish due to Africa’s large numbers of unbanked individuals who could benefit from digital currency.

Cryptocurrencies like Dash are fit particularly well with countries dealing with continuous problems stemming from devaluation and corruption associated with fiat currency. Dash Force News notes that Zimbabwe has been dealing with hyperinflation of their currency since 2009 and at one point destroyed their currency altogether. In developing countries, many would prefer a decentralized, secure, and valuable currency than the insecure fiat alternative.

The Kuva project is another initiative funded by the Dash community; this project is working with Zimbabweans to use Dash as their currency, rather than foreign fiat currencies. With Dash, the people of Zimbabwe can now have a secure place to store value, cheaper transaction costs, and a more reliable way to transact.

Cryptocurrencies like Dash will be needed now more than ever in areas like Zimbabwe. CCN recently reported that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has “banned financial institutions in the country from processing cryptocurrency transactions for cryptocurrency traders and investors despite growing interest in digital monetary assets in the country.”

CCN further reported that “in order to safeguard the integrity, safety, and soundness of the country’s financial system, and to protect the public in general, all financial institutions are hereby required to ensure that they do not use, trade, hold and/or transact in any way in virtual currencies.”

As the central banking attempts to dictate how the people of Zimbabwe secure their money, efforts like Dash Africa, the Dash Leopards and the Kuva Project will be needed to not only raise awareness about alternative options and provide valuable programs for youth, but to help in freeing everyday transactions from centralized banking systems. Given that Zimbabwe has a history of an unstable currency and financial system, this step has become crucial.

Editor’s note: Dash Digital Cash is the exclusive sponsor of Reality Check and the Truth in Media project.

Health, International, US

First Ebola related death in the US confirmed

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The first Ebola patient in the US has died at 7:51 a.m. on Wednesday, reports say.

Thomas Duncan, 42, was a Liberian man who had recently traveled to Africa, and was the first US citizen to have contracted the deadly virus.  Duncan died while in isolation care at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.

“It is with profound sadness and heartfelt disappointment that we must inform you of the death of Thomas Eric Duncan this morning at 7:51 am,” said a spokesman from the hospital in Dallas, according to the BBC.

In recent days, the New York Times reports Duncan’s condition had worsened from serious to critical condition.  Medical staff were on hand to support Duncan after this with fluids and electrolytes to replenish the lose of fluids which occurs when one is infected with Ebola.  Duncan was also being treated with an experimental drug, called brincidofovir, to help combat the virus.

Upon returning from his trip to Africa, Duncan went to the hospital complaining of a stomach ache and fever, but hospital staff failed to test for Ebola on this visit and sent Duncan home.  It was only days later when Duncan returned to the hospital that the virus was found to be in Duncan’s system.

According to CNN, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Thomas Frieden, offered his condolences to the Duncan family after this death.  “He is a face that we associate now with Ebola,” said Frieden.

According to the same report, in order to help prevent the spread of Ebola, the body of Duncan will be cremated.

As of now, Duncan’s family members and close to 50 other Dallas residents are being monitored after having come into either first or second degree contact with Duncan after he returned from Africa.