Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/General Support Fund/Annual Application for JWK User Group for 2026 — 2027

statusFunded

Wikimedia Community Fund

Annual Application for JWK User Group for 2026 — 2027

Fluxx IDG-GS-2603-22155

proposed start date2026-07-01

proposed end date2027-06-30

approved start date01 July 2026

approved end date30 June 2027

amount requested (local currency)271766000 TZS

amount requested (USD)108706.4 USD

amount recommended (USD)29925.12

amount recommended (local currency)74812800 TZS

grant typeWikimedia Affiliate (chapter, thematic org., or user group)

funding regionSSA

decision fiscal year2025-26

funding program roundRound 2

organization (if applicable)Jenga Wikipedia ya Kiswahili

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This is an automatically generated Meta-Wiki page. The page was copied from Fluxx, the web service of Wikimedia Foundation Funds, where the user has submitted their application. Please do not make any changes to this page because all changes will be removed after the next update. Use the discussion page for your feedback. The page was created by CR-FluxxBot.

Applicant information

Organization name or Wikimedia Username for individuals. (required)

Jenga Wikipedia ya Kiswahili

Do you have any approved General Support Fund requests? (required)

Yes, I have already applied and received a General Support Fund

You are applying as a(n). (required)

Wikimedia Affiliate (chapter, thematic org., or user group)

Are your group or organization legally registered in your country? (required)

No

Do you have a fiscal sponsor?

Yes

Fiscal organization name.

Dunia Salama Foundation

Please provide links to the following documents if they are available

These documentation can be provided in your local language(s), no translations required.

• Organizational website
• Detailed financial reporting and/or audits
• Documentation of the governance structure, board list, governance processes
• Documentation of the general assembly decision on your plan

Main proposal

1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be a title for the Meta-Wiki page. (required)

Annual Application for JWK User Group for 2026 — 2027

2. Do you want to apply for the multi-year base funding for 3 years? (required) (only for returning applicants)

No

2.1. Provide a brief overview of Year 2 and Year 3 of the proposed plan and how this relates to the current proposal and your strategic plan? (required)

N/A

3. Proposed start date. (required)

2026-07-01

4. Proposed end date. (required)

2027-06-30

5. Does your organization or group have an Affiliate or Organizational Annual Plan that can help us understand your proposal? If yes, please provide it. (required)

Yes

JWK = https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i0xhJkxdcn6aV439GoqR9fTO1xGdX9UEMPBj-H9OG0w/edit?tab=t.0

TUSW = https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rtYxY6-kWpzEhfHU_zmtQ-7iDBSTdwgnpdY77UB9L5c/edit

• Wiktionary 2026 - 2027 Planned Activities.pdf

6. Does your affiliate, organization or group have a Strategic Plan that can help us understand your proposal? If yes, please provide it. (required)

Yes

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r_SAOpNXcGsiClxGV9hTdjYV6IBD-8ZqnmDObLHtW8I/edit?tab=t.0

• Jenga Wikipedia ya Kiswahili UG Strategic Plan 2026-2027.pdf

7. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)

Tanzania

8. What are your programs, approaches, and strategies? What are the challenges that you are trying to address and how will your strategies support you in addressing these challenges? (required)

JWK

Tanzanian indigenous languages (Zaramo, Sukuma, Nyaturu, and Chaga) face a "digital dark age." While Wikipedia has made strides, Wiktionary—the foundation of language—is nearly empty for these tongues. Most existing entries are text-only, lacking native-speaker audio and visual context, making them ineffective for modern language learners. Furthermore, there is a massive gap in technical lexicography skills among local contributors.

Our Programs & Approaches: Our program, "Digital Preservation of Tanzanian Indigenous Languages," operates on a Quarterly Replicable Framework. We approach each language (one per quarter) through a three-month intensive cycle:

Phase 1: Lexical Entry Creation: Building the structural foundation of the dictionary.

Phase 2: Multi-modal Enrichment: Integrating Wikimedia Commons to host high-fidelity audio pronunciations and cultural images.

