Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/General Support Fund/Revealing the Essence:Documenting Tuluva's Aati Month/Final Report
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Part 1: Understanding your work
[edit]Per the recent update on the Wikimedia Foundation Affiliates Strategy process, Wikimedia Affiliates that are General Support Fund grantees will fulfill their affiliate reporting requirements through their final or yearly grantee report.
If you are a Wikimedia Affiliate, you will use this form for your affiliate reporting and to address the affiliate health criteria. You do not need to submit a separate report to AffCom. Follow the guidance in the green boxes to report on how you met the corresponding affiliate health criteria.
If you are not a Wikimedia Affiliate, aligning your responses with the affiliate criteria is optional and not required.
1. Please share to what extent your programs, approaches, and strategies contributed to addressing the challenges you shared in your proposal. If they did not contribute as you believed they would, please share what obstacles you faced and what, if anything, you learned from them? (required)
For affiliates, use this space (Question 1.) to address Affiliate Health Criterion 1.1 (Goal delivery). Describe how you actively delivered on mission goals, e.g. content creation.
The Revealing the Essence of Aati Month initiative has significantly contributed to addressing the challenges outlined in our proposal. The programs, approaches, and strategies have achieved the following outcomes:
1. Preserving Living Heritage
Through the documentation of Aati Month rituals, traditions, and folklore, we successfully preserved the intangible cultural heritage of the Tuluva community. For instance:
- Oral Histories: Engaging with elders and practitioners enabled us to gather authentic narratives and ensure knowledge transfer to younger generations and saved in repository.
- Revival of Performances: A notable success story is the revival of Mugera Aati Kalenja, a traditional folk dance that had not been performed for 15 years. By collaborating with local cultural organizations and leveraging community networks, we convinced the Muger community to perform again, ensuring the continuation of this cherished tradition.
- Ritual Practices: Rituals like Aati Kalenja, Aati Agel, Bedan, Marda, Bootha Kola, Rahu Agel were documented in their entirety, showcasing their spiritual depth and community value.
2. Promoting Cultural Identity
The various programs highlighted the interconnectedness of Aati rituals, beliefs, and festivities, reinforcing the cultural identity of the Tuluvas. Celebrations such as Nagarapanchami and Aati Games brought diverse communities together, fostering unity and belonging.
3. Disseminating Knowledge We reached a broad audience through:
A well-researched documented Video, which immortalized Aati Month’s essence. Workshops and lectures for wikicommunities, colleges and tribe and artist communities, promoting the importance of indigenous cultures and encouraging contributions to Wikipedia. Educating the Wiki community, Academia, and the common people. This is transformative journey, focusing on its purpose to document underrepresented art forms, many of which are at risk of being forgotten and had never been photographed or videographed for digital media
4. Societal Cohesion
The documentation of communal activities like Aatitonji Dina emphasized the role of these practices in maintaining harmony within the Tuluva community.
Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned
1. Locating Authentic PractitionersChallenge: Identifying knowledgeable practitioners was a hurdle, as some traditions were on the verge of being forgotten due to modernization and migration.
Resolution: Collaborating with local cultural organizations and leveraging community networks proved invaluable. This approach helped us connect with genuine practitioners and successfully revived the performance of Mugera Aati Kalenja after 15 years.
2. Ethical ConsiderationsChallenge: Navigating cultural sensitivities and obtaining informed consent required careful handling.
Resolution: Continuous dialogue and respect for the community’s beliefs fostered trust and mutual understanding.
3. Dissemination and AccessibilityChallenge: Ensuring the documentation reached a wider audience posed logistical and financial challenges.
Resolution: Utilizing digital platforms like Wikimedia Commons, social media, and hosting screenings at local institutions expanded accessibility.
The Aati Month initiative provided several key learnings that can guide future cultural preservation efforts. Active community engagement emerged as a critical factor, fostering a sense of ownership and pride that facilitated the revival of traditions like Mugera Aati Kalenja after 15 years. Persistence and consistent efforts proved invaluable in overcoming challenges associated with reconnecting with dormant practices. Collaboration with cultural organizations, scholars, and practitioners enriched the project, ensuring both academic rigor and authenticity. Ethical sensitivity, including respect for cultural beliefs and informed consent, was essential in building trust with the community. Additionally, oral histories and workshops played a vital role in transferring knowledge to younger generations, helping sustain cultural narratives. Lastly, understanding the interconnectedness of rituals, beliefs, and customs highlighted their role in fostering social harmony and reinforcing cultural identity within the Tuluva community. These insights provide a solid foundation for preserving and celebrating Tulunadu's rich heritage.
2. Is there a plan to build on the key successes you had? If yes, please describe the plan and if no, please share the limitations to do so. For instance, did the activities lead to any new priorities, ideas for activities, or goals for the future? (required)
'Yes, there is a plan to build on the key successes of the Aati Month project', which has laid a strong foundation for preserving and promoting Tulu culture.
