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statusFunded
Zambia’s Wikimedia Knowledge Without Borders Project 2026
Fluxx IDG-GS-2509-20181
proposed start date2026-01-01
proposed end date2026-12-01
approved start date01 January 2026
approved end date31 December 2026
amount requested (local currency)1365190 ZMW
amount requested (USD)47452.4 USD [note 1]
amount recommended (USD)30000
amount recommended (local currency)749625.18 ZMW
grant typeWikimedia Affiliate (chapter, thematic org., or user group)
funding regionSSA
decision fiscal year2025-26
funding program roundRound 1
organization (if applicable)Wikimedia Community User Group Zambia

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

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Organization name or Wikimedia Username for individuals. (required)
Wikimedia Community User Group Zambia
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)
Yes
Do you have a fiscal sponsor?
Yes
Fiscal organization name.
Kiwix
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

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1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be a title for the Meta-Wiki page. (required)
Zambia’s Wikimedia Knowledge Without Borders Project 2026
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)
2026-01-01
4. Proposed end date. (required)
2026-12-01
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
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Community_User_Group_Zambia/2026_Strategic_plan/Zambia%E2%80%99s_Wikimedia_Knowledge_Without_Borders_Project_2026
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://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Community_User_Group_Zambia/2026_Strategic_plan
7. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
Zambia
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)

In 2026, Wikimedia Community User Group Zambia will implement the Zambia’s Wikimedia Knowledge Without Borders Project 2026 to expand access to free knowledge and strengthen local content creation.

  • Programs & Approaches:
Content Creation: Focused on underrepresented Zambian topics through edit-a-thons, Wiki Loves campaigns, and Wiki Workshop 2026.
Capacity Building: Training sessions, mentorship, and the ZedWiki Podcast to develop contributor skills and retention.
Community Engagement: Monthly meetings, social media campaigns, and networking to foster collaboration and recruitment.
Advocacy & Policy: Launch Freedom of Panorama at RightsCon 2026 and promote digital rights awareness.
Election-Year Misinformation Response: Conduct campaigns to educate citizens and promote accurate information during Zambia’s 2026 elections.
  • Challenges & Strategies:

We aim to address low participation, content gaps, misinformation, and policy barriers. By combining training, advocacy, and community engagement, we will grow a resilient contributor base, improve the diversity of knowledge, and ensure free access to local cultural and historical content.

9. What categories are your main programs and related activities under? Please select all that apply. (required)
Category Yes/No
Education Yes
Culture, heritage or GLAM Yes
Gender and diversity Yes
Community support and engagement Yes
Participation in campaigns and contests Yes
Public policy advocacy No
Other No

Education

9.1.1. Select all your programs and activities for Education. (required)
Wiki Club, Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom or other Reading/Evaluating Wikipedia Training, Editing Wikipedia Training, Wikidata programs, Wikimedia Commons programs
Other programs and activities if any: N/A
9.1.2. Select all relevant audience groups for Education. (required)
Secondary school students, Vocational, tertiary, or higher education
Other groups if any: N/A

Culture, heritage or GLAM

9.2. Select all your programs and activities for Culture, heritage or GLAM. (required)
Documenting or incubating languages on Wikimedia projects, 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, Supporting institutions to open up their collections, data, metadata, and research, Supporting GLAM professionals to incorporate use of Wikimedia in their work, through documentation, training, or Wikimedian in Residence programs, Partnering with institutions, professional associations, and allied organizations to raise awareness of open culture, ethical sharing, and related issues
Other programs and activities if any: N/A

Gender and diversity

9.3. Select all your programs and activities for Gender and diversity.
Bringing in women and/or gender diverse participants and editors, Focusing on creating content about women and/or gender diverse groups, including biographies, intersectional topic areas and/or adding images, Focusing on creating content about marginalized (underrepresented) communities and their knowledge
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, Offering non financial support and services to community members (equipment, space, books, etc.)
Other programs and activities if any: N/A

