Modernize Ugandan School
TLDR
Support the modernization of Ndurumo Primary School by implementing sustainable infrastructure, including water, solar energy, and sanitation systems, to improve educational conditions, community health, and serve as a replicable model for DAO-led rural development across Africa.
<aside>Submitted via Nouns Grants, a streamlined and user-friendly way to apply for small grants from Nouns. [Read more ↗](https://www.nounsgrants.com/voters)</aside>Application video
https://www.loom.com/share/4f7be3a4d7f24126801a52a75c1fbbd9?sid=b345faae-26b9-4e58-a211-bfed208b8ec8
Idea
Describe your project in 80 characters or less.
Modernizing a Ugandan school with Nounish design, water, and solar tech.
What is the problem or frustration you want to solve using this grant?
Lack of adequate school infrastructure, clean water access, and reliable energy at Ndurumo Primary School in rural Uganda, limiting education quality and community development.
Why do you think it has yet to be solved? Is it merely a lack of funding or are there other barriers at play?
It is not only a lack of funding. The barriers include:
- Government resource constraints – Rural education infrastructure is deprioritized due to limited national budgets.
- Low visibility – Remote schools like Ndurumo receive little external attention or investment.
- Lack of implementation capacity – Even when funds are allocated, execution is delayed or inefficient.
- No integration of sustainable tech – Traditional aid models neglect renewable, replicable infrastructure.
This project addresses all four barriers through design, local execution, renewable tech, and global DAO coordination.
What is the best-case outcome of receiving this grant?
Best-case outcome: Ndurumo Primary becomes a replicable model for decentralized, sustainable school development powered by crypto-native funding.
Impact:
- 500+ students benefit immediately from improved learning conditions, clean water, sanitation, and energy.
- Community access to water and power improves health, productivity, and resilience.
- First Nouns-funded school in Africa establishes precedent for global proliferation through similar DAO-backed initiatives.
- Nounish design and documentation provide an open-source framework for scaling across EMEA.
- Policy influence: Demonstrates real-world utility of crypto to local governments and stakeholders.
If you had access to 10x the funding amount, what could you improve? How would the outcome and impact change?
With 10× funding ($2.28M):
- Expand to multiple schools across Uganda and East Africa using the Ndurumo model.
- Develop a modular Nounish school kit—open-source architectural plans, renewable tech blueprints, and implementation guides.
- Establish regional training hubs for builders, educators, and administrators to replicate and maintain Nounish infrastructure.
- Launch ongoing programs in digital literacy, crypto education, and local Web3 onboarding.
- Create a permanent documentary/media unit to document and proliferate Nounish impact continent-wide.
Outcome: Systemic change in rural education delivery, crypto adoption, and DAO-led development in Africa.
Execution
How will you carry out the project and bring it to completion?
Execution plan:
- Design Phase (Month 1)
- Partner with local Ugandan architectural firm to produce final designs.
- Collaborate with Nouns community for aesthetic integration and cc0 alignment.
- Finalize site survey, energy system specs, and modular components.
- Construction Phase (Months 2–6)
- Local contractor executes build: classrooms, admin block, biogas kitchen, solar installation, water system, toilets.
- Site supervised by Nouns DAO Africa team for quality and compliance.
- Coordinate permits with local government.
- Launch + Documentation (Months 6–8)
- Host school opening event with community and Ministry of Education.
- Record full build process for documentary submission to Nouns DAO.
Team:
- Davin Oyesigye – Project lead; liaison with community, government, and Nouns DAO; manages local execution.
- Local Architect Firm – Design, engineering, prototyping.
- Local Contractor – Construction and site management.
- SAFE Multisig Team – Budget oversight and milestone accountability:
- hotfive.eth
- mamaxargs.eth
- gami.eth
- 0xF27 (legal)
- Media Team – Handles aerial footage, interviews, editing, and documentary production.
What is an interesting (operational) detail about the project that is non-obvious to an outsider?
Biogas from the school kitchen will power cooking and sanitation systems using waste generated on-site, creating a closed-loop renewable energy system that reduces fuel costs, minimizes environmental impact, and teaches students sustainability through real infrastructure.
What does the timeline to completion look like? Any major factors that could delay the project? Any hard deadlines you need to comply with?
Timeline (6–10 months):
- Month 1: Final designs, permits, procurement.
- Month 2: Groundbreaking, water project launch.
- Months 2–5: Full construction phase.
- Months 6–8: Finishing, inspection, launch event, media documentation.
- Months 9–10 (if needed): Buffer for delays or additional optimization.
Potential Delays:
- Permit or government coordination issues.
- Weather disruptions during construction.
- Supply chain delays for materials or tech.
- Contractor performance variability.
Hard Deadlines:
- School year scheduling: completion before next academic year to avoid disruption.
- Nouns DAO documentary submission window post-launch for follow-up proposal.
Are you already working on this project, and for how long? What have you learned?
Yes. Early-stage groundwork is underway.
Duration: ~3 months of preparation.
Progress:
- Site assessments completed.
- Local architect identified.
- Community and school leadership engaged.
- Initial government contact established.
