This guide walks an organiser through setting up a group and running it with trust. Everything is editable later, so start simple and refine as you go.
Start your group
Sign in at getpamoja.com and pick the kind of group: sports club, savings circle (njangi, susu, chama), alumni network, cultural association, or mutual-aid and welfare group. Add its name, logo, crest, motto, and colours; the app carries the group's own identity as its own tenant.
Set up your President assistant
The assistant is named "President" and renames itself when leadership changes. Build its knowledge base: answer the standard onboarding questions for your group type, add your own custom questions and answers, and upload PDF or text documents like bylaws or a welcome pack.
Invite members (officer-vouched)
An officer invites each member with a code tied to the exact phone number entered, so the code only works for that person. Everyone signs in by phone or username and PIN, no SMS gateway needed, and lands in the group's own app and chat.
Set dues and fines
Define dues with their components and schedule, and the fine for falling behind. Pamoja applies the rules automatically and suspends overdue members in the open, so no one has to chase or argue.
- Set the dues components and how often.
- Auto-suspend keeps the rules fair and visible.
Run the open draw or set fixtures
For a savings circle, run the live draw to decide the collection order with the whole group watching. For a sports club, use the coaching board instead: set fixtures, starters and substitutes by position, and the formation.
Collect with proof
Members pay and send their proof; the person collecting confirms receipt; every entry lands in the ledger. Loans, sinking and mutual funds, the emergency fund, and the Bereavement Support Fund all track against the same record.
Vet and approve new members
The vetting committee checks candidates against the criteria your group sets, then approves and invites them, again with an officer-vouched code. The group grows on purpose, not by forwarded links.
Coordinate via channels and Session Hub
Talk in named channels (#general, #announcements, #executives, and more) that replace WhatsApp. Use the Session Hub for the hosting address, open-in-maps, member check-in, carpool, and attendance, then send a one-tap WhatsApp summary.
Hold meetings and record decisions
Run meetings with minutes and an adoption workflow, keep an events and training calendar, log decisions, store the bylaws, and send alerts, all where the money already lives.
Close the round and report
At the end of each round, generate a clean, printable report from the ledger, dues, funds, and the BSF, so the books are closed, clear, and trusted by every member.