IDLink

The specific problem that IDLink is addressing is the lack of formal identification among underserved populations in Tanzania. It is estimated that over 3 million Tanzanians, or approximately 5% of the population, lack official government-issued identification documents. This lack of formal identification prevents these individuals from accessing vital services such as healthcare, financial services, and social protection programs.

Globally, the World Bank estimates that over 850 Million people worldwide do not have any form of official identification, with the majority living in developing countries. Without formal identification, these individuals are effectively excluded from participating in the formal economy and accessing essential public and private services. This perpetuates a cycle of poverty and marginalization, particularly for vulnerable groups such as women, children, and refugees.

In Tanzania, the factors contributing to this problem include geographic isolation, lack of infrastructure, and socioeconomic barriers that make it difficult for many individuals to obtain official identification documents. This disproportionately affects rural and low-income communities, further exacerbating existing inequalities.

The inability to prove one's identity also increases the risk of exploitation, human trafficking, and other forms of abuse, as individuals without formal documentation are more vulnerable to these threats. Addressing this problem is crucial for ensuring the basic rights and well-being of underserved populations in Tanzania and around the world.

IDLink's solution is a secure, blockchain-based digital identity platform that provides underserved communities in Tanzania with a portable, user-controlled form of identification. The core of the solution is the integration of biometric fingerprint technology with a decentralized blockchain infrastructure.

Here's how it works:

1. Enrollment: IDLink's trained agents visit underserved communities and use a mobile fingerprint scanner to enroll individuals in the system, capturing their biometric data.

2. Digital Identity Creation: The fingerprint data is then securely stored on the blockchain, creating a unique, tamper-proof digital identity for each individual. This digital identity can be accessed and controlled by the user through a mobile app.

3. Accessible Services: With their digital identity, users can now access a wide range of essential services, such as healthcare, financial services, and social protection programs, without the need for traditional identification documents.

4. Privacy and Security: By leveraging blockchain technology, IDLink ensures the immutability and privacy of the user's personal data. Users have full control over their identity information and can choose what data to share with service providers.

This innovative approach to digital identity management empowers underserved communities in Tanzania, enabling them to participate more fully in the formal economy and access the services they need to improve their livelihoods and well-being.

IDLink's solution primarily serves the underserved populations in Tanzania, particularly those living in remote or resource-limited areas who lack access to formal identification documents.

The target population includes:

1. Rural and low-income communities: It is estimated that over 70% of Tanzania's population lives in rural areas, with many individuals living in poverty and lacking access to essential services due to the absence of formal identification.

2. Women and children: In Tanzania, women and children are disproportionately affected by the lack of identification documents, limiting their access to healthcare, education, and social protection programs.

3. Refugees and displaced persons: Tanzania hosts a large number of refugees and internally displaced persons, many of whom lack any form of official identification, making it difficult for them to access basic services and exercise their rights.

IDLink's secure digital identity solution addresses the needs of these underserved communities in several ways:

1. Enables access to essential services: By providing a portable, blockchain-based digital identity, IDLink empowers individuals to access critical services such as healthcare, financial services, and social protection programs that were previously inaccessible.

2. Promotes financial inclusion: The digital identity facilitates access to formal financial services, including banking, credit, and insurance, enabling these communities to participate more fully in the economy and build financial resilience.

3. Enhances personal security and dignity: The solution protects users' personal data and reduces the risk of identity-related exploitation, helping to restore a sense of personal security and dignity for those who have been marginalized.

By addressing the fundamental challenge of lack of formal identification, IDLink's solution has the potential to transform the lives of millions of underserved Tanzanians. It is estimated that over 3 million Tanzanians, or approximately 5% of the population, lack official government-issued identification documents, and IDLink's solution aims to serve this population.

IDLink's team is deeply rooted in the communities it serves, ensuring that the solution is designed and delivered with a deep understanding of the local context and the needs of the target population.

At the helm of the team is Nchambi Nalija, the CEO and co-founder of IDLink. Nchambi is a respected community leader and social entrepreneur from the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania. With over a decade of experience in developing and implementing digital solutions for underserved populations, Nchambi's intimate knowledge of the challenges faced by rural and low-income Tanzanians is the driving force behind IDLink's mission.

Complementing Nchambi's leadership is a diverse and highly capable team, including:

1. Jonah Mwakasege, the Chief Technology Officer, who has extensive experience in blockchain and biometric technology development, having worked on similar solutions in East Africa.

2. Prisca Ndunguru, the Chief Operations Officer, a seasoned social impact professional with a deep understanding of the logistical and operational challenges in remote Tanzanian communities.

3. Beatrice Mmbaga, the Head of Community Engagement, a respected community organizer who has been instrumental in building trust and garnering buy-in from local stakeholders.

