Kweks's climb of Mount Kilimanjaro was supported by supporters of the decentralised protocol Nostr and the Bitcoin Lightning Network.

An instructor from Tanzania has climbed Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, paying for the entire expedition with donations via Nostr and Bitcoin.

To pay for the climb, Kweks (not his real name) raised nearly $1,700 in Bitcoin (0.0018 BTC) through a crowdsourcing campaign. The campaign also served as an announcement for the opening of a new Bitcoin teaching academy in Tanzania.

Kweks recently relocated to a new Tanzanian city with his spouse in order to launch a learning facility known as the "Proof of Work Academy," or POWA. POWA is a play on the proof-of-work algorithm used by Bitcoin, according to Kweks, but it also alludes to the Zwahili term "Poah," which means "fresh" or "cool," as reported by Cointelegraph.

In an attempt to raise awareness of the new school and hint at his preference for decentralised protocols—such as Bitcoin and Nostr, which are notes and other items sent by relay—Kweks paid the climb to over 6,000 metres in satoshis, or sats, the smallest unit of measurement.

Donations for the Bitcoin Lightning Network came in via Geyser Fund crowdsourcing and Zapraising, which is Nostr-based Bitcoin Lightning Network crowdfunding (also known as Zaps). The donations came in from all across the world.

Throughout the multiday journey on X, Nostr, and WhatsApp, Kweks shared status updates while waving and carrying a massive Nostr flag. Speaking to Cointelegraph from Tanzania, Kweks clarified that although the funds raised were significant in helping to pay for the climb's expenses, the main educational benefit was realised:

I felt that this ascent would be a great way to introduce some people to Bitcoin and demonstrate its capabilities," the author said.

The summit proved to his local community that Kweks' climb and his educational efforts in Tanzania were gratefully sponsored by a global base of Nostriches, or users of Nostr, and kindhearted Bitcoin proponents worldwide.

Additionally, Kweks learned of a grassroots Bitcoin acceptance in Tanzania through a tip from one of the guides who led the party to the peak of Kili, as it is known locally.

According to Kweks, there appears to be some awareness of Bitcoin in Tanzania; nevertheless, converting to local money is a significant obstacle. It could be difficult to convert cash into Bitcoin and vice versa because companies like Coinbase, Kraken, and Gemini do not operate in Tanzania.

Tanzanians asked Kweks questions and made interesting remarks on how he paid for the trip, and of course, he was asked the inevitable question: "What is Bitcoin?"

In the end, Tanzanians' acceptance of Bitcoin differs greatly from those in the UK, where Kweks lived for 25 years before to relocating to Tanzania.

He clarifies that East Africa operates more like a barter system. Explaining money and hyperinflation, as well as the reasons why a digital currency like Bitcoin with a controlled inflation rate could provide society with an alternative economic system, can be difficult.

Ten years ago, upon my arrival in Tanzania, one Tanzanian shilling was worth 1,500 hundred." Right now, $2,600 is equal to [$1]. After ten years, that is. It's absurd!

Using language that people can understand is ultimately the key to educating people about Bitcoin. As Kweks put it, "I do speak to them about how much bread is going up and how much fuel is going up, and they understand that."

They observe that it's more difficult to get by. With these ideas in mind, people realise that Bitcoin is a tool that can assist them, and that's the task. That is the work that has to be investigated and shared.

While POWA, an educational resource, provides free educational lessons to Tanzanians living close to Kilimanjaro, Kweks is still sharing and posting educational resources on Nostr and X.

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