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As a long time Kiva member, Kiva Zip Trustee & bigtime supporter of Watsi, I'm really happy to see Zidisha getting some shine right now. It's an exciting time for crowdfunding and microfinance. I didn't know you guys were in the DC area!

What are your main challenges on the ground in different countries? Have you ever thought about incorporating bitcoin into your funding model somehow? Could that solve any potential issues with the transfers?

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Hi 1dundundun,

Thanks for your message. Kiva was a big source of inspiration for Zidisha.

I would say our biggest challenge is finding affordable local payment options that can be accessed over the internet, without needing to outsource funds transfers to local intermediaries. We've had the easiest time in countries, such as Kenya and Ghana, that have strong mobile-phone-based payment services.

The language barrier is quite a challenge in our francophone countries and in Indonesia. We are lucky to have a wonderful team of volunteers who provide translations of content posted by the non-Anglophone borrowers, and serve as the first line of contact whenever they need help using our platform.

That's awesome.

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