4. Emmanuel Lyimo, the Head of Product Design, a human-centered design expert who has worked closely with target communities to ensure the solution is intuitive, accessible, and responsive to their needs.

This team's deep roots in the Tanzanian context, combined with their technical expertise and commitment to social impact, position IDLink as the ideal partner to deliver a transformative digital identity solution that empowers underserved communities and drives sustainable change.

IDLink is currently at the pilot stage of its development. The team has successfully launched the solution in a rural community in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania, serving over 121 direct beneficiaries so far.

During the pilot phase, the IDLink team has:

1. Conducted extensive community engagement and needs assessments to deeply understand the challenges faced by the target population in accessing formal identification and essential services.

2. Developed and deployed a mobile-based biometric enrollment system that captures fingerprint data and securely stores it on the blockchain.

3. Rolled out the IDLink mobile app, which enables users to access their digital identities and utilize them to authenticate their identity and access services.

4. Partnered with local healthcare providers, financial institutions, and government agencies to integrate the IDLink digital identity solution and facilitate access to their services.

5. Gathered feedback from the pilot community to iteratively refine the solution's design, user experience, and deployment processes.

The pilot has provided valuable insights and learnings that are informing IDLink's ongoing product development and business model refinement. The team is now working to expand the solution's reach to additional rural communities in Tanzania, while also exploring opportunities to scale the technology to serve other underserved populations in the region.

This hands-on experience in the field, combined with the team's deep understanding of the local context and strong relationships with key stakeholders, positions IDLink well to deliver a truly transformative digital identity solution that empowers marginalized communities and drives sustainable development.

IDLink is applying to Solve to leverage the program's unique resources and partnerships in order to overcome key barriers to scaling our digital identity solution in Tanzania.

The primary barriers we face include:

1. Funding for Expansion: As a social enterprise, IDLink requires sustainable funding to support the capital-intensive process of deploying our biometric enrollment infrastructure and integrating our solution with critical service providers across Tanzania. The Solve grant, as well as connections to potential investors and donors, would be invaluable in fueling our growth.

2. Technical Expertise: While our team has strong experience in blockchain and biometric technologies, we are constantly seeking to stay at the forefront of innovation in this rapidly evolving space. Solve's network of technical experts and access to cutting-edge research could help us refine and strengthen our technical architecture.

3. Regulatory and Policy Navigation: Navigating the complex regulatory and policy landscape around digital identity in Tanzania presents a significant challenge. Solve's connections to government stakeholders and legal/policy experts could provide crucial guidance and support in this area.

4. Community Engagement: Building trust and buy-in from the communities we serve is essential to the long-term success and sustainability of our solution. Solve's expertise in human-centered design and community engagement strategies can help us deepen our understanding of user needs and ensure our solution remains responsive to the local context.

By partnering with Solve, IDLink can access the resources, networks, and knowledge to overcome these barriers and scale our impact across Tanzania, ultimately empowering underserved populations with secure and inclusive digital identities.

IDLink's solution is innovative in several key ways:

1. Integrated Biometric and Blockchain Technology: By seamlessly combining cutting-edge biometric fingerprint identification with a decentralized blockchain infrastructure, IDLink creates a secure, user-centric digital identity system that is uniquely suited to the needs of underserved communities. This integrated approach ensures the immutability and privacy of personal data, empowering individuals to manage and control their own identity information.

2. Accessibility and Scalability: IDLink's mobile-based enrollment and authentication processes make the solution highly accessible, even in remote and resource-limited areas. The scalable, cloud-based architecture enables rapid deployment and integration with a wide range of service providers, positioning IDLink to reach millions of individuals who currently lack formal identification.

3. Community-Driven Design: From the outset, IDLink has been designed in close collaboration with the target communities it serves. By deeply understanding the unique challenges and priorities of rural, low-income, and displaced Tanzanians, the team has developed a solution that is intuitive, culturally appropriate, and responsive to the needs of the end-users.

4. Ecosystem Integration: IDLink goes beyond a standalone digital identity platform by actively integrating with key service providers in healthcare, finance, and social protection. This creates a comprehensive ecosystem where individuals can seamlessly leverage their digital identities to access essential services, fostering greater financial inclusion and socioeconomic empowerment.

The innovative nature of IDLink's solution has the potential to catalyze broader positive impacts in the digital identity space. By demonstrating the transformative power of integrating biometrics and blockchain technology, IDLink can inspire and inform the development of similar solutions in other underserved regions, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and equitable global economy.

IDLink's theory of change is rooted in the belief that providing underserved communities in Tanzania with secure, portable digital identities can catalyze a cascade of positive outcomes, ultimately empowering these populations and improving their access to critical services and opportunities.

