A question about Seekewa and how it works? Find all the answers in our continuously updated FAQ.

Projects and project leaders

• How does Seekewa select projects?

  Cooperatives or registered associations collect individual and collective projects in rural areas and forward them to Seekewa. Therefore, Seekewa diligently conducts fact-finding missions in the field, collects data and assesses the profitability of projects before publishing them.

  Our interviewers systematically and rigorously check the completeness of information provided by small farmers, whether personal or project related.

• How does Seekewa ensure that the rights of project owners are protected?

  At Seekewa, we have adopted a code of ethics to which all parties involved with farmers must adhere (managers, employees and partners).

  A totally independent Ethics Committee oversees the strict application of the Code's provisions by everyone.

• How long does a project's collection campaign last?

  The duration of a project's collection campaign is 30 clear days from the date of its publication.

• How does the project support process work?

  After careful investigation and analysis, Seekewa determines the needs of project leaders at the best value for money and then agrees with them on payment terms. The value of the project in local currency is converted into points according to the parity 1 point = 500 XOF. This point value of the project is called the "converted value".

  A published project is considered to have achieved its collection objective if it is awarded a number of points equal to its converted value within 30 days.

  If successful, Seekewa buys and delivers the project goods and services to the farmer as soon as possible.

  In the event of failure, the project is removed from the platform and Seekewa immediately returns all points to the supporters according to their respective stakes.

• How do supporters fund their accounts?

  Supporters all over the world can instantly credit their accounts with points by purchasing vouchers that they can buy by credit card. The electronic payment platform used by Seekewa is Stripe. The latter, in addition to the cost of the purchase warrants, levies 2.9% + $0.3 for transaction fees on each transaction.

  Payment by mobile phone (mobile money) will be available in the next few months.

• Are supporters exposed to currency risk when trading?

  Supporters assume currency risk on Seekewa. The invoices of project leaders are in local currency (XOF). Exchange rates may fluctuate during the settlement period. This can lead to a change in the value of foreign currency points and thus generate possible exchange gains or losses for supporters.

  Although not providing any protection against currency risk, Seekewa does not limit the ability of supporters to obtain capital gains when they exit the platform. Indeed, this can happen when their base currency increases in value relative to the local currency.

• How do I convert points to my currency when leaving the platform?

  Upon exit, points held by supporters are converted into local currency at 1 point = 500 XOF. The funds are then transferred to the bearer's credit card at the local currency exchange rate (XOF) on the day of the transaction.

• When and how do I get the value of available points on my Seekewa balance?

  A supporter only recovers the value of his available points when his account is closed. If his account is awaiting return of points, this is clearly notified to him and a confirmation of closure is requested. The supporter can then either postpone his or her exit in order to recover all points, or confirm the exit request. In the event of confirmation, all outstanding refunds shall be deemed to have been offered as donations to Seekewa SAS by the supporter. Therefore, his account is closed and on the thirtieth day of the month following his request, the value of his available points is converted into XOF according to the parity 1 point = 500 XOF. The funds are then transferred to the bearer's credit card at the local currency exchange rate (XOF) on the day of the transaction.

• What is the probability that my points will be returned to me?

  We cannot predict the likelihood of bill payments by project owners. Financing the work needs of low-income people in a developing country is inherently risky. Most farmers do not have substantial savings, insurance or other safety nets. Diseases or family emergencies can make it difficult to meet deadlines. For these reasons, we recommend that you divide your allocations among several projects and do not commit funds that you cannot afford to lose.

• Does Seekewa guarantee the monetary value of my points?

  No. Unfortunately, Seekewa does not guarantee the return of the monetary value of your points. We offer a service of selling goods and services in the name and on behalf of supporters to help farmers pre-finance their business needs. We are not a financial institution and cannot guarantee that the service will always have sufficient funds to cover losses on future refunds. Supporters finance the purchase of points at their own risk, knowing that the return of the monetary value of the points is not guaranteed. We therefore suggest that you treat the acquisition of vouchers and the awarding of points on Seekewa as a philanthropic activity and never commit funds that you can't afford to lose.

• What happens when a farmer makes a payment?

  For each payment made by a project holder, Seekewa will refund to each of the supporters of the project a share of the corresponding points value. This refund shall be made in proportion to the attribution initially made by each of them. The points thus returned can be used to make new contributions to other projects.

• What happens if a project leader fails to meet his or her payment obligation?

  We do our best to avoid defaults on bill payments. We systematically carry out predictive analyses of projects to ensure that they generate sufficient theoretical profitability. This is a mandatory requirement for the project to be published on the platform.

  However, farmers may experience income disruptions that may prevent them from partially or fully meeting their payment schedules. When a farmer misses a payment due date, we send a courtesy reminder by SMS or voicemail to the farmer's mobile phone within a week of the missed due date. We are doing our best to understand the circumstances that led to the non-payment and to agree on a reasonable readjustment of its schedule. If necessary, we can request mediation from the farmer's local contacts, such as the head of the cooperative or association that recommended it to Seekewa. Community leaders, families and neighbours can also be approached. As a last resort, we may choose to take legal action in accordance with applicable law.

  Seekewa adheres to the principles of farmer protection through fair and respectful collection practices. We will never harass, abuse, threaten or seize property without a court order. Nor will we deprive farmers of their basic livelihoods in order to get their bills paid.

• Can I specifically assign points to one or more expense items in a project?

  Yes, through the List of expenses items section on the details page of each project, it is possible to target one or more specific items of expenditure. However, the selected expense line must be available and can only be fully covered. This is called a targeted contribution.

• How can I be informed about the progress of a project I have supported?

  An Updates section on the details page of each project allows you to be informed of all the important developments in each project (delivery of equipment, harvests, sale of crops, etc.)

• How do I manage my profile and account information?

  By logging in via a pair of email/password it is possible to access a personalized space allowing you to set up all the profile and account elements.

• What is the difference between the individual supporter and the corporate supporter?

  The individual supporter is a natural person. He buys a Seekewa voucher and then freely contributes to the projects by assigning them points.

  The corporate supporter is a legal person. He buys a Seekewa pack of points and signs an annual mandate contract. This contract authorizes Seekewa to assign points to projects on its behalf and in accordance with predetermined criteria. In addition, depending on the package chosen by the corporate supporter, Seekewa commits to a minimum number of projects supported over the duration of the contract.

• Are my transactions secure on seekewa.com?

  Yes, all exchanges are secured by an SSL protocol and financial transactions are carried out via Stripe, one of the world leaders in online payment for individuals and companies.

• Are my data kept confidential on seekewa.com?

  Yes, we guarantee the confidentiality of your data during their collection and processing.

• What is a Seekewa gift card? How can I offer them?

  A Seekewa gift card is a gift voucher that can be purchased by the supporter to give to a person of their choice, registered or not on Seekewa. To offer it, simply indicate the e-mail address of the recipient who will receive a registration link for activation.

• Can I contribute anonymously to a project?

  Yes, of course it is possible to contribute anonymously. This option can be selected for all projects (from the profile page) but also for a specific project (from the basket during the contribution process).

• Can I assign a number of points of my choice to a project?

  The number of points that can be awarded to a project depends on the nature of the contribution. An overall contribution to a project is made in increments of 25 points. A targeted contribution to a project must equal the value of the selected expenditure line. A contribution for the closure of a project is equal to the number of points remaining to be awarded in order to complete the collection campaign. This value is updated after each contribution to the project.