Regional Sandbox African community through "The Sandbox Naija jam"

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1. Project Overview

The Sandbox Naija Jam is a multifaceted initiative to onboard Africans, starting with Nigerian students, creators, gamers, and Web2/Web3 enthusiasts, into The Sandbox ecosystem, fostering blockchain literacy and creative participation in the metaverse.

The project will establish native blockchain clubs in 4 Nigerian universities across 4 cities, host educational workshops, and organize a regional Game Jam to encourage community-generated content and game creation using The Sandbox’s no-code Game Maker.

Primary goals include
(1) 320 IRL attendees
(2) Launching a sustainable Sandbox-native African community (starting from Nigeria) to drive regional engagement.
(3) creating 20 new experiences on the platform
(4) Onboarding 1000 new users and community members to The SandboxGame.

The target audience includes university students, local creators, and gamers (both Web3 and transitioning from Web2 to Web3), addressing the need for accessible education and onboarding in Nigeria’s growing tech ecosystem. We intend to achieve this by combining hands-on workshops, community building, and incentivized creation.

2. Problem Identification

According to reports from Chainalysis, Nigeria sits at #2 in global crypto adoption. However, Nigeria’s tech-savvy youth face barriers to entering Web3 due to limited blockchain education, complex onboarding processes, and lack of localized community support within The Sandbox ecosystem. There is a need for hands-on exposure to Sandbox tools, with few or none of Nigeria’s tech populace familiar with voxel-based creation tools like Game Maker and VoxEdit. The Sandbox’s global success contrasts with low African participation, with fewer experiences originating from this region. This gap risks excluding a vibrant market from the metaverse. This is why I reached out to Voxel factory to help provide the adequate educational infrastructure needed to fill this gap. Hence, The Sandbox Naija Jam addresses these challenges by simplifying onboarding, providing localized education, and fostering a regional community to sustain engagement. This will be the launchpad for a regional Sandbox-native community (TheSandbox Africa)

3. Solution Approach

The Sandbox Naija Jam will deploy a three-pronged approach: education, onboarding, and community building.

Education: We’ll be implementing 3 levels of education viz: Training the Trainers event, IRL events in 4 Nigerian universities to establish blockchain clubs, delivering workshops on blockchain basics, TheSandBoxGame, and Game Maker usage. Workshops will use The Sandbox’s Creator Portal and no-code tools to teach voxel asset creation and game design. Thirdly, an online hands-on building and Demo day.
Onboarding: Host a Naija Game Jam, incentivizing 20 exceptional creators and participants with mini $SAND rewards (modeled on the Game Maker Fund). Participants will receive guided onboarding to TheSandBox.
Community Building: Launch the Sandbox Africa Community via a dedicated Telegram or Discord and X (500+ expected). The community will sustain engagement through, educational posts, guides, monthly community calls and participation.

This approach combines in-person engagement, practical creation, and localized support.

4. Impact Measurement

User Onboarding: 320 attendees across all events (80 at each event).
Engagement Rate: Achieve 70% workshop attendance and 50% Game Jam participation retention. Measured via registration and completion data.
Experience Creation: Aim for 20 new published experiences from Naija Jam participants.
Community Growth: Establish the Sandbox Africa Community with 500 active members (Discord/Telegram and X). Tracked via platform analytics.
Event report & feedback: Videos, pictures, registration/attendee forms, and other relevant documentation will be published.

5. Technical Implementation & Timeline

Milestone Deliverables Expected Completion Date % of Total Grant Request How to demonstrate
#1 Pre-event marketing & community infrastructure Setup of X, Discord or Telegram, ; design of event branded assets; recruitment of community mod, graphic designer; online/offline promo publicity July 20, 2025 6.49% Links to these platforms, marketing materials, design samples, and CM onboarding documentation
#2 The Sandbox Africa “Train The Trainers” Program in Partnership with Voxel Factory This is a 2-week program that empowers local leaders through five key phases: recruitment, training, peer practice, certification, and continued support. These participants will receive hands-on training, access to educational tools, and mentorship from the Voxel Factory team to equip and enable us deliver grassroots education effectively. We plan to train 10 to 20 trainers August 4, 2025 19.48% Registration forms, attendance sheet, feedback forms, training curriculum, certification records, and recorded trainings
— — — — —
#3 Host TheSandbox Naija Jam (4 IRL Events + Training + Demo Day) Host Naija Jam in four universities: OAU, McPherson, UI, and FUTA. Includes hands-on training sessions, building workshops, and a final Demo Day where teams present their projects. A 1-week judging period will follow to select winners. The tutors at these events will be successful participants onboarded through the “Train the Trainers” program October 7, 2025 45.45% Photos/videos, event recap posts, social media coverage, event agenda, registration forms and attendance sheets
— — — — —
#4 Educational videos, animations and how-to guides on TheSandBoxGame, updates, and key developments (This milestone’s actual commencement is from the begining of the program) 8 video contents across these topics: 1) What is the Sandbox? (2) getting started with GameMaker; (3) Understanding SAND, LAND and the Sandbox ecosystem (4) Guide on How to use VoxEdit (5) The SandboxDAO (6) SandboxNaija Jam (8) The Future of Gaming with Sandbox (8) Opportunities in TheSandBox ecosystem. (There may be more as the program progresses) Multiple inforgraphics and ecosystem updates during and beyond the program October 30, 2025 19.48% Links to published videos, engagement metrics, and visuals
#5 Final reporting & compensation These include 1 documented written report submitted to TheSandBoxDAO, 4 video summary of all events across all schools, pictures and reward distribution to eligible participants October 15, 2025 9.09% Written report, media assets, reward disbursement transaction hash and screenshots, and testimonial quotes from participants