Here's how it works:

Activities:

• IDLink's trained agents visit rural and low-income communities to enroll individuals in the digital identity system, capturing their biometric fingerprint data.
• The biometric data is securely stored on the blockchain, creating a unique, tamper-proof digital identity for each user.
• IDLink integrates its digital identity solution with key service providers, such as healthcare clinics, financial institutions, and government agencies.

Outputs:

• Underserved Tanzanians, including women, children, and displaced persons, are provided with a secure, user-controlled digital identity.
• Service providers are equipped with the necessary infrastructure to accept and verify the IDLink digital identities, enabling access to their services.

Outcomes:

• Increased access to essential services: With their digital identities, individuals can now access healthcare, financial services, and social protection programs that were previously inaccessible due to lack of formal identification.
• Improved financial inclusion: The digital identity facilitates access to formal banking, credit, and insurance, empowering users to participate more fully in the economy and build financial resilience.
• Enhanced personal security and dignity: The secure, decentralized nature of the digital identity reduces the risk of identity-related exploitation, helping to restore a sense of personal security and dignity for marginalized communities.

Evidence from similar digital identity initiatives in developing countries, as well as in-depth community engagement, supports the strength of these links between IDLink's activities, outputs, and the targeted outcomes for the underserved populations in Tanzania.

IDLink's primary impact goal is to empower underserved communities in Tanzania by providing them with secure and inclusive digital identities, thereby increasing their access to essential services and improving their overall socioeconomic well-being.

Specifically, IDLink aims to achieve the following measurable outcomes:

1. Increased access to essential services:

• Indicator: Percentage of IDLink users who have successfully accessed healthcare, financial, and social protection services using their digital identity.
• Target: Reach at least 80% of enrolled individuals with access to at least one essential service within the first 2 years of implementation.

2. Improved financial inclusion:

• Indicator: Percentage of IDLink users who have opened a formal bank account or accessed other financial services (e.g., credit, insurance) after obtaining their digital identity.
• Target: Achieve a 50% increase in formal financial inclusion among IDLink users within the first 3 years.

3. Enhanced personal security and dignity:

• Indicator: Percentage of IDLink users who report feeling more secure and able to exercise their rights and access opportunities due to their digital identity.
• Target: At least 75% of users express a strong sense of personal security and dignity within the first year of enrollment.

To measure progress towards these goals, IDLink will regularly collect data through user surveys, service provider records, and other monitoring mechanisms. The team will also conduct periodic impact evaluations, leveraging both quantitative and qualitative methods, to deeply understand the solution's broader effects on the lives of the target communities.

This rigorous approach to monitoring and evaluation will not only help IDLink track its progress, but also inform ongoing improvements to the solution and guide the team's strategic decision-making as the initiative scales.

At the core of IDLink's solution is the integration of biometric fingerprint technology with a decentralized blockchain infrastructure to create secure, user-controlled digital identities for underserved communities in Tanzania.

The biometric enrollment process is powered by a mobile application and a portable fingerprint scanner. When an individual registers with IDLink, their unique fingerprint data is captured and securely stored on the blockchain, creating a tamper-proof digital identity that the user can access and control through a mobile app.

The blockchain technology ensures the immutability and privacy of the user's personal data, as it is distributed across a decentralized network rather than stored in a centralized database. This decentralized approach reduces the risk of data breaches and identity-related exploitation, empowering individuals to manage and share their information as they see fit.

To enable access to essential services, IDLink's digital identity solution is integrated with the systems of key service providers, such as healthcare clinics, financial institutions, and government agencies. When a user needs to authenticate their identity, they can simply use the mobile app to verify their digital identity, which is then recognized by the service provider's systems.

This seamless integration of biometrics and blockchain technology sets IDLink apart from traditional identification systems, which often rely on physical documents that can be lost, stolen, or forged. By leveraging cutting-edge digital solutions, IDLink is able to provide a secure, portable, and user-centric form of identification that can significantly improve access to critical services and opportunities for marginalized communities in Tanzania.

The IDLink solution team consists of the following:

5 full-time staff:

• Nchambi Nalija, CEO and Co-founder
• Jonah Mwakasege, Chief Technology Officer
• Prisca Ndunguru, Chief Operations Officer
• Beatrice Mmbaga, Head of Community Engagement
• Emmanuel Lyimo, Head of Product Design

4 part-time staff:

• Msafiri Salima, Chief Financial Officer
•  Zawadi Salehe, Senior Software Engineer
• Eliza Mkama, Community Outreach Coordinator
•  Erick Lema, Data Analyst

The team is further supported by a network of contractors and advisors who contribute specialized expertise in areas such as blockchain development, biometric technology, and regulatory compliance.

