Topic: How could I promote Bitcoin in Haiti? (Read 1798 times)

I appreciate this idea. And in fact, this is what Bitcoin is all about and not focusing so much on speculation of its price and market value. We must be promoting commerce using Bitcoin as the medium of exchange for both parties. Once some people are accustomed to buying and selling using Bitcoin, we can be expecting that the marketplace can be responding into its use because it is convenient, fast and cheap. This is what is actually lacking right now that is why not many merchants and buyers are jumping into the bandwagon.

I come very late, So have a lot of thing trying to do in Haiti now. now me and some friend will start a news website. https://web.facebook.com/cryptonewshaiti/?ref=bookmarks the website is on development, So if anyone is interesting in the Haitian market i am open to discuss with.

Wear a T-shirt with bitcoin logo, that would be a good promoting .

I would suggest to reverse the adoption strategy:
do not look for people to use bitcoin inside Haiti, but for people to use bitcoin to buy stuff imported in Haiti.
this would increase demand of bitcoins in Haiti and haitians abroad could send bitcoins to their haitians relatives/friends.

Eg.
Haiti pharmacies/drug importers use bitcoin to pay the drugs they import from the US, if they have a cost reduction.
Haitians in the US send bitcoin to their relatives in Haiti because their relatives are able to spend their bitcoin to buy something useful/needed.
Haitians with bitcoin become able to sell their bitcoin to people shopping at the pharmacies because pharmacies could give discounts if people pay in bitcoins.

FYI: http://www.meetup.com/Ayiti-Bitcoin-Meetup/

Third world country, that is still recovering from the earthquake a couple years back... I had a friend/acquaintance that died in one of the hotels that collapsed... prior to the earthquake, Id have been amazed if there was any interest in bitcoin... nowadays, i assume either his efforts were met with disbelief, laughter, or, most likely, that upon getting there he didn't even bother mentioning the thing. And then thinking he could sell them some bitcoin to get started - i can't imagine that any third worlder would turn over US Dollars for a virtual currency that either no one or maybe two other people in their country accepts....

Bitcoin's got some promise, but not in the third world.... They need to see first that it's readily accepted in the first world before they'll want anything to do with it. Otherwise, you might as well show up with my little pony dolls and tell them that that's currency.

"There's a hundred thousand of us who have lost so much faith in the US Dollar that we've all converted 1% of our wealth into My Little Pony Dolls. Transactions with them are unregulated, and the currency is inflation proof by virtue of the fact that no one produces them anymore...  Now, to get you started using this new currency, I'm offering to sell you some of mine for the CHEAP price of only $100 per doll.... any takers?"

Yeah, that's the same reaction I'd expect he would have had in Haiti, had he even tried to put forward such an idea...

Find out what sort of data plan or whatever they use, how much is charged to send/recieve SMS etc.

Talk to pikapay 

Western Union asks for some seriously high commissions.

Have seen a couple of sites that say you can buy bitcoins with western union, which they have in Haiti so I think my next step is to try those. Btctree.net and a couple of others. Anyone use western union to buy bitcoins yet?

Feel free to give out links to my site, I have created it to be the perfect introduction to bitcoin beginners. I am updating all the time and there is much more info to come

http://freebitcointips.webs.com/

Andy B

Thanks, yes maybe I'll try to go into some stores and see if they are interested. Would need a way for them to deposit cash though, although I guess I can sell them a few directly to get them started, but it would be better to try to get a more long term exchange I think.

I looked at your site and emailed, looks interesting. Would be curious to hear what you've been able to do in Kenya so far.

Tell them that it's the future and that they do not have to do much to compete with already established players. They just need to start selling their goods.

Target local NGOs and community businesses.  We're working with a community in Kenya now.

Very hard work.  We would be interested in hearing what you achieve in 8 days.

[email protected] if you want to discuss more.

That's a good thought. I'd guess those that have them aren't using smartphones but I could be wrong. And it may be that bitcoin needs to start with a few of the wealthier Haitians before it gets into the middle class.

I'm assuming a decent percentage have Internet access at least. If think they could setup accounts and buy stuff if they had a way to deposit their cash into it. I know someone suggested Wordpress or reddit accounts and set themselves up for tips.

I would love to know what kind of mobile phones the average middle-class Haitian is using (I know, there aren't many middle-class Haitians).  Smart phone?  Feature phone?  I've always thought that Bitcoin is going to need some type of JavaCard SIM Card light client to really spread to the developing world.  However, with cheap Chinese android phones starting to flood the market, I may have been wrong.

I'm going to Haiti next month for 8 days, wondering if anyone had suggestions for how I might promote bitcoin to the locals? Maybe find a currency exchange place and try to sell them on it?