6. Team Qualifications

  1. Uchenna Agams Onuegbu, Project Lead (Education, Community and Events)
    X: https://x.com/agamidodaigwe
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agams/
    Linktree: Uchenna Agams Onuegbu | Linktree

Bio: Uchenna Agams Onuegbu is a seasoned Web3 professional with over five years of experience in blockchain community building, education, and research. With a strong track record of leading impactful initiatives, he has played a pivotal role in expanding blockchain adoption across Africa. Uchenna has organized and spoken at over 20 blockchain events across Nigeria.

Notable roles and achievements:

  • As Arbitrum ambassador, designed and launched The Arbitrum Campus Connect: an initiative aimed at onboarding Nigerian students into blockchain. We’ve successfully engaged, educated, and onboarded over 1000 students through a mix of in-person and virtual events (https://x.com/ArbCConnect).
  • As TON Synd, Co-Founder, TON Nigeria: Core contributor to the growth of TON blockchain and its ecosystem in Nigeria and Africa (https://x.com/agamidodaigwe/status/1875616055835738405).
  • As Community Lead (Education & Collaboration), FTTDAO designed and managed learning initiatives and coordinated community events and partnerships. Coordinated over 100 online and IRL community events across various African countries, growing the community to over 5000 members during a short period.
  • Winner #BetterOnStellar ideation.
  1. The CryptoOracle, Project Lead (Content and Media)
    X: https://x.com/0xcryptooracle
    TikTok: TikTok - Make Your Day
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thecryptooracle
    Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Crypto_Oracle

Bio: The Crypto Oracle is a Web3 educator and content creator who’s passionate about making crypto easy for everyone. Based in Nigeria, he breaks down blockchain and DeFi concepts into clear, relatable lessons that welcome beginners to the Web3 world. As a trusted voice in Africa’s growing crypto community, The Crypto Oracle inspires newcomers and seasoned enthusiasts alike with his down-to-earth approach and infectious enthusiasm for blockchain’s potential.

Notable achievements:

  1. Voxel Factory (Technical)
    X: https://x.com/Voxel_Factory
    Headed by four prominent Sandbox Game builders and Game Jam multi-awardees and created an experience for an IP through Bharatbox. Voxel Factory will set up the curriculum, materials, technical support, and mentorship needed for the project.

Notable achievements:
Voxel Factory’s achievements are too numerous to mention. All four team members were ranked in the recently concluded AS5 Game Jam..

7. Budget Allocation & Sustainability

Budget Allocation & Sustainability

  1. Pre-event Marketing and Community Infrastructure – $1,400
    This covers the foundational setup and awareness for the initiative. It includes setting up communication platforms (e.g., X, Discord or Telegram) and hiring a competent team of CMs, designers & social media managers, and executing both online and in-real-life publicity campaigns to grow visibility and engagement.
  2. Educational Content Creation – $3000
    Funds will support the development of structured learning materials, such as beginner-friendly tutorials, video walkthroughs, graphic assets, and guides that introduce new users to Sandbox creation tools and ecosystem fundamentals.
  3. Technical Team (Voxel Factory) – $3,000
    This will fund a small team of voxel artists and technical mentors who will assist trainees, develop reusable asset templates, and provide expert support during and after training sessions.
  4. Event Organization – $7,000
    Covers planning and executing :
  • Online Train-the-Trainers (Target: 10 to 20 particpants)
  • 4 In-Real-Life (IRL) community events/workshops across key Nigerian cities (Target: 80 attendees per event)
  • Online Demo Day for showcasing participant projects and announcing winners.
  1. Event Reporting & Compensation – $1,000
    This includes the production of detailed post-event reports, documentation, media assets (videos, photos), and stipends or token rewards for the organizing team, trainers, and standout participants.

TOTAL: $14,400

The Sandbox Naija Jam is a launchpad for building a sustainable, creator-driven metaverse community in Africa. By combining education, hands-on creation, and community-building, we aim to bridge the Web3 onboarding gap for Nigeria’s youth. With The Sandbox DAO’s support, this initiative will empower local talent and kickstart a long-term ecosystem, The Sandbox Africa

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Any thoughts from @Delegates or @domainallocators on this one?

: ) Community feedback/input? :eyes:

Thanks for the idea, @Uchenna :light_bulb:

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A quick look at the budget seems reasonable.

For the 3,000 educational content creations. There’s already some existing content, but perhaps you’d like to customize some things.
In that case, it would be good to make this content available to the entire Sandfam.

