Members of Kamusi Project International who are interested in forming a national chapter of the Kamusi Project should contact chapters at kamusi dot org to discuss the requirements for your country.

We encourage the formation of national chapters for each country that has a large number of members or users of the Kamusi Project. For most countries it is not necessary to establish an independent legal organization in order to form a national chapter of the Kamusi Project. Usually, a chapter can be formed in any country that has a sufficient number of members in good standing. (The exact number will be decided at the 2010 meeting of the Kamusi Project International General Assembly.)

The formation of a national chapter may be essential in countries where many people who wish to become members of the Kamusi Project are unable to do so through online subscription mechanisms. For example, few people in Kenya are set up with credit cards or PayPal accounts, but many Kamusi Project users would like to become members. A Kenyan chapter would be responsible for collecting dues through local M-Pesa transfers, and then either holding those local funds for local expenditures or transferring them to the international organization. In general, KPI will seek to use funds raised in such national chapters for

In some countries where major fundraising or project activities occur, establishing a recognized legal presence for the organization may be beneficial, and may constitute a key initial activity for the national chapter. As examples:

• The government of Canada has been highly supportive of the Kamusi Project's activities in the development of information technology resources for numerous African languages. This support has been provided through a convoluted set of mechanisms need for a non-Canadian organization to meet various official requirements. Having a legal presence as "Kamusi Project Canada" might reduce complications for the Canadian government to sponsor future project activities.
• The Kamusi Project is developing several resources for Kinyarwanda, the language of Rwanda. Paying our principal collaborators in Rwanda for their labor is difficult without a local bank account. Having a Rwandan bank account requires legal status as an NGO in Rwanda. Therefore, a legal status as "Kamusi Project Rwanda" would facilite ongoing Rwanda-based project activities.
• Tens of thousands of UK residents make use of the Kamusi Project every year. Residents of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland may wish to join together in forming a legal "Kamusi Project UK" charity within UK tax law in order to make it easier for their members to support Kamusi Project activities in the development of resources for African languages.

If you are excited by the idea of forming a national Kamusi Project chapter for your country, and you would like to take a leadership role in getting the chapter started, please contact chapters at kamusi dot org to discuss the best way to get started.