Phase 3: Quality Assurance & Linking: Technical review and media-to-entry integration.

Key Strategies to Address Challenges:

The "Sound & Vision" Mandate: To tackle the lack of context, we enforce a pedagogical principle: No entry is complete without audio and visual elements. This moves Wiktionary from a flat list of words to a dynamic learning tool.

Strategic Institutional Partnership (BAKITA): To address the challenge of scholarly rigor, we are partnering with the National Swahili Council (BAKITA) to provide professional lexicography training.

The "Advanced Contributor" Incentive: To ensure sustainability, we provide high-level certification and training only to contributors who hit a 500-entry threshold. This filters "tourists" from "committed custodians."

Scalable Documentation Model: By focusing on four diverse languages (Urban-coastal Zaramo to Rural-highland Chaga), we are creating a blueprint that can be scaled to all 120+ Tanzanian languages in the future.

How these strategies support us:

By combining community-led crowdsourcing with professional linguistic validation (BAKITA), we overcome the challenge of "low-quality data." By integrating Commons directly into the workflow, we solve the "text-heavy/low engagement" problem, making the content accessible to a wider, multimedia-oriented youth demographic.

The Swahili Wiki Conference 2026: Knowledge Integration Summit 1. Vision & Strategic Objective Alongside our ongoing Swahili Wiktionary scaling efforts, we are organizing the Swahili Wiki Conference 2026 for the entire Tanzanian Wikimedia community. The summit aims to bridge the "Knowledge Gap" (Ombwe la Kiufundi) by decentralizing technical expertise from a few veterans to emerging editors across the country, ensuring the movement's long-term resilience and sustainability.

2. Specialized Program Tracks To maximize practical impact, the conference is structured into three parallel streams:

Technical Excellence & Content Standards: Advanced training in professional editing, template management, and global quality benchmarks (NPOV/Verifiability) for Wikipedia and Wiktionary.

Multimedia Stewardship: Practical workshops on high-quality media capture, Creative Commons licensing, and metadata management on Wikimedia Commons.

Community Leadership & Governance: Building capacity for emerging leaders in project management, grant literacy, and internal conflict resolution to manage a growing, decentralized movement.

3. The "Train-the-Trainer" (ToT) Model Our methodology centers on a ToT investment, empowering 30+ selected participants from various regions with the pedagogical and technical skills to replicate this knowledge within their local sub-communities. This ensures that expertise is diffused across Tanzania, not just concentrated in the capital.

4. Expected Outcome The summit will transition the Tanzanian Wikimedia community from fragmented individual contributors into a synchronized, highly proficient, and strategically aligned national movement. This unified collective of "Movement Custodians" will possess the decentralized leadership and technical acumen necessary to drive the growth of Swahili-language projects with renewed vigor, ensuring the long-term health and vitality of free knowledge across the entire Tanzanian region.

Read full framework here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zCuFl-Is_3EbVPwPAMFL4rMqs3c_O6YWYITNKy1z9bg/edit?usp=sharing

*TUSW*

1. Wikimedia in Education Program Training & Capacity Building: Conduct Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons workshops for students, teachers, and university faculty. Curriculum Integration: Partner with schools and universities to incorporate Wikimedia projects into digital literacy and research courses. Wiki Clubs: Establish and support student-led Wikimedia clubs in universities and secondary schools. 2. Content Creation & Knowledge Equity Initiatives Edit-a-thons & Writing Contests: Organize thematic editing events focusing on Tanzanian history, culture, and underrepresented topics (e.g., women in STEM, indigenous knowledge). Digitization Projects: Collaborate with GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums) institutions to upload Tanzanian cultural artifacts, oral histories, and public domain materials to Wikimedia Commons and Wikisource. Wikidata Expansion: Enhance structured data contributions from Tanzanian institutions to improve knowledge accessibility. 3. Gender & Diversity Programs WikiGap & Art+Feminism: Host edit-a-thons to increase content about women and marginalized groups. Women Leadership Training: Empower women contributors through mentorship and leadership development programs. Inclusive Participation: Ensure at least 50% women participation in all activities. 4. Community Support & Engagement Meetups & Conferences: Organize local and national Wikimedia community gatherings to foster collaboration. Mentorship & Retention Programs: Pair new editors with experienced contributors to sustain long-term engagement. National Wikimedia Bootcamps: Conduct advanced training sessions for student leaders and organizers. 5. Public Policy Advocacy Education Policy Engagement: Advocate for the integration of Wikimedia into Tanzania’s national education and digital literacy policies. Copyright & Open Access Reform: Work with policymakers to promote open licensing and public domain contributions. Digital Rights Awareness: Collaborate with civil society organizations to safeguard freedom of knowledge access.

