The Interledger Community 🌱: Andria Barrett

ROSCAS & DIGITAL FINANCIAL INCLUSION

Andria Barrett — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:10:02 +0000

Sometimes, at the end of a frustrating week, all I want is for money to work simply.

Not to fail me.
Not to be stolen online.
Not to disappear with a digital hiccup or card-swallowing ATM.
Not to have to wait an hour on hold with a chatbot.
Just… work.

All the above happened to me in the same week.

First world problem? Yes. The truth is that countless people around the world don't even have the chance of being disappointed by digital banking; they're locked out from the start.

I find myself reflecting on the resilience of traditional systems. In communities that identify culturally with the Caribbean and across the African continent, a system has existed long before apps and two-factor authentication.

WHAT'S A ROSCA?
ROSCA stands for Rotating Savings and Credit Association. It's not just about money. It's about trust, cooperation, and survival.

Imagine a small group, family, friends, neighbours, committed to saving together. Each month (or week), everyone puts in a set amount of money, and then one person takes home the whole pot. Next cycle, someone else gets the payout.

This rotation continues until everyone has received their share. It's built on trust, mutual knowledge, and often, necessity. ROSCAs thrive where "formal" banking is hard to access: No contracts. No interest rates. Just trust.

Globally, studies show that many communities in some countries participate in ROSCAs. They're known as pardna (Jamaica), susu (Nigeria), chamas (Kenya), tandas (Mexico), and by many other names. They thrive in places where formal banking fails or simply doesn't exist.

I had a chance to speak with Esther Mwvaema from Sikhula Sonke: Living Archives of Afrofuturist Village Banking. https://www.sikhulasonke.net/

Esther is an artist and expert in internet governance, digital inequalities, and innovation.

She confirmed that what has been happening in African countries is no different than what has been happening across the Caribbean and in several countries around the world. Women, using informal banking/village banking to support their families and businesses and contribute to the local economy.

Through her work with Sikhula Sonke, she documented living archives of village banking across Southern Africa and witnessed what the financial industry has consistently failed to see. Women have never needed banks to build wealth; they've been creating their own inclusive financial systems for generations.

What's happened in Africa, in the Caribbean, and with families around the world is no different than what I've observed in my own family.

Should we call these informal or alternative systems? They’re really quite sophisticated financial systems that women have designed to meet their financial needs.

These village banking groups operate with their own constitutions, governance structures, and definitions of creditworthiness rooted in community accountability rather than colonial banking frameworks.

SOCIAL CAPITAL AS INFRASTRUCTURE
The power of a ROSCA isn’t in its financial mechanics; it's in its social foundation. There are no customer service numbers to call or passwords to reset. What keeps it going is social capital. Trust. Reciprocity. Cultural norms of accountability.

In Toronto, women from the African and Caribbean diaspora continue ROSCA traditions not only to manage finances but also as a quiet form of resistance to systems that ignore or exclude them. The same goes for groups, primarily led by women worldwide. What if these women had ROSCA members in other parts of the world? What if they could easily send and receive money in their currency to other members anywhere in the world?

WHEN INFORMAL MEETS DIGITAL
But can this social system survive the digital age? That's the question I keep asking—especially after my own recent digital finance disaster.

Digitizing ROSCAs is an attractive goal. Mobile wallets, apps, digital ledgers—it all sounds modern and scalable. This is where the Interledger Protocol can bring something interesting to the table.

INTERLEDGER: A PROTOCOL ROOTED IN POSSIBILITY
The Interledger Protocol (ILP) allows payments to move across different networks.

Here's why Interledger matters for ROSCAs:
Cross-border connectivity: Diaspora members could contribute to ROSCAs back home with minimal fees and in local currencies.
Interoperability: ROSCA members can use different financial services while still participating in a shared system.

Some days, especially after a faceless ATM eats my card, I think about how my Grandmother used to save money. What could happen if ROSCA users in Jamaica, Ghana, and Toronto could all participate in a shared financial circle, sending and receiving funds across borders seamlessly, securely, and on their own terms?

With open protocols like Interledger, we have a chance to build that future. A future where ROSCAs can connect across borders without high fees and where diaspora communities can contribute to savings groups back home in real time.

Global ROSCA Users through Digital Financial Inclusion, — ILF Ambassador Progress Report

Andria Barrett — Sat, 19 Jul 2025 01:02:55 +0000

I’m really enjoying this work.

My project is called Empowering Global ROSCA Users through Digital Financial Inclusion, but what I’m learning is that empowerment really depends on perspective. Not everyone wants to be empowered in the way we think they should be. Some ROSCA users in Canada aren’t interested in going digital at all. They’re comfortable with what they know, and they see value in keeping things small, local, and offline. But when I talk to people abroad, especially in the Caribbean, they’re much more open. They see digital tools as a way to connect, grow, and reach across borders. So now I’m asking myself: What does empowerment really mean in this context? And who gets to define it?