Participation in campaigns and contests

9.5. Select all campaigns that apply. (required)
1Lib1Ref, Art+Feminism, Feminism and Folklore, Wiki Loves Earth, Wiki Loves Folklore, Wiki Loves Monuments, WikiGap, Wikipedia Birthday or Anniversary
Other programs and activities if any: N/A
10. Please include a link to or upload a timeline (operational calendar) for your programs and activities. (required)
11. Describe your team. (required)
  • Chabota Kanguya (User:Icem4k) – Executive Director & Project Lead (Salaried)
Provides overall strategic leadership, represents the User Group in external partnerships, and directly coordinates the implementation of programs such as Wiki Loves campaigns, community engagement activities, and strategic initiatives like the Zambia's Wikimedia Knowledge Without Borders Project 2026.
Manages communications, social media outreach, and promotion of programs such as the ZedWiki Podcast and community awareness campaigns.
  • Imanga Kayama (User:Imaanga) – Partnerships Lead (Volunteer with stipend support)
Leads collaboration with educational institutions, cultural bodies, civil society, and international partners. Strengthens advocacy efforts, including the Freedom of Panorama campaign, and builds networks for sustainability of Wikimedia projects in Zambia.

Grace Nalungwe (User:ChaloNiZambia) – Community Outreach Coordinator (Volunteer) To strengthen grassroots mobilization, partnerships with educational and cultural institutions, and expansion of Wikimedia activities across Zambia.

  • Advisors/Consultants
Wikimedia Foundation (through General Support Fund guidance)
Kiwix (providing financial support services and oversight for transparent fund management)
  • Volunteers

A pool of dedicated community members supporting editing, event facilitation, technical assistance, and outreach.

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)

Partnerships:

We will work with both internal and external partners to strengthen our programs:
Wikimedia Community User Group Botswana – Regional collaboration, sharing experiences, and co-hosting campaigns.
Wikimedia Community User Group Zimbabwe – Supporting regional projects and knowledge exchange.
Chalo Chatu – A Zambian free knowledge platform; collaborating on content creation and joint projects including campaigns like Freedom of Panorama.
Women’s History Museum Zambia – Developing content on women’s history and cultural heritage including campaigns like Freedom of Panorama.
Swedish Embassy in Zambia – Supporting advocacy and visibility, including campaigns like Freedom of Panorama.

These partnerships will help us reach more people, create high-quality content, and strengthen our community.

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, Coordinate Across Stakeholders, Invest in Skills and Leadership Development, Innovate in Free Knowledge

Metrics

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Wikimedia Metrics

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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 400 N/A
Number of all editors 100 N/A
Number of new editors 50
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 250 500
Wikimedia Commons 5000
Wikidata 150 500
Wiktionary
Wikisource
Wikimedia Incubator
Translatewiki
MediaWiki
Wikiquote
Wikivoyage
Wikibooks
Wikiversity
Wikinews
Wikispecies
Wikifunctions / Abstract Wikipedia
Description for Wikimedia projects contributions metrics. (optional)


Other Metrics

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15. Do you have other quantitative and qualitative targets for your project (other metrics)? (required)
Yes
Other Metrics Description Target
3 major Wikimedia competitions Conduct 3 major Wikimedia competitions: Wiki Loves Folklore, Wiki Loves Earth, Wiki Loves Monuments, with at least 500 total participants. 500
Edit-a-thons Host 2 edit-a-thons focused on underrepresented topics, targeting 100 new and existing editors. 100
Wiki Fan Clubs Launch 5 Wiki Fan Clubs in schools and universities, engaging at least 200 students. 200
ZedWiki Podcast roduce 12 episodes of the ZedWiki Podcast (monthly), reaching at least 1,000 listeners cumulatively. 1000
N/A N/A N/A

Budget

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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)
ZMW
18. What is the total requested amount in your local currency? (required)
1365190 ZMW
Multi-year funding request summary
Year Amount (local currency)
Year 1 N/A ZMW
Year 2 N/A ZMW
Year 3 N/A ZMW
Requested amount in USD
47452.4 USD [note 1]
Multi-year funding request summary in USD
Year Amount USD [note 1]
Year 1 N/A USD
Year 2 N/A USD
Year 3 N/A USD
  1. ↑ a b c The following amount in US dollars was calculated by Wikimedia Foundation staff using the fixed currency rates. This amount is approximate and may not reflect the actual currency exchange rates on the day of submission or distribution. If the application is funded, the funding will be sent in the recipient’s local currency.
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.

