How Sabi Network works

Sabi Network is a trust network for the diaspora and for people at home, a way for people separated by distance to know and build trust with each other, around the world. From Houston you cannot tell which plumber in Douala will show up; from Douala you cannot tell which agent in Paris will answer. Both problems are the same problem, and the answer to both is a named person who has already been through it.

  1. A member puts you forward. Usually on WhatsApp, from the chat they already have with you. Nobody adds themselves.
  2. You say yes, and write your own profile. The invitation is the consent. Decline and the profile is deleted.
  3. People who have worked with you sign what they say. A recommendation carries a name, a sentence, and a year.

Questions people ask

What is Sabi Network?
A trust network for the diaspora and for people at home. It is an invitation-only register of people that named members will vouch for, so you can find somebody to trust whether you are in Douala or in Houston, London or Paris.
Who is it for?
Anybody who needs to know who to trust across a distance. People in the diaspora arranging things back home, and people at home dealing with somebody abroad. Both directions, and both are members of the same network.
What does “sabi” mean?
Pidgin for “to know”, from the Portuguese saber. To sabi somebody is to know them well enough to say so.
Who can join Sabi Network?
It is invitation only. A member puts you forward, and nothing about you is published until you accept and write your own profile.
Do I need an email address?
No. A WhatsApp number is enough to have an account and to sign back in.
Is my phone number public?
Only what you choose to show on your profile. Hidden channels are never sent to the page at all.
Can I be removed?
At any time. Declining an invitation is remembered, so you will not be put forward again.
Why a count of recommendations rather than a star rating?
“Seven people stand behind this” can be checked, because each of those seven is a named member you can look up. A star average cannot.