A blockchain-powered platform for managing Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCAs) — digitizing African financial traditions (Ajo, Adashe, Esusu, Susu) on Stellar's blockchain. The key innovation is zero organizer misappropriation through immutable smart contracts and on-chain reputation scoring.
# Kolo (kòló) — Rotating Savings on Stellar & Soroban
**Kolo** is a production-quality decentralized rotating savings platform inspired by traditional African community thrift systems: **Ajo (Yoruba)**, **Adashe (Hausa)**, **Esusu (Igbo/Yoruba)**, and **Susu (Ghana/Caribbean)**.
Built on the **Stellar network** with **Soroban smart contracts**, Kolo digitizes the centuries-old ROSCA (Rotating Savings and Credit Association) model—delivering non-custodial security, automated cycle payouts, transparent ledger verification, and on-chain community reputation scores.
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## 🌟 The African Savings Heritage & ROSCA Model
Rotating savings systems have served millions across Africa and the global diaspora for generations:
```
┌───────────────────────────────┐
│ 10 Verified Members Join │
└──────────────┬────────────────┘
│
Each contributes $20 every cycle
│
▼
┌───────────────────────────────┐
│ $200 Enters Group Vault │
│ (Soroban Smart Contract) │
└──────────────┬────────────────┘
│
┌─────────────────────┼─────────────────────┐
│ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼
Month 1: Month 2: Month 10:
Adaeze receives Chinedu receives Emeka receives
$200 pot $200 pot $200 pot
```
### Traditional Systems Reimagined
- **Ajo (Yoruba)**: Daily/monthly micro-contributions with strict rotational payouts.
- **Adashe (Hausa)**: Northern Nigerian collective pooling for agriculture and market trade.
- **Esusu (Igbo / Yoruba)**: Mutual-aid capital formation without bank interest rates.
- **Susu (Ghana / West Africa)**: Trusted merchant and family thrift circles.
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## 🛡️ Key Features
### 1. Non-Custodial Soroban Vaults
- **Zero Admin Key Risk**: Organizers cannot divert, delay, or withhold pool funds.
- **Time-Locked Contribution Windows**: Smart contracts manage contribution deadlines, automatic grace periods, and late penalty distributions.
- …