Affiliations Committee/Candidates/2025/MichealKal
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Micheal Kaluba (MichealKal)
[edit]MichealKal (talk • meta edits • global user summary • CA)
| Preferred name | Micheal Kaluba | |
|---|---|---|
| What languages do you speak, and at what fluency level? (Please include your English proficiency.) | English | |
| What region(s) of the world do you have experience with, and what kind of experience do you have? (“Experience” can mean you have lived or worked there or are currently living or working there; you’re familiar with the culture and language; etc.) | I have substantial professional experience across East Africa, particularly in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Sudan. Having lived and worked primarily in Uganda, I have led and supported geospatial, data management, and community development projects funded by institutions such as the World Bank, USAID, JICA, and GAIN.
My work has involved extensive field coordination, digital data collection, and stakeholder engagement in both rural and urban settings. Internationally, I have participated in and presented at conferences in Germany, Ivory Coast, the United States, Philippians, Tanzania and Kenya, broadening my cross-cultural and global development perspective. I am fluent in English, Luganda, and Lusoga, and I also provide professional language services in these languages, which has further deepened my cultural understanding and strengthened my communication skills across diverse communities. | |
| What Wikimedia project(s) do you actively edit? And in what language(s)? | I actively contribute to several Wikimedia projects, including Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, Wiki Source among others. My editing work primarily focuses on topics related to Uganda, East Africa, Governance, Climate Change and open mapping initiatives.
I edit mainly in English, but I also contribute content and translations in Luganda and Runyankole (in Incubation phase for now), particularly to improve local language representation and accessibility across Wikimedia platforms. | |
| What affiliate(s) are you actively involved with? In what capacity are you involved? Do you serve in a leadership role or have you in the past? | I am actively involved with the Wikimedia Community User Group Uganda, where I currently serve as a Treasurer on the Board of Directors. In this leadership capacity, I oversee financial management, strategic planning, and partner engagement while ensuring compliance with Wikimedia Foundation affiliate requirements.
I have also led several Wikimedia initiatives, including WikiGap 2025 some project in GLAM and multiple WikiSocathon campaigns, where I coordinated volunteers, facilitated training, and guided content creation focused on addressing knowledge gaps and promoting community engagement. Additionally, I recently joined the Wikimedia Community User Group Botswana as a member of its Community Board of Advisors, where I will be providing strategic guidance, share best practices, and support regional collaboration across African Wikimedia communities. Through these roles, I continue to advance open knowledge, capacity building, and cross-community partnerships within the Wikimedia movement in Africa. | |
| Have you served on any committees (movement-related or otherwise)? And what was your role on the committee(s)? | No, I have not yet served on any committees within or outside the Wikimedia movement. | |
| Please describe any experience you have with conflict resolution and/or consensus building. | I have experience in conflict resolution and consensus building through my leadership roles in Wikimedia Community User Group Uganda. I’ve facilitated discussions among volunteers and partners during projects like WikiGap and WikiSocathon, ensuring open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making. | |
| In your ideal world, what does the affiliate model and ecosystem look like? | In my ideal world, the affiliate model is collaborative, inclusive, and well-resourced, enabling all communities both large and small to thrive with strong regional networks to share knowledge and resources. | |
| In your ideal world, what are AffCom’s roles and responsibilities in relation to the movement and affiliates? | In an ideal world, AffCom would serve as a supportive and strategic connector for the Wikimedia movement, providing guidance, mentorship, and resources to strengthen affiliate capacity while respecting their independence. It would facilitate alignment and collaboration across affiliates, promote innovation by encouraging pilots and shared learning, and act as a neutral ground for conflict resolution and consensus building. | |
| What role within AffCom are you most interested in: advisory or voting member? | voting member | |