The primary goal of this project is to identify the needs of ROSCA users and discover what steps need to be taken to support their transition to using digital financial tools that encourage participation from users globally. Quite simply, they’re not interested. The want to keep elements of this cultural tradition private, off the radar and not on any apps.

The second goal is to introduce ROSCA app developers to opportunities within the Interledger ecosystem. They app developers are quite keen and interested in learning more about Interledger.

Throughout my interviews and research I find myself thinking a lot about two things: trust & the difference between financial inclusion, financial literacy, and digital financial inclusion.

At the beginning of this project, one of the other Ambassadors commented that “Some people choose not to be digitally included,” and honestly, I didn’t get it at first. Why would anyone choose to be excluded? But after talking to some of the banker ladies, I’m beginning to understand.

It’s not that they’re against using apps or evolving how ROSCA users can participate, they just don’t trust the technology, or the people behind it, or who might have access to their information. They seem to** ONLY** trust the people in THEIR ROSCA.

Some of the ROSCA users I spoke with are refugees or landed immigrants and they have expressed some concerns.
Interestingly, when I present the concept of ROSCAs to new people, trust always comes up. These women (ROSCAs are predominantly run and participated by women) trust each other—but not the system. It really has me rethinking things.

How can we have ROSCA members around the world using digital tools if there’s no trust? And what would my grandmother think? The solution might be for ROSCA users to be the ones to create their OWN app. Maybe we help existing groups develop the tools they need to do this themselves. Maybe we equip THEM with the knowledge, funding and opportunity to do this with our support.

I’ve had insightful conversations so far, with 22 ROSCA users and 2 fintech developers, and every discussion is pushing me to think more deeply about privacy, trust, and what financial inclusion really means in practice.
Does financial inclusion mean having enough money to do what you need to do?

Does financial inclusion mean having the same ability to move money anywhere around the world like everyone else?
What’s really the difference between my ability to move money (e-transfer, money transfer apps) vs my cousin in the Caribbean who cannot send an e-transfer and doesn’t have access to the same apps that I do?

People are open to connecting with other ROSCA users and using technology, but not at the cost of control and fees.

Many ROSCA users I’ve spoken to, mostly women over the age of 38 from various cultural backgrounds, are deeply committed to the principle of mutual aid. They trust each other, but they don’t trust institutions, big tech, small tech or any tech. One lady gave me the example that her group has moved from WhatsApp to Signal because of privacy concerns. They don’t want a bank, a fintech company, or any external player profiting from their cultural tradition.

If they put in $100 a month for 12 months, they expect $1,200 back. No service fees. No transaction charges. No questions asked.

Despite this, I still believe that this can be achieved. The optimist and dreamer in me still believes that if people from different parts of the world can pool resources—safely, securely, and privately—we can unlock something powerful. Collective saving that helps individuals become better savers and our communities can prosper.

The Fintech developers I’ve met have never heard of Interleger and are interested in learning more. Once I explain, their eyes light up. They see the potential. When I mentioned terms like “Open systems, Open API, Interoperability, etc.” I could see their eyes light up, especially coming from a non-technical Banker Lady like myself. My premise in supporting cross-border participation.

Progress on Objectives, Key Activities
Goal 1 – Needs Analysis: To date, I’ve conducted 22 interviews with ROSCA users primarily in Ontario via video conference. No travel was required. When presented with the option of participating anonymously, they all chose that option. The dominant themes: trust, autonomy, and fear of losing money to fees or institutions.

Goal 2 – Increase Awareness: I've introduced Interledger to 2 ROSCA app developers WOVEO & ChitLink. They’re intrigued by the idea of open APIs and see huge potential in connecting with a global ecosystem, but have chosen to start in Canada first.

Goal 3 – Community Content: I’ve outlined a plan for blog posts and educational content for Financial Literacy Month (November 2025) in Canada. I’ve decided that all blogs will be video blogs.

Goal 4 – Cost Savings & Global Impact: I’ve gathered one story that highlights both the power of ROSCAs and the barriers to modernization.

Goal 5 – Traditional Meets Digital: Fintech developers are fully onboard. Banker Ladies and ROSCA users are cautious—but curious. That gap is where I’m focusing my efforts.

What Impact Does the Project Have on Your Perception of Digital Financial Inclusion?
This project forced me to recognize my privilege and bias. I’m a middle class Canadian citizen with good credit. I’m not concerned about reporting my financial transactions to my spouse or to government agencies. I come from a middle class family and watched members of my family participate in ROSCAs with people in our family or with friends. I’m enjoying this work and interacting with both groups of ROSCA users. The message I’m receiving is that people want digital tools that serve them, not profit off them.

