I think smart contract is not needed in this project to succeed, smart contract is for tech savy guys, not for the unbanked. Dont get me wrong, i just think its not so important now.
Yes absolutely, may not be necessary in the short-term. I am thinking way too far ahead at the moment. Also we do not yet know the full scope of possibilities of how Smart Contracts will evolve or the beneficial use cases yet, hopefully some ideas over time will show some light.