Connecting four universities and students seems like a good approach to building connections.

It seems feasible; I like the idea.

:musical_note: TSB No Get Enemy :musical_notes:

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Hello @Uchenna

I would appreciate it if you could answer two questions for me.

  • How will the “Train the Trainers” program ensure the selected trainers are equipped to effectively educate and onboard Nigerian students into The Sandbox ecosystem?

  • What specific strategies will be used to sustain the Sandbox Africa Community’s engagement beyond the initial Naija Jam events?

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Hello @hisstou, thanks for reading through my proposal and raising these important questions. Here are answers to the questions:

Q1:
The “Train the Trainers” program is a hands-on, two-week program. This program is developed in partnership with Voxel Factory. The Voxel Factory team will bring in their wealth of experience in the Sandbox ecosystem to create the curriculum that will equip the trainers with technical and instructional skills. It follows five structured phases: recruitment, training, peer-practice, certification, and continued mentorship.

Here’s a breakdown of the phases.

1. Recruitment Phase.
Objective: To identify passionate, teachable individuals with potential to become Sandbox ecosystem builders and educators. These individuals will spearhead the grassroot trainings across these schools and regions.

Key Activities:

  • Call for applications shared across university networks, communities, and aligned creator groups.
  • Selection criteria include creativity, communication skills, familiarity with The Sandbox or Gaming (Web2 and Web3), and community engagement experience.
  • Application assessments and interviews to gauge applicants’ readiness and commitment
  • Shortlist 10–20 trainers from different schools and regions.

Deliverables:

  • Recruitment announcement and application form
  • Selection report and onboarding checklist
  • Qualified applicants are selected to be trained.

2. Training Phase
Objective: Provide hands-on, technical and instructional training to equip the selected participants with the skills needed to build, teach, and support within The Sandbox ecosystem. This will be facilitated by Voxel Factory remotely via google meet.

Key Activities:
Daily guided sessions with experts from Voxel Factory on:

  • Game Maker and VoxEdit usage
  • Building game environments and assets
  • Understanding the Sandbox ecosystem.
  • Instructional techniques for teaching blockchain and metaverse topics
  • Practical assignments and mini-projects during training
  • Q&A and feedback loops after each module.
    Note: This outline is subject to the curriculum created by Voxel Factory team.

Deliverables:

  • Training curriculum and schedule
  • Trainee progress tracker
  • Daily attendance sheets and project submissions.

3. Peer-Practice Phase
Objective: Build confidence by simulating real teaching scenarios and peer feedback loops to test delivery and knowledge transfer.

Key Activities:

  • Each trainee leads a short training session or workshop with their peers
  • Peer review and feedback forms filled out after every session
  • Trainers refine their communication, presentation, and facilitation skills

Deliverables:

  • Recorded peer sessions or feedback reports
  • Peer assessment summaries

4. Certification Phase
Objective: Evaluate and formally recognize trainers who have demonstrated mastery in content, facilitation, and engagement.

Key Activities:

  • Final assessment by Voxel Factory mentors through practical project and facilitation demo.
  • Certification (NFTs) granted based on attendance (minimum 85%), project quality, participation and mentor evaluation

Deliverables:
Trainers are fully equipped to build, educate and onboard other builders leveraging Sandbox tools. Hence we move to the next stage, which is grassroot education across these schools.

5. Continued Mentorship Phase
Objective: Provide post-training support and integrate trainers into ongoing ecosystem-building initiatives.

Key Activities:

  • Continuous access to Voxel Factory mentors
  • Become leaders and tutors for our IRL/online activations, co-author guides, and mentor others.

Deliverables:
Reports showcasing trainer contributions

Q2
The Sandbox Africa initiative is a long-term vision built on a multi-layered strategy that blends community, content, partnerships, and participation. These include:

  • University-based Sandbox clubs (open to both students and non-students) will serve as hubs for onboarding, creation, talent development, and community learning.

  • We will maintain an active X handle and dedicated Discord server to share regular content, ecosystem updates, events, and facilitate ongoing community interaction. It is important to note that I previously created an X account for this initiative but was suspended. Likely due to IP-related concerns.

  • We will host scheduled community calls, game nights, and both online and in-person (IRL) events to keep members engaged and informed.

  • We will also pursue collaborations with aligned communities (both within and beyond Africa) to strengthen our reach and ecosystem connectivity.

  • The Train the Trainers network and Game Jam talent pipeline will be leveraged to expand into secondary and primary schools, where Sandbox tools and experiences will be repurposed as instructional materials and gamified lessons.

With these and additional strategies we plan to explore, the Game Jam will serve as the launchpad for a vibrant and sustainable Sandbox Africa movement, empowering community members at all levels.

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Hi @sebga
Thanks so much for the positive feedback.

You’re right, there’s great material out there already. Our goal is to tailor some of it to fit our local audience and learning style. Once done, we’d love to share it with the wider Sandfam so everyone can benefit.

I’m also glad you like the university approach. We see these schools as more than event venues. They’re our entry points to build real, lasting communities around The Sandbox. I’m super-hyped on the great feats we’ll attain.

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What a great idea.

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