How a Small School in Kenya Became a Beacon for Decentralized Connectivity

A few hours north of Mombasa, past the tourist beaches and through the thickening bush, you’ll find a community school standing at the edge of something far bigger. Faith Junior Academy wasn’t built to be a tech hub. But that’s what it is now.

This is where our movement lives. Not in theory. Not in speculation. But in places like this - where kids can’t afford school fees, teachers work as volunteers, and yet, innovation is finding a way through.

This is what people-powered looks like.

A School Becomes a Network Host

We installed a low-latency satellite connection in the school, providing internet access and setting up a new revenue stream.  

We deployed an AirNode that turned the building into a private internet provider for its classrooms - and a public Wi-Fi access point for the entire village.

Then we put tablets in the children’s hands, preloaded with Giggle Academy, an interactive learning app designed for early education. The platform features lessons on English, literacy, and numeracy- all gamified for the children (aged 3-7) to enjoy.

As Micky Watkins put it:

"We decided that the best thing for these kids was to install the AirNode on the rooftop, distribute tablets, enable the children to learn via Giggle Academy, and turn the school into the backbone of connectivity for the entire village." – Micky Watkins, CEO, World Mobile

A Blockchain-Powered Village

The model is simple. The school hosts the AirNode, enabling access to the World Mobile network. The village pays for Wi-Fi access through mobile money. The school earns a revenue share thanks to our sharing economy model.

That money funds more tablets. Keeps the lights on. Runs the school.

And the system keeps evolving.

Our captive portal has already been live in Zanzibar for years, allowing seamless payments in local currencies. It recently launched in Pakistan alongside Spark deployment - now with the ability to serve ads. That means users can unlock minutes or get free data from the World Mobile network simply by watching an ad.

Soon, this same technology will launch across even more regions, turning everyday devices into points of access on the World Mobile Chain.

What once relied entirely on unpredictable donations now has a circular economy that sustains itself - and grows stronger with every new connection.

The blueprint works. And it’s scaling itself.

“Everything connects to one core - and that core is powered by EarthNodes and the World Mobile Chain. Each time a node lights up in Kenya, Nevada, or Pakistan, it strengthens a global network built by the people, for the people. This is a revolution in motion - and we’re only getting started.” - Micky Watkins, CEO, World Mobile

Class Doesn’t End When the Bell Rings

Faith Junior doesn’t shut down at the end of a school day. That’s when the adults arrive.

Parents and older-generation adults now stay late to take classes in AI and digital literacy - building on the internet they now access and the tablets that they now own, all funded by the revenue stream they can now leverage.

This isn’t charity – it's a fundamental shift in mindset from passive consumers to active participants. And the impact can be felt far beyond the school walls.

Omar, the Crypto Advocate

Meet Omar - a local Kenyan man who was interested to learn about crypto and found himself leading the charge for his community.

We sat down with Omar. We guided him through setting up a Coinbase wallet, taught him how to bridge USDT, and showed him how to cash out through M-Pesa. He did it once. Then did it again on his own. Now, he’s teaching others how to do it for themselves.

This is the loop we’re building: empower one, and they empower the next. That’s how movements spread. That’s how power multiplies.

Real Results, Real Recognition

This project didn’t just change a school. It caught the attention of industry leaders too.

CZ, Co-Founder of Binance and Founder of Giggle Academy, had this to say about our video documenting the project:

Watch the video here.

This is Our Model

You install backhaul. You bring the community online. You train the educators. You set up a revenue stream for the school. You enable the school to run tech-focused evening classes. You empower individuals to understand and leverage the world of crypto.  

Then you stay out of the way - and let the system evolve on its own.

Everything becomes circular and self-supporting. Every new device is an investment. Every new user is a stakeholder. Every child who learns to read is part of a bigger movement.

What’s Next

Building this model is only the beginning. Our bigger mission here in Kenya is to create a system that can use the World Mobile network to power vital industries such as healthcare and agriculture. And the work has already begun.

We’re planning to collaborate with farmers in Kilifi - building systems to track yields, arrange logistics, and earn stablecoins that can be converted into local currency. We’re providing local developers with tools to build healthcare apps that work for remote clinics. We’re designing a future where staking WMTx earns you discounts on internet access, enabling people to convert excess tokens into M-Pesa.

It’s not a handout. It’s a handover.

As Co-Founder and Country Operations Chief Andrew Soper put it:
“It’s not just about installing Wi-Fi. It’s about proving that communities can own and run these networks themselves – leapfrogging an entire village into the frontier of technological development.” - Andrew Soper, Co-Founder and Chief of Country Operations, World Mobile

The school headteacher, also named Omar, keeps it simpler:
“Thank you to World Mobile for bringing us these facilities and tools to enhance our education in this school.” - Omar, Head Teacher, Faith Junior Academy

This Is One School. Imagine a Thousand.‍

Faith Junior is proof that connectivity isn’t charity. It’s change.

We’re scaling this revolution. One village, one AirNode, one empowered child at a time.

Reclaim power. Join the movement.