Highlights of Achievements
- Extensive Cultural Documentation:
- Uploaded 2,000+ photographs, 20+ video recordings, and 10+ audio recordings.
- Created and enhanced 300+ new articles and 600+ modified articles on Tulu and Kannada Wikipedia.
- Contributed 500+ new words to the Tulu Wiktionary.
- Wide-Scale Community Engagement:
- Visited 18+ locations across Tulunadu, exploring diverse cultural practices and engaging with local communities.
- Revival of Dormant Traditions:
- Successfully revived the Mugera Aati Kalenja folk art, dormant for 15 years, which has become a cornerstone of this project.
- Activation of Tulu Wiktionary and Wikisource:
- Both platforms, previously in the incubator stage, were launched live on November 30, 2024, during the active phase of the project, with active participation from community members. The project indirectly provided significant support for this achievement.
- These platforms now serve as vital resources for documenting and sharing Tulu language and culture.
- Institutional Collaboration:
- Signed an MoU with SDM College (Autonomous), Ujire, in collaboration with the Karavali Wikimedians User Group, for preserving the Tulu language and promoting cultural heritage.
Future Goals and Activities
Building on these successes, our future plans include:
- Preserving Living Heritage of Tulunadu:
- Tulunadu, often referred to as a heaven for folklore, possesses a wealth of living heritage that is now endangered. Many traditions are being performed by the last generation of practitioners, making this knowledge vulnerable to being lost forever.
- We plan a long-term effort to document these living traditions through video, audio recordings, photographs, and the creation of detailed articles on Wikimedia platforms.
- Expanding Documentation:
- Extend efforts to document other endangered Tulu traditions, rituals, and art forms.
- Develop a comprehensive digital repository for Aati Month traditions.
- Engaging Youth and Scholars:
- Organize workshops and training sessions to engage the younger generation and scholars in cultural preservation initiatives.
- Inspire further contributions to Wikimedia platforms and encourage new community members to get involved.
- Awareness Programs and Cultural Festivals:
- Promote awareness of Tulu culture through cultural festivals, exhibitions, and community events.
- Showcase documented traditions using multimedia resources to highlight the richness of Tulu heritage.
- Collaboration with Regional Institutions:
- Partner with educational and cultural institutions to integrate Tulu traditions into educational curricula.
- Ensure the preservation of Tulu heritage through community-led initiatives.
3. Please provide a link to reports that detail the activities that took place in the last year. This can include an annual report, Meta pages, and websites. If there are no links available, briefly describe the implemented activities and programs below or upload any files. (required)
For affiliates, use this space (Question 3.) to address Affiliate Health Criteria 2.1 (Affiliate health & resilience), 4.1 (Internal engagement), 4.2 (Community connection), and 4.3 (Partnerships and collaboration):
- Describe your activities engaging new users, new members for your decision-making body(ies), and developing leaders and organizers (2.1).
- Describe your activities creating or hosting spaces to encourage greater collaboration and engagement among your members (4.1).
- Describe how you engage with the contributing community that you serve and/or support (4.2).
- Describe your partnerships with other affiliates or with non-Wikimedia entities (4.3).
Meta Page: [1]|Tuluvas Aati Monrh
Aati Month Report: [2]| Tuluvas Aati Month Report
Wikicommons Page: [3]| Media
Wikipedia Pages- Tulu: [4]| Articles in Tulu Wikipedia
Wikipedia Page- Kannada : [5]| Kannada Wikipedia
Wikipedia Article Writting Dashboard: https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Karavali_Wikimedians_User_Group/Documenting_Tuluva's_Aati_Month|Documeting Dashboard
4. Are you interested in sharing what you achieved or learned this year with the wider community through different peer learning programs (e.g. Let's Connect program, Diff)? (optional)
1. [6] Reviving Tuluvas’ Aati Month: Saving the Endangered Mugera Aati Kalenja Tradition
2. [7] Preserving Heritage: Tuluvas Aati Month Educational Wikimedia Programs
3. [8]/ Wikimedians lead effort to Revive Tulu Rituals
3. [9] Launching Tulu Wiktionary: A Milestone for Tulu Language and Culture
4. [10] Welcoming Tulu Wikisource
5. Did you collect feedback from your community or target groups on how the activities implemented impacted them? If yes, please attach/provide information on the results (e.g. community surveys, stories, impact booklets/reports, interviews with partner institutions, etc). Did you collect other impact-specific data? (required)
For affiliates, the response to Question 5. also partially addresses Affiliate Health Criteria 4.1 (Internal Engagement), 4.2 (Community Connection), or 4.3 (Partnerships & collaboration), where applicable.