Approaches & Strategies 1. Grassroots Community Building (Jenga Wikipedia ya Kiswahili) Targeting Schools & Local Communities: Engage primary and secondary schools to introduce Wikimedia projects early. Swahili Language Focus: Prioritize content creation in Kiswahili to improve local knowledge representation. Low-Barrier Participation: Use Wiktionary and Wikipedia as entry points for new contributors. 2. Institutional Integration (TUSW) University Partnerships: Formalize collaborations with academic institutions to embed Wikimedia in curricula. Faculty & Librarian Training: Build capacity among educators to sustain Wikimedia adoption. Alumni Networks: Retain past contributors by involving them as mentors and advisors. 3. Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration Wikimedia Affiliate Partnerships: Work with Wikimedians of Arusha and Wikimedia Tanzania User Group for cross-regional support. External Alliances: Partner with NGOs, cultural institutions, and government bodies to amplify impact.

Challenges & Solutions Challenge Strategy to Address Low Awareness of Wikimedia in Academia Conduct university workshops, faculty training, and policy dialogues to demonstrate Wikimedia’s educational value. Underrepresentation of Tanzanian Knowledge Organize edit-a-thons on Tanzanian topics, digitize local heritage, and incentivize content creation. Gender Imbalance in Editing Implement women-focused campaigns (WikiGap), leadership training, and quotas for participation. High Editor Dropout Rates Mentorship programs, microgrants for active contributors, and recognition systems. Limited Funding Sustainability Diversify revenue through institutional partnerships, alumni donations, and co-funded projects. Policy Barriers to Open Knowledge Advocate for education policy reforms, engage lawmakers, and publish policy briefs.

Expected Outcomes Increased Participation: 640+ participants engaged in Wikimedia activities. Improved Content: 2,500+ new Wikipedia articles, 850+ Commons uploads. Stronger Community: 50+ trained student leaders, 10+ university partnerships. Policy Impact: Wikimedia recognized national education and digital access policies. 9. Program Categories: Category Activities Education Wiki Clubs, Wikipedia training, Wikidata programs Culture & GLAM Edit-a-thons, digitization projects Gender & Diversity WikiGap, women leadership training Community Engagement Meetups, mentorship programs Public Policy Advocacy Engage policymakers on Wikimedia in education.

9. What categories are your main programs and related activities under? Please select all that apply. (required)

Category	Yes/No
Education	No
Culture, heritage or GLAM	Yes
Gender and diversity	No
Community support and engagement	Yes
Participation in campaigns and contests	Yes
Public policy advocacy	Yes
Technology (software development)	No
Other	No

Culture, heritage or GLAM

9.2. Select all your programs and activities for Culture, heritage or GLAM. (required)

Introducing new approaches to underrepresented culture and heritage, e.g. decolonising or reparative work; oral and visual knowledge; outreach to communities of origin, indigenous and first nations self-determination, Partnering with institutions, professional associations, and allied organizations to raise awareness of open culture, ethical sharing, and related issues, Supporting institutions to open up their collections, data, metadata, and research

Other programs and activities if any: N/A

Community support and engagement

9.4. Select all your programs and activities for Community support and engagement.

On-wiki training of community members, Off-wiki training of community members, Organizing meetups, conferences, and community events, Supporting community members' participation in events and conferences

Other programs and activities if any: N/A

Participation in campaigns and contests

9.5. Select all campaigns that apply. (required)

Other

Other programs and activities if any: This is a specialized 12-month technical campaign for Indigenous Language Documentation on Wiktionary and Commons. Instead of standard global contests, we focus on:

Multi-modal Lexicography: A unique contest where an entry is only valid if it includes a definition (Wiktionary), a native-speaker audio pronunciation, and a cultural image (Commons).