- SAFE multisig team confirmed.
Learnings:
- Community buy-in is strong but requires consistent updates.
- Government cooperation is feasible but slow—requires persistence.
- Reliable local execution depends on direct oversight and clear contracts.
- Clear Nounish visual identity must be integrated early in the design phase for coherence and replicability.
About you
Why are you uniquely qualified to make use of this grant?
Alumnus of the school: Direct access, trust, and long-term accountability.
- Founder, Nouns DAO Africa: Proven contributor with experience in Nounish projects across the region.
- Established network: Relationships with local government, architects, contractors, and community leaders.
- Multisig structure with trusted Nouns members: Ensures transparency and oversight.
- Track record: Executed prior Nounish community projects in Uganda and Kenya.
- Local presence: Enables on-site supervision and real-time problem resolution.
How did you come up with the project idea? Do you have domain expertise in this area?
Idea origin: Personal experience. I am an alumnus of Ndurumo Primary School. I witnessed its decline and recognized the opportunity to rebuild it using decentralized funding and Nounish principles.
Domain expertise:
- Education Infrastructure: Direct exposure to rural school systems and their operational challenges.
- Nouns Ecosystem: Active contributor to multiple Nounish initiatives in Africa.
- Local Development: Coordination with government and private sector on past projects.
- Renewable Tech: Familiarity with biogas, solar, and sustainable design through prior deployments.
- Project Execution: Led community-focused builds with accountability and documented outcomes.
Please tell us in one or two sentences about something you achieved in the past that would be indicative of your ability to execute this project.
Led and completed the Nounish Crocs Edition in Nairobi and a Nounish Christmas program in Uganda, coordinating logistics, local partnerships, and community engagement—demonstrating capacity to deliver regionally impactful, DAO-aligned initiatives.
Budget
Please provide a rough breakdown of how you plan to spend the grant money.
- Architectural Design & Planning – 3,000 USDC
- Site survey, concept drawings, sustainable system prototyping.
- Community Water Source (Initial Phase) – 4,000 USDC
- Groundbreaking, procurement of materials, initial construction.
- Project Management & Coordination – 2,000 USDC
- Local team oversight, government liaison, Propdates.
- Media Documentation – 1,000 USDC
- Photos, video clips, and reporting for transparency and future proposal support.
Links
Project website, if any
https://nounsdaoafrica.org/projects/ndurumo
Personal website, if any
https://linkedin.com/in/davinoyesigye
https://instagram.com/nounsdaoafrica
Twitter / X
https://twitter.com/nounsdaoafrica
Warpcast
Youtube
Modernize Ugandan School
TLDR
Support the modernization of Ndurumo Primary School by implementing sustainable infrastructure, including water, solar energy, and sanitation systems, to improve educational conditions, community health, and serve as a replicable model for DAO-led rural development across Africa.
<aside>Submitted via Nouns Grants, a streamlined and user-friendly way to apply for small grants from Nouns. [Read more ↗](https://www.nounsgrants.com/voters)</aside>Application video
https://www.loom.com/share/4f7be3a4d7f24126801a52a75c1fbbd9?sid=b345faae-26b9-4e58-a211-bfed208b8ec8
Idea
Describe your project in 80 characters or less.
Modernizing a Ugandan school with Nounish design, water, and solar tech.
What is the problem or frustration you want to solve using this grant?
Lack of adequate school infrastructure, clean water access, and reliable energy at Ndurumo Primary School in rural Uganda, limiting education quality and community development.
Why do you think it has yet to be solved? Is it merely a lack of funding or are there other barriers at play?
It is not only a lack of funding. The barriers include:
- Government resource constraints – Rural education infrastructure is deprioritized due to limited national budgets.
- Low visibility – Remote schools like Ndurumo receive little external attention or investment.
- Lack of implementation capacity – Even when funds are allocated, execution is delayed or inefficient.
- No integration of sustainable tech – Traditional aid models neglect renewable, replicable infrastructure.
This project addresses all four barriers through design, local execution, renewable tech, and global DAO coordination.
What is the best-case outcome of receiving this grant?
Best-case outcome: Ndurumo Primary becomes a replicable model for decentralized, sustainable school development powered by crypto-native funding.
Impact:
- 500+ students benefit immediately from improved learning conditions, clean water, sanitation, and energy.
- Community access to water and power improves health, productivity, and resilience.
- First Nouns-funded school in Africa establishes precedent for global proliferation through similar DAO-backed initiatives.
- Nounish design and documentation provide an open-source framework for scaling across EMEA.
- Policy influence: Demonstrates real-world utility of crypto to local governments and stakeholders.
If you had access to 10x the funding amount, what could you improve? How would the outcome and impact change?
With 10× funding ($2.28M):
- Expand to multiple schools across Uganda and East Africa using the Ndurumo model.
- Develop a modular Nounish school kit—open-source architectural plans, renewable tech blueprints, and implementation guides.
- Establish regional training hubs for builders, educators, and administrators to replicate and maintain Nounish infrastructure.
- Launch ongoing programs in digital literacy, crypto education, and local Web3 onboarding.
