Cambalache project is a community kitchen that leverages Blockchain for visibility and traceability.
In Argentina, a social initiative called the Cambalache project uses Blockchain technology to benefit the community. The Cambalache Project, led by the NGO Bitcoin Argentina and Casa Cambalache, seeks to bring more visible volunteer work that’d serve as a bridge to unite social initiatives and the community of popular neighborhoods in Buenos Aires.
Thanks to technological support like Blockchain, the project can consolidate the traceability and transparency of donated funds while granting redeemable points to its volunteers for providing support in a soup kitchen.
Launched at the end of 2019, Proyecto Comedor developed its initial test phase amid the crisis generated by the Covid-19 pandemic. After overcoming its first obstacles, the project set clear goals for 2021: to continue bringing food and support to low-income communities within the country.
The team also plans to set an expansion for the project and create more dining rooms in Argentina. They are also planning a digital training program for community members to get familiar with the use of cryptocurrencies.
The Cambalache Project: A Soup Kitchen with an Eye on Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain
Casa Cambalache is a soup kitchen operating for more than 25 years. Its goals are to assist many people Villa 21 – 24 – NHT Zavaletavilla largest village in Buenos Aires.
Residents of the area fully support these activities, arguing that about 300 persons arrive at the soup kitchen to receive food every day. People have plenty of options there like Dancing, social training, and other cultural activities.
With the use of a mobile application, each volunteer receives a reward in payment for their collaboration. With the app, they scan a QR code when they arrive at the dining room; this code will allow the amount through redeemable points of every single hour of service in the kitchen.
The reward is a token that is tradable for products such as food at a local store. The Blockchain provides traceability to donors on the destination of their monetary contributions; it gives visibility to the social workers in a specific area and generates a circular economy within all the participants.
The project received about two million donations, a highlight, and a step forward to build a world where the money is the cryptocurrencies get to people who can’t afford the currency by traditional ways.
Among the positive features of Proyecto Cambalache, the opportunity to understand seems to be the more valuable. Every single collaborator will receive enough preparation and lessons to become a potential Bitcoin user.
Some volunteers argue about how wonderful it is to learn extra-usages of their phones. They are now doing things they never thought they would do before. The initiative fully supports the education, and preparation of its volunteers to know how to receive, and spend their redeemable points.
By: Jenson Nuñez