Bridge-Building: This "Other" campaign directly links text and media, creating a high-fidelity digital archive for four Tanzanian languages (Zaramo, Sukuma, Nyaturu, Chaga).

Cultural Preservation: We reward technical accuracy in audio recording and cultural photography to ensure professional-grade documentation of underrepresented heritage.

Public policy advocacy

9.6.1. What specific laws, or legislative topics, are you targeting with your advocacy plans? Please be as specific as possible. (required)

1. THE UNIVERSITIES ACT, 2005 2. THE UNIVERSITIES ACT (CAP. 346) 3. Access to Information Act, 2016

9.6.2. What are the main methods and tactics via which you plan to advocate for this public policy change? Please be as specific as possible. (required)

1. Stakeholder Engagement & Coalition Building Tactics: Quarterly Policy Roundtables: Host dialogues with the Ministry of Education, Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU), and Copyright Society of Tanzania (COSOTA). Coalition Membership: Join the Tanzania Digital Rights Coalition to align with broader digital freedom advocates. University Partnerships: Work with 10+ universities to pilot Wikimedia curriculum modules and gather evidence for policy reform. 2. Government Lobbying Tactics: Policy Briefs: Submit biannual briefs to the Parliamentary Committee on Education and ICT Committee, highlighting global precedents. Ministerial Meetings: Leverage existing relationships with the Ministry of Culture to advocate for GLAM-Wikimedia collaborations. 3. Public Awareness Campaigns Tactics: Media Partnerships: Produce monthly radio segments on Clouds FM and TBC1 explaining Wikimedia’s role in education. Social Media Advocacy: Launch #WikipediaForEducationTZ campaign with infographics/videos (Budget: 2.5M TZS/year). Student Petitions: Mobilize 5,000+ university students to sign open letters supporting policy changes. 4. Legal & Research Advocacy Tactics: Comparative Studies: Publish a report benchmarking Tanzania against Nigeria and South Africa in open knowledge policies. Legal Clinics: Partner with University of Dar es Salaam Law School to draft model copyright exceptions for educational use. 5. Institutional Pilots Tactics: Policy Labs: Conduct 3 workshops with National Library of Tanzania to test open-access digitization workflows. Wikimedia in Education Toolkit: Develop and distribute a guidebook for policymakers (Print run: 500 copies).

9.6.3. Approximately, how much of the requested budget will you dedicate to public policy advocacy (local currency)?

24840208 TZS

10. Please include a link to or upload a timeline (operational calendar) for your programs and activities. (required)

JWK = https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i0xhJkxdcn6aV439GoqR9fTO1xGdX9UEMPBj-H9OG0w/edit?tab=t.0

TUSW = https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i8nJrZwqTej8HoSYjLxHrkNkOJzOtNKNX8qN6SYT-s8/edit

11. Describe your team. (required)

JWK:

1. Muddyb (Project Lead & Strategic Oversight) A veteran Wikimedian with 19 years of continuous experience (since 2007). As a Swahili Wikipedia Administrator and Bureaucrat, Muddyb brings deep institutional memory and technical governance to the project. Beyond content creation, he specializes in community capacity building and strategic movement growth.

Outreach Dashboard: https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/users/Muddyb

2. Dr. Aneth David - PhD (Asterlegorch367) (Academic & Quality Lead) A distinguished scientist in Biotechnology and a Swahili Wikipedia Administrator since 2020. Dr. Aneth bridges the gap between academia and open knowledge. Her expertise lies in scientific communication, rigorous article creation, and organizing high-level seminars. She ensures the scholarly integrity of the project’s outputs.