Yes, we collected feedback and suggestions from our community through monthly meetings of the Karavali Wikimedians, held on the first Friday of each month. These sessions served as an open platform for members and participants to share their opinions, experiences, and recommendations regarding our activities.
- Enhanced Documentation: Regular feedback helped the team refine and improve documentation efforts. Suggestions from community members were instrumental in identifying key cultural elements to focus on, ensuring comprehensive coverage of Tulu traditions
- Community Engagement: The monthly meetings encouraged active participation and fostered a sense of ownership among community members. This contributed to better collaboration and deeper involvement in preserving Tulu culture.
6. During the fund period, did your efforts do any of the following? (required):
For affiliates, the response to Question 6. also partially addresses Affiliate Health Criterion 2.2 (Diversity balance).
- 6.1 Bring in participants from the following groups: women, indigenous groups , people from lower socioeconomic status, speakers of minority languages, underrepresented geographical regions (ESEAP, LATAM, SSA, MENA, SA)
- 6.2 Develop content about the following underrepresented topics or groups of people: women, speakers of minority languages, underrepresented geographical regions (ESEAP, LATAM, SSA, MENA, SA)
- 6.3 Support the retention of: Editors, Organizers, Partnerships
7. What, if any, effective tactics or approaches can you share that worked well when dealing with the programs under points 6.1-6.3 that you selected? (optional)
We used inclusive strategies to involve diverse groups such as women, indigenous communities, youth, and speakers of minority languages. This included organizing workshops, collaborating with local community leaders. To create content on underrepresented topics, we documented endangered traditions and encouraged contributions through writing competitions and edit-a-thons. To retain editors, organizers, and partnerships, we introduced mentorship programs, recognized contributors, and built strong collaborations with institutions like SDM College, tribe people and reached to ordinary people. Regular monthy meetup, followup meetings and community activities helped maintain long-term participation and engagement.
8. If you developed partnerships, which of the following factors most helped you to build partnerships? Please pick a MAXIMUM of the three most relevant factors (optional):
Volunteers from our communities
Part 2: Metrics
[edit]| Metrics name | Target | Result | Comments and tools used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of all participants | 300 | 1000 | |
| Number of all editors | 20 | 20 | |
| Number of new editors | 10 | 12 | |
| Number of retained editors | 5 | 10 | |
| Number of all organizers | 5 | 5 | |
| Number of new organizers | 2 | 2 |
| Wikimedia project | Target - Number of created pages | Target - Number of improved pages | Result - Number of created pages | Result - Number of improved pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 5 | 303 | 624 | |
| Wikimedia Commons | 300 | 2250 | 100 | |
| Wikidata | 500 | |||
| Wiktionary | 300 | 200 | 500 | |
| Wikisource | ||||
| Wikimedia Incubator | ||||
| Translatewiki | 200 | 100 | ||
| MediaWiki | ||||
| Wikiquote | ||||
| Wikivoyage | ||||
| Wikibooks | ||||
| Wikiversity | ||||
| Wikinews | ||||
| Wikispecies | ||||
| Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia |
11. Did you set other quantitative and qualitative targets for your project (other metrics)? (required): Yes
11.1. Other Metrics.
In your application, you outlined some other open metrics that you would like to measure. Please fill out the achieved results for each of the open metrics you defined.
| Other Metrics name | Metrics Description | Target | Result | Tools and comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Documentary Film | Creating a 45-minute to 1-hour documentary film that presents scholarly insights and details. | Yes, We did 15+ Videos one is 30minutes | ||
Part 3: Skill Development / Capacity Building
[edit]12. Reflecting on your programmatic (external) and organizational (internal) work, did your grant support you to undergo any skill development that made a difference to your success? If yes, what skill was developed, and how did it lead to success? (e.g. received coaching on public speaking, attended training on nonviolent communication, hosted professional development conversations on leadership, learned and used a new tool for project management, etc.)? Can you share any materials? (required)
For affiliates, use this space (Question 12.) to address Affiliate Health Criteria 2.2 (Diversity balance) and 3.1 (Diverse, Skilled, and Accountable Leadership):
- Describe actions taken to prioritize gender balance in affiliate leadership, as well as any areas of diversity relevant to your affiliate's context (2.2).
- Describe the management, financial, or other leadership skills of your affiliate leaders. If you have a succession plan, please include it here (3.1).
- Describe any training or skill development (as outlined in the question above) (3.1).
- Incorporate into the annual report a disclosure of conflict of interests (if any) from the leadership (3.1).
The grant has been pivotal in empowering our members, enabling their participation in key Wikimedia events. These opportunities facilitated knowledge exchange with other communities and significantly enhanced members' skills in cultural preservation and digital documentation.
- Videography and Media Skills Members were trained in advanced videography and photography techniques to document Aati rituals, traditions, and folklore. These skills have proven invaluable in creating high-quality, engaging content that resonates with both local and global audiences, ensuring the vibrant traditions of Tulunadu are effectively showcased and preserved.
