Africa Environment/Microfunding/Localization and Advocacy for Climate Awareness for the Gurene Wikimedia Community
| Submit of request |
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| This request for micro-funding to Africa Environment Wikifocus has just been submitted by Dnshitobu on 23-2-2023 and has been selected for support. |
Proposed Project[edit]
Description[edit]
Climate change and environmental degradation are significant global challenges, with Africa being one of the most vulnerable regions. The lack of access to information and knowledge about these issues in African communities is a major barrier to effectively addressing them. Biblically it is said that “For lack of knowledge, my people perish”. Owing to the saying above, this campaign aims to address this gap by empowering local underrepresented communities with the information and resources needed to understand and respond to these challenges.
In addition, we will be focusing on the profile of local women involved in climate change and creating a collaborative project in our language together with other Mabia languages if it does not already exist on Wikidata and Wikipedia. Our team will also be adding climate statistics and data from the African Union database and adding local climate activists and environmental experts to Wikidata.
The campaign will be organized by the Gurene Wikimedia Community, a not-for-profit volunteer initiative organization aimed at increasing awareness and knowledge localized for the Gurene language speakers, to run a month editathon, with a focus on capacity-building training, and contribution to the Gurene Incubator and Wikidata about climate change, climate action and campaigns in Africa.
Context[edit]
This project is an avenue for the following:
- Organize a day’s in-person workshop to train participants on the goals and mission of the project
- Start a contest on how to contribute to this project and also provide technical support for them.
- Create awareness about climate change and its impact in Ghana. Speakers such as 2020 Goldman Prize Winner Chibeze Ezekiel, Portia Adu-Mensah of 350GROC, Gideon Mensah [Investigative Journalist], Patience Agyekum, etc will be invited to share insights.
- Recruit new editors [especially environmentalists] and retain existing editors in editing Wikipedia and Wikidata
- Create partnership with environmentally-related organizations.
The progress of the contest will be monitored via the Wikimedia Outreach Dashboard, hashtag tool and, WMF the Xtool.
This application is from a nonprofit community organization, the Gurene Wikimedia Community Funds shall be transferred to a fiscal sponsor bank account which is an affiliate of the Wikimedia Foundation: the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group
Team[edit]
The team consists of experienced Wikmedians with diverse skills who have been organizers of Wikimedia campaigners.
- Daniel Abugre Anyorigya Uprising Man: An Environmental and Climate activist and journalist. He will be the project coordinator
- Mohammed Fuseini Kamaldeen Dnshitobu: A co-lead and trainer, he will provide technical support for the project
- Joseph Akakiiri Ayambire Akakiiri: An indigenous language activist, he will provide language support for the project and also lead the proofreading of content
- Ruth Abugpoka Ayorigya Awinebotima: Outreach and Communication, she will provide community relations support to fill all communication gaps for effective and timely delivery of deliverables
Fallout[edit]
We create and improve the content on Wikipedia and Wikidata about the climate in the Gurene language and also do advocacy among the locals. Targets expected at the end of this project;
- Number of Participants - 20
- Number of new editors – at least 10
- Number of new and improved Wikidata Items – 250+
- Number of events - 2 (1 online, 1 offline)
Budget[edit]
| Item | Description | Unit price ($) | Quantity | Total ($) |
| Internet data | Internet data vouchers for participants | 5 | 30 | 150 |
| Router data | Internet data for the router to be used for the event | 30 | 1 | 30 |
| Transportation | Transportation subsidy for participants | 5 | 30 | 150 |
| For organizers | Data and transport subsidy for Facilitators | 15 | 4 | 60 |
| Venue | Rental of a space to organize an edit-a-thon | 66 | 1 | 66 |
| Prizes | Gifts vouchers for top, second and third contributors and 5 consolidation prizes for the other top 5 participants | 330 | 1 | 330 |
| Food and Refreshment | Food during the edit-a-thon | 12 | 30 | 360 |
| Rental | Rental of a projector | 20 | 1 | 20 |
| Publicity | Adverts and publicity including mugs, cups etc | 50 | 1 | 50 |
| Contingency | Logistics, bank and transfer charges, unbudgeted expenses | 200 | 1 | 200 |
| Total | 1416 | |||
Budget approved[edit]
| Item | Description | Unit price ($) | Quantity | Total ($) |
| Internet data | Internet data vouchers for participants | 5 | 30 | 150 |
| Router data | Internet data for the router to be used for the event | 30 | 1 | 30 |
| Transportation | Transportation subsidy for participants | 5 | 30 | 150 |
| For organizers | Data and transport subsidy for Facilitators | 15 | 4 | 60 |
| Venue | Rental of a space to organize an edit-a-thon | 66 | 1 | 66 |
| Food and Refreshment | Food during the edit-a-thon | 12 | 30 | 360 |
| Rental | Rental of a projector | 20 | 1 | 20 |
| Publicity | Adverts and publicity including mugs, cups etc | 50 | 1 | 50 |
| Contingency | Logistics, bank and transfer charges, unbudgeted expenses | 114 | 1 | 114 |
| Total | 1000 | |||
Vote[edit]
Final Report[edit]
| Final Report |
|---|
| This is the final report on micro-funded project for Africa Environment Wikifocus. |
Guidelines[edit]
- Format of the report : the report must be provided as a wiki page on meta
- Where to submit your report : Create it to your request for micro-funding. A format has been added to your request for micro-funding. Please provide your report on that wiki page
- Deadline to submit the report : 15th May 2023
- Language : English or French
Summary[edit]
- Name of person/s compiling final report:
- Mohammed Kamal-Deen Fuseini
- Daniel Abugre Anyorigya
- Ruth Abugpoka Ayorigya
- Usernames of person/s compiling final report:
- Dnshitobu
- Uprising Man
- Awinebotima
- Usergroup (if applicable):
- Country: Ghana
- Project name/title: Localization and Advocacy for Climate Awareness for the Gurene Wikimedia Community
- Link to project page (if applicable): https://w.wiki/6dNR
- Link to dashboard: https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Gurene_Wikimedia_Community/Localization_and_Advocacy_for_Climate_Awareness_for_the_Gurene_Wikimedia_Co
- Organising team (usernames):
- Dnshitobu
- Uprising Man
- Awinebotima
- Akakiiri
- Other stakeholders (if applicable):
Activities Record[edit]
Consider including the following information:
- What did you do?