Outreach Dashboard: https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/users/Asterlegorch367

User:Alex Rweyemamu; IT and Social Media Specialist. Leads digital branding (visual design) and sometimes he facilitates seminars on online safety and cybersecurity.

Bycashtz: Dedicated Wiktionarian since 2025. Recognized for exceptional consistency and integrity in lexical documentation. Dashboard: https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/users/Bycashtz

Support Team: A robust group of experienced editors and organizers including Said Mfaume, Babu Monte, Tumaini Mwenda Ruleju, E. Mazwa, Bray Mushi, Elizabeth Samwel, SciFusion, Moses Adrian Mboyi, Magreth Hasan, Gee Mushi, Jolvin Joel, and Dobrah, handling content quality, outreach, and multimedia documentation.

TUSW: Magoiga M. Mtatiro (username: magotech): Program coordinator (Salaried) Sylvester Johnbosco (username: codtz): Accountant. Emmanuel Akyoo (username: Bs-Afrique): Communication Officer - Seggy Joe (Volunteer) Logistics officer clubs coordinators (5 positions): Open positions Ebenezer Mlay (Username: CaliBen) – Project advisor and facilitator Riccardo Riccioni (Username:Riccardo Riccioni) – Project advisor

12. Will you be working with any internal (Wikimedia) or external partners? Describe the characteristics of these partnerships and bring a few examples of the most significant partnerships. (required)

Jenga Wikipedia operates through a strategic collaborative network to decentralize technical expertise:

Wikimedia Community User Group Tanzania: Our primary partner for national strategic alignment and outreach.

Wikimedians of Arusha & Wikimedia Community Kilimanjaro: Key regional partners for Wiktionary Capacity Building. We collaborate to train their members on lexical documentation and high-quality entry standards.

Tanzanian University Students Wikimedians: Our main engine for youth recruitment and sustainable editor growth within academic institutions.

13. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select all that apply. (required)

Increase the Sustainability of Our Movement, Improve User Experience, Provide for Safety and Inclusion, Ensure Equity in Decision-making, Invest in Skills and Leadership Development, Manage Internal Knowledge

Metrics

Wikimedia Metrics

14. Please select and fill out Wikimedia Metrics for your proposal. (recommended)

14.1. Number of participants, editors, and organizers.

All metrics provided are optional, please fill them out if they are aligned with your programs and activities.

Participants, editors, and organizers

Metrics name	Target	Description
Number of all participants	500	N/A
Number of all editors	200	N/A
Number of new editors	100
Number of retained editors	50
Number of all organizers	6	N/A
Number of new organizers	3

14.2. Number of new content contributions to Wikimedia projects. (recommended)

Contributions to Wikimedia projects

Wikimedia project	Created	Edited or improved
Wikipedia	2000	15000
Wikimedia Commons	100
Wikidata	7	3220
Wiktionary	53371	120000
Wikisource
Wikimedia Incubator
Translatewiki	200
MediaWiki	50	50
Wikiquote
Wikivoyage
Wikibooks
Wikiversity
Wikinews
Wikispecies
Wikifunctions / Abstract Wikipedia

Description for Wikimedia projects contributions metrics. (optional)

Other Metrics

15. Do you have other quantitative and qualitative targets for your project (other metrics)? (required)

No

Other Metrics	Description	Target
N/A	N/A	N/A
N/A	N/A	N/A
N/A	N/A	N/A
N/A	N/A	N/A
N/A	N/A	N/A

Budget

16. Will you have any other revenue sources when implementing this proposal (e.g. other funding, membership contributions, donations)? (required)

No

16.1. List other revenue sources. (required)

N/A

16.2. Approximately how much revenue will you have from other sources in your local currency? (required)

N/A

17. Your local currency. (required)

TZS

18. What is the total requested amount in your local currency? (required)

271766000 TZS

Multi-year funding request summary

Year	Amount (local currency)
Year 1	N/A TZS
Year 2	N/A TZS
Year 3	N/A TZS

Requested amount in USD

108706.4 USD

Multi-year funding request summary in USD

Year	Amount USD
Year 1	N/A USD
Year 2	N/A USD
Year 3	N/A USD

19. Does this proposal include compensation for staff or contractors? (required)

Yes

19.1. How many paid staff members do you plan to have? (required)

Include the number of staff and contractors during the proposal period. If you have short-term contractors or staff, please include them separately and mention their terms.