- Create a permanent documentary/media unit to document and proliferate Nounish impact continent-wide.
Outcome: Systemic change in rural education delivery, crypto adoption, and DAO-led development in Africa.
Execution
How will you carry out the project and bring it to completion?
Execution plan:
- Design Phase (Month 1)
- Partner with local Ugandan architectural firm to produce final designs.
- Collaborate with Nouns community for aesthetic integration and cc0 alignment.
- Finalize site survey, energy system specs, and modular components.
- Construction Phase (Months 2–6)
- Local contractor executes build: classrooms, admin block, biogas kitchen, solar installation, water system, toilets.
- Site supervised by Nouns DAO Africa team for quality and compliance.
- Coordinate permits with local government.
- Launch + Documentation (Months 6–8)
- Host school opening event with community and Ministry of Education.
- Record full build process for documentary submission to Nouns DAO.
Team:
- Davin Oyesigye – Project lead; liaison with community, government, and Nouns DAO; manages local execution.
- Local Architect Firm – Design, engineering, prototyping.
- Local Contractor – Construction and site management.
- SAFE Multisig Team – Budget oversight and milestone accountability:
- hotfive.eth
- mamaxargs.eth
- gami.eth
- 0xF27 (legal)
- Media Team – Handles aerial footage, interviews, editing, and documentary production.
What is an interesting (operational) detail about the project that is non-obvious to an outsider?
Biogas from the school kitchen will power cooking and sanitation systems using waste generated on-site, creating a closed-loop renewable energy system that reduces fuel costs, minimizes environmental impact, and teaches students sustainability through real infrastructure.
What does the timeline to completion look like? Any major factors that could delay the project? Any hard deadlines you need to comply with?
Timeline (6–10 months):
- Month 1: Final designs, permits, procurement.
- Month 2: Groundbreaking, water project launch.
- Months 2–5: Full construction phase.
- Months 6–8: Finishing, inspection, launch event, media documentation.
- Months 9–10 (if needed): Buffer for delays or additional optimization.
Potential Delays:
- Permit or government coordination issues.
- Weather disruptions during construction.
- Supply chain delays for materials or tech.
- Contractor performance variability.
Hard Deadlines:
- School year scheduling: completion before next academic year to avoid disruption.
- Nouns DAO documentary submission window post-launch for follow-up proposal.
Are you already working on this project, and for how long? What have you learned?
Yes. Early-stage groundwork is underway.
Duration: ~3 months of preparation.
Progress:
- Site assessments completed.
- Local architect identified.
- Community and school leadership engaged.
- Initial government contact established.
- SAFE multisig team confirmed.
Learnings:
- Community buy-in is strong but requires consistent updates.
- Government cooperation is feasible but slow—requires persistence.
- Reliable local execution depends on direct oversight and clear contracts.
- Clear Nounish visual identity must be integrated early in the design phase for coherence and replicability.
About you
Why are you uniquely qualified to make use of this grant?
Alumnus of the school: Direct access, trust, and long-term accountability.
- Founder, Nouns DAO Africa: Proven contributor with experience in Nounish projects across the region.
- Established network: Relationships with local government, architects, contractors, and community leaders.
- Multisig structure with trusted Nouns members: Ensures transparency and oversight.
- Track record: Executed prior Nounish community projects in Uganda and Kenya.
- Local presence: Enables on-site supervision and real-time problem resolution.
How did you come up with the project idea? Do you have domain expertise in this area?
Idea origin: Personal experience. I am an alumnus of Ndurumo Primary School. I witnessed its decline and recognized the opportunity to rebuild it using decentralized funding and Nounish principles.
Domain expertise:
- Education Infrastructure: Direct exposure to rural school systems and their operational challenges.
- Nouns Ecosystem: Active contributor to multiple Nounish initiatives in Africa.
- Local Development: Coordination with government and private sector on past projects.
- Renewable Tech: Familiarity with biogas, solar, and sustainable design through prior deployments.
- Project Execution: Led community-focused builds with accountability and documented outcomes.
Please tell us in one or two sentences about something you achieved in the past that would be indicative of your ability to execute this project.
Led and completed the Nounish Crocs Edition in Nairobi and a Nounish Christmas program in Uganda, coordinating logistics, local partnerships, and community engagement—demonstrating capacity to deliver regionally impactful, DAO-aligned initiatives.
Budget
Please provide a rough breakdown of how you plan to spend the grant money.
- Architectural Design & Planning – 3,000 USDC
- Site survey, concept drawings, sustainable system prototyping.
- Community Water Source (Initial Phase) – 4,000 USDC
- Groundbreaking, procurement of materials, initial construction.
- Project Management & Coordination – 2,000 USDC
- Local team oversight, government liaison, Propdates.
- Media Documentation – 1,000 USDC
- Photos, video clips, and reporting for transparency and future proposal support.
Links
Project website, if any
https://nounsdaoafrica.org/projects/ndurumo
Personal website, if any
https://linkedin.com/in/davinoyesigye
https://instagram.com/nounsdaoafrica
Twitter / X
https://twitter.com/nounsdaoafrica