Content Partnerships Hub/Needs assessment/Research results/Wikimedia Community User Group Tanzania

Wikimedia Community User Group Tanzania needs assessment 2021

Date: 2021-10-14

Participants:
Antoni Mtavangu, WM TZA
Tore Danielsson, WMSE
Axel Pettersson, WMSE

How do you work with content partnerships today?

Lot of potential partnerships, but a problem is that the UG is only recognized by WMG and not by TZ gov. Institutions and partners do not know who they are and if they are valid to work with. Hard to form partnerships around WLA and WLM as the UG is not recognized. Usually asked “Who are you?” when trying to get access to sites. Working with a science hub (name?), Goethe institute and (Seedspace?). Also working with the Swedish embassy around WikiGap. Being able to register as an NGO/Non profit organization would help a lot in forming partnerships. Working closely with other African chapters, planning a pre-wikimania conference, doing a joint grant application. What is your normal work process in collaborations with partners?

Are you having a work plan for new partners and collaborations?

University of Dar es salaam, working with expats knowledgeable in languages. SADEC(?) languages. Getting help with vocabulary and grammar. SAT, astronomical org, working on astronomical topics. Chinese usergroup, working on the content exchange project next year. What are your desired content partnerships in the future?

What are your needs for a successful work with partners?

Getting through the legal process of forming an NGO. Getting financial resources to be able to support volunteers. Being able to recruit people to add content to the projects. Partnering with other chapters to collaborate on Wikidata. Working together to get more out of the collaborations. Get training on working with Wikidata.

What does the best support look like for a successful partnership?

Financial support in the form of rapid grants or annual grants. Both from WMF or from gov organizations. Could also be in-kind support in form of broadband connections or help with transportation or a place to be.

Other questions or suggestions for people who would be interested in discussing these issues?

Support in how to reach out to local institutions, as affiliates in different parts of the world face different problems when reaching out.