We organized three workshops to sensitize community members about the edit-a-thon; its objectives and deliverables.
To begin with, a training session was held in Gbewaa College of Education located in Pusiga of the Upper East Region. A total of 23 Gurene students were introduced to Wikipedia and its sister projects with a focus on the essence of digitising the Ghanaian natural environment.
Additionally, two edit-a-thons were organised in Ghana; thus in the Northern horizon and Southern horizon of Ghana.
The edit-a-thon held in the northern belt was stationed in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region. The Bolgatanga Social Centre hosted 9 participants. Bolgatanga is a centre of the region and is the ancestral home of native speakers of the language. Bolgatanga and its adjourning communities are Gurene-speaking.
The Southern horizon was held at the Ajumako, Central Region. Specifically, the edit-a-thon was held in the University of Education, Ajumako campus where 25 participants were assigned articles to create, translate and improve.
In both edit-a-thons, the focus was localization of the content on the English Wikipedia for the Gurene Wikipedia.
- Who organised it all? Who was on your team (who did what?)?
- Dnshitobu & Akakiiri organised the launch at the Gbewaa College of Education in Pusiga of the Upper East Region.
- Uprising Man: handled the Southern horizon edit-a-thon training held at Ajumako, Central Region specifically, University of Education, Ajumako Campus.
- Akakiiri: he was responsible for the edit-a-thon meet-up in Northern horizon; thus Bolgatanga, Upper East Region.
- Awinebotima: managed our social media channels and logistics
- Did any organizations or associations or groups partner with you to make it happen? If so, who are they?
Yes. In our Ajumako edit-a-thon training, we hosted Wikipedians from our Dagaare Wikimedia Community, which is a sister group. Also, at Gbewa Training College we hosted some community members from Kusaal.
- When did you hold events, where and how? How did you let people know about it?
- Pusiga, Gbewaa College of Education [Upper East Region] - March 19, 2023
Dnshitobu and Akakiiri led the training which sensitised students of the college on the competition..
- Ajumako, University of Education, Ajuamako Campus [Central Region] - April 7, 2023
Uprising Man led this program which was an edit-a-thon. It hosted students from the Gurene and Dagaare department of the university..
- Bolgatanga, Bolgatanga Social Centre [Upper East Region]- April, 10, 2023
Akakiiri led on this program where Gurene Wikimedians created articles and developed new words for some environmental terminologies.
How did you let people know about it?
We made social media posts about the event and also shared the event page with the community via the community social portals. We had an online office used storytelling and video
- Who attended your event/s?
The Gerene Wikimedia Community members were our primary participants with some other members from the Dagaare Wikimedia Community and Kusaal Wikimedia Community joining us.
- What did they do at the event?
They were taken through training and sensitization and afterwards, they did a hands-on implementation of what they had learnt.
- What did they think of the event you held?
They felt informed and thought the training was timely since the climate change is now the real global pandemic. One of the participants said that “Climate change is the big headache now and we are happy as Wikimedians, we all care about it. It is the new global pandemic that is not a respecter of persons nor race nor titles. It takes an effort to fix writing about it is the first step. Our brothers misbehavior with motorcycles are as a result of ignorance and we going to be the best people to change the narrative.”
Documentation of activities[edit]
Consider including the following information:
- Photo gallery of the events
- Quotes reflecting participant experiences
- Social media posts and/or reports
- Links to any media coverage
- https://diff.wikimedia.org/2023/04/24/university-of-education-gurene-students-host-translation-session-on-environmental-articles/
- https://citinewsroom.com/2023/04/gurene-wikimedia-community-foster-environmental-education-through-translation-sessions/
Goals and Outcomes[edit]
Did you meet your goals? Are you happy with how the project went?