JWK:

We plan to cover a total of 2 core staff members and additional short-term contractors for specialized technical and administrative support during the proposal period:

Core Project Staff (2):

Project Lead (1): Responsible for overall strategic direction, stakeholder engagement, and high-level project oversight. (Full-term)

Co-Lead (1): Focuses on Program Coordination and Facilitation, ensuring day-to-day activity implementation and community training. (Full-term)

Short-Term Contractors & Specific Terms:

Accountant (1): * Terms: This is a semi-annual consultancy contract (2 sessions per year).

Scope: The accountant is engaged specifically to conduct comprehensive financial audits, reconcile expenditures, and prepare the mid-year and end-of-year financial reports to ensure total compliance with WMF standards.

Communications & Digital Content Officer (1): * Terms: A 6-month fixed-term contract.

Scope: Engaged on a project-specific basis to handle graphic design (posters/branding), social media management, and digital documentation during active campaign months.

TUSW: 2 salaried staff, 1 contractor.

19.2. How many FTEs (full-time equivalents) in total? (required)

Include the total FTE of staff and contractors during the proposal period. If you have short-term contractors or staff, please include their FTEs with the terms separately.

JWK:

Project Lead: 1.0 FTE (12 months)

Co-Lead: 1.0 FTE (12 months)

Communications Officer: 0.5 FTE (6 months)

Accountant: 0.08 FTE (Semi-annual)

Technical Facilitators: 0.04 FTE (Task-based)

TUSW: 2 salaried staff, 1 contractor.

19.3. Describe any staff or contractor changes compared to the current year / ongoing General Support Fund if any. (required only for returning grantees)

Compared to the previous year, we have strategically expanded our team to address the increased operational scale of the Jenga Wikipedia project:

Added Co-Lead/Coordinator (1.0 FTE): To ensure better project management and community facilitation, we have added a dedicated Co-Lead. This role allows for more intensive, day-to-day oversight of our expanded activity schedule.

Added Communications & Digital Content Officer (0.5 FTE): A 6-month contract has been introduced to handle professional branding, graphic design, and social media engagement, which were previously handled as ad-hoc tasks.

Refined Accounting Structure: We have maintained the accountant role but formalized it as a semi-annual consultancy to ensure more rigorous financial compliance and auditing as the project budget scales.

20. Please provide an overview of your overall budget categories in your local currency. The budget breakdown should include only the amount requested with this General Support Fund (required).

Budget category	Amount in local currency
Staff and contractor costs	82120000 TZS
Operational costs	50932000 TZS
Programmatic costs	138714000 TZS

21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p989RMosEFeznOmanyOwRZjcIF6M6XgAVss73SMFy00/edit?gid=612836002#gid=612836002

Additional information

22. In this optional space you can add any other additional information about your proposal or organization that you think can help us when reviewing your proposal. (optional)

While this proposal primarily focuses on scaling Swahili Wiktionary, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons, we have developed a parallel strategic roadmap for Swahili Wikipedia content growth.

To maintain budget efficiency, we have excluded the direct costs for these specific Wikipedia activities from the main GSF request. However, we have prepared a detailed Activity Timeline linked below. If the committee finds these additional Wikipedia-focused initiatives valuable and within the available funding capacity, we are fully prepared to integrate them into the project scope.

Otherwise, we remain committed to delivering high-impact results with our current focus on Wiktionary and Multimedia digital assets.

Strategic Timeline & Proposed Wikipedia Activities: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Koi4OLmCUrNdSVKv0hiCcPNxb0S0cUSjaezCBCio_U/edit?tab=t.0

Budgeted link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p989RMosEFeznOmanyOwRZjcIF6M6XgAVss73SMFy00/edit?gid=1876168881#gid=1876168881

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