We plan to cover 1 salaried staff member with this General Support Fund:
  • Executive Director / Project Lead – full-time, responsible for overall coordination, program delivery, and reporting
  • Plus some Volunteer, with stipend support
  • In addition, we will engage short-term contractors and consultants as needed for specific activities (e.g., technical support, communications design). These will be on a project basis and not permanent roles.
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.

Total FTEs = 10.75
Executive Director (@ 9h/day) → 1.10 FTE
Volunteer with stipend support (2 volunteers @ 5h/day) → 1.20 FTE
Keynote Speakers → 0.15 FTE
Technical Support → 0.05 FTE
Photography/Videography → 0.05 FTE
Linguistic Experts (translations, indigenous languages, captions) → 2.00 FTE
Trainers & Facilitators Pool (Wiki Workshop 2026, edit-a-thons, clubs) → 1.50 FTE
Regional Program Associates (Lusaka, Copperbelt, Southern, Eastern @ 0.25 each) → 1.00 FTE
Partnerships & GLAM Coordinator (institutions, MoUs, WIR) → 0.50 FTE
Community Outreach Coordinator (schools, universities, clubs) → 0.70 FTE
Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Officer (metrics, reports) → 0.40 FTE
RightsCon / Freedom of Panorama Campaign Manager → 0.40 FTE
Communications & Design Support (production support under Comms Lead) → 0.15 FTE
Podcast Production (host/editor for ZedWiki Podcast) → 0.55 FTE

Grand Total = 10.75 FTE

19.3. Describe any staff or contractor changes compared to the current year / ongoing General Support Fund if any. (required only for returning grantees)
In the previous General Support Fund cycle (2025), Wikimedia User Group Zambia did not have any salaried staff. All activities were delivered by volunteers, with occasional short-term contractors for specific needs such as photography, facilitation, or technical support. For 2026, we propose a hybrid structure that introduces a salaried Executive Director to provide full-time leadership and coordination. In addition, we will engage part-time contractors (linguistic experts, keynote speakers, technical and media support) and provide stipends for select volunteer-based roles (community associates, facilitators, coordinators). This represents a shift from a fully volunteer-based model to a blended approach, ensuring sustainability, accountability, and professional delivery of our expanding programs.
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 219100 ZMW
Operational costs 1146090 ZMW
Programmatic costs 1365190 ZMW
21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)


Additional information

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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)

This proposal reflects Wikimedia User Group Zambia’s strategic priorities for 2026 under the “Zambia’s Wikimedia Knowledge Without Borders” project. We have structured the budget to maximize impact across community engagement, content creation, capacity-building, and advocacy campaigns while maintaining operational efficiency.

Only the Executive Director will be a full-time paid staff member for the project’s duration; all other personnel will receive stipends based on tasks. Personnel costs include the Executive Director and key program staff to ensure proper coordination and execution of planned activities. The project also incorporates short-term contractors and volunteers for workshops, edit-a-thons, podcast production, and campaign implementation.

We have allocated 10% of the grant to our fiscal sponsor, Kiwix, as per standard procedure. All figures are based on realistic estimates of local costs and reflect Zambia’s operational context.

The project emphasizes inclusivity, digital literacy, and bridging content gaps, particularly through our Freedom of Panorama campaign, Wiki Loves initiatives, and RightsCon 2026 participation. We welcome any guidance or questions regarding budget allocations or program implementation.


By submitting your proposal/funding request you agree that you are in agreement with the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and the Universal Code of Conduct.

We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.

Yes

Feedback

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