Yes. We even enjoyed the whole project, and we had the opportunity to launch a Wiki hub at the Gbewaa College of Education. Both the lecturers and students were all excited to discover Wikipedia as a platform that has offered the locazlisation of the Gurene language.
Please use the table below to report on the outcomes achieved, starting with the original targets you shared in your proposal for the microgrant.
| Proposed metrics | Anticipated outcome | Achieved outcome | Explanations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Participants | 20 | 57 | We launched a new Wiki hub at Gbewa College of Education and the all joined the campaign |
| Number of new editors | 10 | 15 | We had new people joining from our newly created Wiki hub |
| Number of new and improved Wikidata Items | 250+ | 574 | Participants had a hands on session on Wikidata |
| Number of events | 2 (1 online, 1 offline) | 4 (3 online, 1 offline) | Our community is spread apart in different locations and we had to meet them separately and because of network, online meetings are usually not very helpful for our community |
Learnings[edit]
What did you learn? What are you proud of? What was challenging? From this experience, what would you do differently if you had to do it again? The campaign was a transformative experience. It highlighted the potential of collective action, gave us a sense of pride in our community, and deepened our commitment to addressing climate change.
- We had the chance to meet two district environmental officers who gave us their thoughts about the climate situation here in the northern part of Ghana. Through localized content creation and advocacy efforts, we were able to reach a wider audience, spreading crucial knowledge and encouraging individuals to take action in their own lives. Seeing the impact of our work and knowing that we contributed to a more climate-conscious community fills us with a sense of pride and accomplishment.
- We learned about word curations for words that were nonexistent or never known in the ancestral language. We achieved this through the power of collaboration and community engagement. Throughout the campaign, community members actively participated in discussions, workshops, and content creation, showcasing their dedication to raising climate awareness. Witnessing the collective effort and enthusiasm to make a positive impact was truly inspiring.
However, we had some challenges. One notable difficulty is the kind of community we have where the majority of them are students, and during the campaign, most of them had examinations, which delayed our output, but consequently, these were overcome when they had finished the examination.
Again, balancing the diverse perspectives and expectations within the community. As the campaign aimed to localize information, finding a common ground and addressing the varying concerns of community members proved to be a delicate task. However, through open communication and active listening, we were able to find consensus and move forward.
If given the opportunity to do it again, we would strive to involve more external experts and organizations to provide diverse perspectives and expertise in climate awareness, especially the forestry commission of Ghana. Their contributions would enhance the campaign's impact and broaden the knowledge base within our community.
Finances[edit]
How did the initial proposed budget compare to the final costs of the project? Were there any unexpected costs or changes to your initial budget.
Yes.
Use the table below to display your initial request, include the approved line items on your proposal and the proposed cost of these. Insert the real cost of each expected line. Add extra lines for additional expenses that were not anticipated in the proposed budget. If your budget is in local currency, please use the exchange rate on the date (or an average of the dates) that your money was transferred to your account. Historic mid-rates can be found here.
Please reuse your initial request, provide initial budget for each line, indicate actual expense for each line, and finally justify significant differences.
| Item | Description | Initially budgeted | Actual spent | Explanation |
| Internet data | Internet data vouchers for participants | 150 | 175 | Internet data vouchers for participants |
| Router data | Internet data for the router to be used for the event | 30 | 90 | We organized 3 in person event |
| Transportation | Transportation subsidy for participants | 150 | 175 | We had an increased number of participants |
| For organizers | Data and transport subsidy for Facilitators | 60 | 30 | None |
| Venue | Rental of a space to organize an edit-a-thon | 66 | 0 | We had a subsidy for the venue rental |
| Food and Refreshment | Food during the edit-a-thon | 360 | 420 | We had an increased number of participants |
| Rental | Rental of a projector | 20 | 40 | None |
| Publicity | Adverts and publicity including mugs, cups etc | 50 | 50 | None |
| Contingency | Logistics, bank and transfer charges, unbudgeted expenses | 114 | 20 | We reducaed a lot electronic transfers to avoid the mobile banking charges and E-levy by the Gov't |
| Total | 1000 | 1000 |
Total grant money agreed (in USD): 1000.00
Total grant money received (in USD or local currency):5490 + 5250 = GHS 10,740.00
Exchange rate on day/s of receipt of funds:
- On April 13, 2023, USD1 equaled 10.89
- On April 21, 2023, USD1 equaled 11.78
Total project spent (in USD or local currency): GHS 10,740.00
Unspent funds[edit]
If there are remaining funds, please list the amount here. Remaining funds should be discussed with the Wiki In Africa team. Think about what you would like to do with the remaining funds to further this project. Let us know your ideas below.
Unspent amount (in USD): Nil
Anything else[edit]
Here you can include any information you think would be useful for the organising teams to know. Link to Google drive for receipts: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Wag4wuiunvRQvFGrlOPtcr8WviGGy9cx?usp=drive_link