Most of the people I’ve spoken with see banks and fintechs as outsiders. They don’t want tracking, surveillance, or have to explain anything to anyone about what they're doing and with whom.

At the same time, the potential for innovation is massive. I describe “Fintech Developers” as the grandchildren of ROSCA users. They grew up watching their grandparents save money under the mattress, their parents hide money in various places and now they want to help take this online using digital apps.

They sincerely want to build tools to make things easier and inclusive. But how can they do this, without making a profit and maintaining user’s privacy? There is a challenge—and an opportunity that I’m still working to uncover.

Project Impact & Target Audience(s)
The project is reaching:
Black and primarily immigrant communities, especially women, although men also participate in ROSCAs

Women from various income and economic backgrounds who use informal saving groups
Fintech developers

Communications and Marketing

Drafting a blog post that will be submitted to the Interledger Community portal
Video content and social media campaign set to launch in the fall
Marketing budget is reserved for upcoming media production and outreach

What's Next?

In the next phase, I will:

Complete at least 3 more ROSCA user interviews and reach out to financial institutions
Finalize and publish remainder blog posts and case studies
Launch a 30-post social media campaign (1 for each day in November for financial literacy month)
Develop and pilot a Financial Literacy curriculum
Continue connecting fintech developers with the Interledger ecosystem

Community Supported
I feel very supported. I know that Lawil is just a message away. I’ve already had meetings with 2024 Ambassador Stephanie Perrin and 2025 Ambassador Caroline. I’ve reached out to Uchi from ChiMoney for a meeting in the summer.

The interledger facilitated an interview for me with reporters from South Africa. I’ll reach out to Chiara to help me promote my activities for Financial Literacy Month in Canada. I’m looking for podcasts that would be interested in this topic.

Additional Comments
I’m enjoying this project and the pivots and issues and questions I’m faced with.

This project is making me reflect, rethink, and reimagine and at times defend what’s possible for community-led finance. I’m questioning if we’re getting in our own way because of fear. Or is this fear justified? We’ve seen examples of things being co-opted, perverted or twisted to benefit others. There are an alarming number of negative posts and information about ROSCAs online and for the uninformed, it can be discouraging.
I recently attended a session hosted by fellow 2024 Ambassador Stephanie Perrin, and it made me pause and reflect. How safe is our data and what would my Grandmother think?

Interledger at the 2025 Payments Canada

Andria Barrett — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 14:06:20 +0000

Check out my video blog about the 2025 Payments Canada Summit

Speaking at 2025 Payments Canada
The session was titled Interoperable cross-border transfers: revolutionizing migrant remittances and featured

Briana Marbury
President & CEO, Interledger Foundation

Julaire Hall
Program Officer, Interledger Foundation

Uchi Uchibeke
Founder & CEO, Chimoney

Roberto Valdovinos
Chief Financial Officer, People’s Clearinghouse

Joined by 2025 Ambassadors Stephanie (2nd from the left) and Andria Barrett (at the far right)

Andria Barrett - 2025 ILF Ambassador

Andria Barrett — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 17:47:59 +0000

Hello from Canada!

I'm proud to be included in the 2025 cohort. I'm a fierce advocate for inclusion and leverage over 15 years of experience helping organizations — from tech startups to nonprofits — create inclusive environments where people feel seen, heard, and valued.

My project, “Empowering Global ROSCA Users through Digital Financial Inclusion,” focuses on ROSCA users and aims to discover what steps need to be taken to support their transition to using digital financial tools that encourage global participation.

ROSCA is the acronym for Rotating Savings & Credit Associations. In Jamaica, it’s called a “pardna”. In Nigeria, it’s called a “susu”. In Guyana, it’s called a “box-hand” and in South Africa, it’s called a “stokvel” but in academia, it’s called a ROSCA.

I come from a family and community that has used this traditional way of saving money and continues to do so, to this very day.

As part of my project, I intend to interview ROSCA users here and abroad and also interview ROSCA app developers to introduce them to Interledger and using open systems.

Prior to starting this Ambassadorship, I helped to co-found the Banker Ladies Council & I'm a Director of the ROSCA Network where we work to support women in improving their financial confidence and learning to save money using ROSCAs (Rotating Savings & Credit Associations).

I also believe in supporting my community and I'm proud to be a board member at the Culinary Tourism Alliance, Black Education Fund and as a member of the Anti-Racism Advisory Committee with the Peel Regional Police.

You can reach me at andria@interledger.foundation

Looking forward to connecting with you!