IDLink has been working on the development and implementation of its digital identity solution for the past 14 months. The core team, led by CEO Nchambi Nalija, has been deeply immersed in this project since its inception, leveraging their extensive experience to craft a solution tailored to the unique needs of underserved populations in Tanzania. During this time, the team has conducted research, built partnerships, developed the technical infrastructure, and launched a successful pilot program, laying the groundwork for the solution's further expansion and impact.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values that are deeply embedded within IDLink's organizational culture and approach. We believe that building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive team is not only the right thing to do, but also essential for driving innovation and delivering sustainable impact for the communities we serve.

Our leadership team reflects the diversity of the population we aim to serve in Tanzania. The CEO, Nchambi Nalija, and the Chief Operations Officer, Prisca Ndunguru, are both women, while the Chief Technology Officer, Jonah Mwakasege, and the Head of Community Engagement, Beatrice Mmbaga, bring diverse backgrounds and perspectives to the team.

Beyond our leadership, we have made a concerted effort to ensure that our overall team composition is representative of the local communities. This includes actively recruiting and providing equal opportunities for women, youth, and individuals from marginalized groups to join the IDLink team in various capacities, from full-time staff to part-time contractors and community-based agents.

To foster a welcoming and inclusive environment, we have implemented the following practices:

• Providing unconscious bias training and ongoing diversity and inclusion workshops for all team members
• Establishing clear, bias-free hiring and promotion policies that prioritize merit and potential over experience or background
• Offering flexible work arrangements, competitive compensation, and comprehensive benefits to support the diverse needs of our team
• Encouraging open dialogue and feedback channels to continuously identify and address any equity or inclusion challenges

By embedding these principles and practices into the very fabric of our organization, IDLink aims to serve as a model of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the digital identity and social impact space, ultimately driving more equitable and inclusive outcomes for the communities we serve.

IDLink operates on a hybrid business model that combines social impact and revenue generation to ensure the long-term sustainability and scalability of the digital identity solution.

Key Customers and Beneficiaries:

• Primary Beneficiaries: Underserved individuals in rural and low-income communities in Tanzania, including women, children, and displaced persons, who lack access to formal identification.
• Key Customers: Government agencies, healthcare providers, financial institutions, and other service providers who integrate the IDLink digital identity solution to enable access to their services.

Value Proposition:

• For Beneficiaries: Secure, user-controlled digital identities that unlock access to essential services, such as healthcare, financial inclusion, and social protection programs.
• For Customers: A comprehensive digital identity infrastructure that facilitates seamless integration and authentication, enabling their services to reach a broader, previously underserved population.

Revenue Streams:

• Integration Fees: Service providers pay a one-time fee to integrate the IDLink digital identity solution into their systems and workflows.
• Subscription Fees: Service providers pay a recurring subscription fee to maintain access to the IDLink platform and authenticate user identities.
• Grants and Donations: IDLink also seeks grant funding and philanthropic support to subsidize the enrollment and onboarding of marginalized communities, ensuring affordability and accessibility.

Cost Structure:

• Key Costs: Biometric enrollment infrastructure, blockchain hosting, personnel, community engagement, and integration with service providers.
• Cost Optimization: IDLink leverages cloud-based technologies, crowdsourced community agents, and strategic partnerships to minimize operational costs and maximize impact.

By combining revenue-generating activities with grant-funded initiatives, IDLink aims to create a financially sustainable model that can continue to grow and scale its digital identity solution to reach the millions of Tanzanians who currently lack formal identification.

IDLink's plan for financial sustainability is built on a multi-pronged approach that combines revenue-generating activities with grant and donor funding.

Revenue Streams:

• Integration Fees: IDLink charges a one-time fee to service providers, such as healthcare clinics, financial institutions, and government agencies, to integrate the digital identity solution into their systems. This generates revenue and helps ensure buy-in and commitment from key partners.
• Subscription Fees: Service providers also pay a recurring subscription fee to maintain access to the IDLink platform and authenticate user identities. This creates a reliable, long-term revenue stream.
• To subsidize the enrollment of marginalized communities and ensure the affordability and accessibility of the digital identity solution, IDLink actively seeks grant funding and philanthropic support.
• In 2023, IDLink was awarded a $43,000 grant from the Africa Digital Inclusion Fund to support the expansion of its enrollment efforts in rural Tanzania.
• The team has also secured additional grants totaling $32,000 from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the development of the technology infrastructure and community engagement initiatives.

Grant and Donor Funding: This dual approach of revenue-generating activities and grant/donor funding has enabled IDLink to achieve financial sustainability and scale its impact in the first two years of operations. The team is confident that the combination of integration/subscription fees and external funding will continue to support the long-term growth and scaling of the digital identity solution across Tanzania.