- Engagement with Folk Artists and Tribal Communities Members developed essential communication skills by interacting with folk artists and tribal communities. They worked to convince these communities to continue practicing and performing their folk arts, fostering a renewed interest in preserving these traditions for future generations.
- Building Organizational Experience Organizing events and collaborating with diverse groups, including college students, helped members refine their project management and coordination abilities. This experience not only strengthened internal teamwork but also expanded outreach efforts to younger generations, inspiring them to contribute to cultural preservation projects.
13. What is one capacity/skill area that you would like to focus on for the next year? And how do you plan to achieve this capacity? (required)
Leadership development will enable us to implement innovative strategies for marketing and outreach. This includes organizing awareness campaigns, leveraging social media platforms, and conducting educational programs in schools and colleges to highlight the significance of Tuluvas' Aati Month traditions. Strong leadership will ensure that these efforts result in broader community participation and global recognition of our work.
We aim to build a core team of effective leaders who can motivate and guide volunteers. These leaders will be trained to address challenges and ensure our organization's adaptability and resilience. Through workshops, mentorship programs, and collaboration with experienced Wikimedia communities, we will foster leadership skills that emphasize cultural preservation, digital documentation, and community engagement.
14. If you have additional information or reflections that don’t fit into the above sections, please write them here. Use the space below to upload any additional documents that would be useful to understand your report.
For affiliates, also use this section (Question 14.) to address Affiliate Health Criteria 2.3 (Good governance & communication) and 3.3 (Universal Code of Conduct compliance).
- Describe and link to any public-facing information on affiliate leadership, membership, elections, and/or decision-making processes (2.3).
- Describe any activities incorporating, promoting awareness about, or enforcing the Universal Code of Conduct in your affiliate's activities (3.3).
Our user group ensures transparent governance by publicly sharing leadership and decision-making details on Wikimedia platforms. We educate members on Wikimedia norms during orientations to promote better governance and understanding of the Movement Charter.
We are fully committed to the UCOC, integrating its principles into all activities, including events, workshops, fieldwork, and documentation processes. Our community actively abides by the UCOC. As part of our efforts, we participated in Movement Charter Discourses Phase 3 and invited
User:Manavpreet Kaur, Member, Movement Charter Drafting Committee, to conduct a session that further strengthened our understanding and implementation of UCOC principles. (https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Karavali_Wikimedians/Events/Movement_Charter_Discourses_Phase_3)
Part 4: Financial reporting
[edit]For affiliates, also use this section (Part 4: Financial reporting) to address Affiliate Health Criterion 3.2 (Financial & Legal Compliance).
| Description | Planned / received budget for this category (INR) | Amount spent (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Personnel costs | 0 | 0 |
| Operational costs | 989750 | 966350 |
| Programmatic costs | 989750 | 966350 |
| Total General Support Fund | 1069044.47 | 966350 |
| Other revenue | ||
| Remaining funds from General Support Fund | N/A |
15. Please state the total amount spent from this fund in your local currency. (required)
966350 INR
16. Please provide an overview of the amount spent from this fund in the following budget categories in your local currency. (required)
- Operational costs: 966350 INR
- Programmatic costs: 0 INR
- Staff and contractor costs: 966350 INR
17. Did you have any other revenue sources (e.g. other funding, membership contributions, donations)? (required): No
- 17.1. Provide the total amount received from other revenue sources in your local currency. (required): INR
- 17.2. Provide the total amount spent from other revenue sources in your local currency. (required): INR
18. Provide a financial report document which will provide the details of funds received and spent in the currency of your fund. (required)
- Upload Documents, Templates, and Files.
- Report funds received and spent, if template not used.
- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NBe9u_Q7hj1U1Nueq7SuoRucEW85usU5FAShWQ4U_wc/edit?usp=sharing
18.2. If you have not already done so in your financial spending report, provide information on changes in the budget in relation to your original proposal. (optional)
N/A
19. Do you have any unspent funds from this funding?: No
20. Final confirmations (required)
- 20.1. Are you in compliance with the terms outlined in the fund agreement? You must be in compliance with relevant tax laws and regulations restricting the use of the Funds as outlined in the grant agreement. In summary, this is to confirm that the funds were used in alignment with the Wikimedia Foundation mission and for charitable/nonprofit/educational purposes.
- Yes
- 20.2. Are you in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations as outlined in the grant agreement?
- Yes
- 20.3. Are you in compliance with provisions of the United States Internal Revenue Code (“Code”), and with relevant tax laws and regulations restricting the use of the Funds as outlined in the grant agreement? In summary, this is to confirm that the funds were used in alignment with the WMF mission and for charitable/nonprofit/educational purposes.
- Yes
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