Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/AfroLiterature:Quotes From African Literatures (ID: 22579066)/Final Report
Application type: Standard application
Part 1: Project and impact
1. Describe the implemented activities and results achieved. Additionally, share which approaches were most effective in supporting you to achieve the results. (required)
To achieve our goals for the AfroLiterature: Quotes from African Literature campaign, we implemented several key activities focused on raising awareness, fostering community collaboration, developing content creation skills, and encouraging sustained participation through contests.
1. Creating Awareness: We successfully raised awareness by distributing e-posters and flyers across Wikimedia WhatsApp groups and social media platforms. This effort targeted both new and existing Wikimedia editors. In addition, we created a dedicated WhatsApp group to facilitate ongoing communication, which improved communication between participants and organizers. This inclusive approach made our message clearer and more comprehensive, and increased participation in the campaign.
2. Collaborative Community Building: We partnered with the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Ilorin chapter, to engage with writers, scholars and literary enthusiasts. This collaboration has strengthened our Wikiquote community and provided the resources needed to promote African literature. The partnership also helped in obtaining citations from African literature, increasing global visibility.
3. Physical Training (Day 1): We organized Hands-on training where participants were taught how to edit and contribute to Wikiquote. Experienced facilitators used projector and presentation slides to provide practical guidance, enabling participants to learn the basics of editing, obtain quotes from books, improve or create a wikiquote articles. This session was necessary to address the content gaps in African literature on Wikiquote.
4. Physical Meetup (Edit-a-thon): On the second day, we held a two-hour edit-a-thon aimed at improving Wikiquote articles related to African literature. Participants worked collaboratively in a supportive environment, with trainers on hand to provide assistance. This activity allowed participants to apply what they learned in contributing effectively to wikiquote.
5. Virtual Training (Online Follow-up): We conducted a virtual follow-up training to reinforce skills learned in the in-person sessions. This online session allowed participants to refine their editing skills and remain engage with the project. The follow-up was crucial in encouraging the contributors and ensuring the quality of contributions.
6. Contest: We concluded the campaign with an online contest that rewarded top contributors, new editors, and outstanding female contributors. Prizes such as gift cards were offered as an incentive to participate and to encourage participants to participate in future Wikimedia projects.
Results Achieved: The campaign was successful in increasing contributions to Wikiquote, particularly in relation to African literature, without vandalizing the wikiquote project. We have built a strong, diverse group of African contributors and have seen an increase in the number of editors joining the project due to their passion for literature. Efforts to raise awareness, participation, and skill-building activities were key to increased engagement and long-term impact.
Our strategic partnership with hands-on training, both physical and virtual, proved to be the most effective strategy. In addition, collaborating with a Wikiquote administrator ensured that contributions were monitored closely, preventing any vandalism and ensuring that no editors were blocked. The individual online training sessions also helped maintain a high standard of contributions throughout the project.
2. Documentation of your impact. Please use space below to share links that help tell your story, impact, and evaluation. (required)
Share links to:
- Project page on Meta-Wiki or any other Wikimedia project
- Dashboards and tools that you used to track contributions
- Some photos or videos from your event. Remember to share access.
You can also share links to:
- Important social media posts
- Surveys and their results
- Infographics and sound files
- Examples of content edited on Wikimedia projects
Project page on Meta-Wiki: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:AfroLiterature:Quotes_From_African_Literatures
Dashboard Link: https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Open_Education_Africa/AfroLiterature_Quotes_From_African_Literatures
Wikimedia Diff Post Link: https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/07/26/afroliterature-capturing-the-essence-of-african-storytelling-on-wikiquote/
Google drive link to photos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PIM8dNcM-Qvd8yiC-gxi5GgiEaHXJcia
Google form survey link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeAi_6bxuXY4w15a5nJI_N7kAEiHnP55_ghhiA7ya_swWACw/closedform
Google Survey Results: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oJVlzpqy8cJLvUKz3uZPjfzyeiJ8I6c0
Examples of content edited on Wikiquote 1. https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Age_of_Iron 2. https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_trouble_with_Nigeria 3. https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/A_Long_Way_Gone:_Memoirs_of_a_Boy_Solider
Additionally, share the materials and resources that you used in the implementation of your project. (required)
For example:
- Training materials and guides
- Presentations and slides
- Work processes and plans
- Any other materials your team has created or adapted and can be shared with others
Training materials and Guides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11hYHMDElSA-7N2-BQMkwovzcw-tU26Gk/view?usp=drivesdk
Work Plans: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZZdGsFCOO_5fM-HgepskfwA4MyjvSdiKkCWHsgEOka8/edit?gid=0#gid=0
3. To what extent do you agree with the following statements regarding the work carried out with this Rapid Fund? You can choose “not applicable” if your work does not relate to these goals. Required. Select one option per question. (required)
| A. Bring in participants from underrepresented groups | Strongly agree |
| B. Create a more inclusive and connected culture in our community | Agree |
| C. Develop content about underrepresented topics/groups | Agree |
| D. Develop content from underrepresented perspectives | Agree |
| E. Encourage the retention of editors | Strongly agree |
| F. Encourage the retention of organizers | Strongly agree |
| G. Increased participants' feelings of belonging and connection to the movement | Strongly agree |
| F. Other (optional) |
Part 2: Learning
4. In your application, you outlined some learning questions. What did you learn from these learning questions when you implemented your project? How do you hope to use this learnings in the future? You can recall these learning questions below. (required)
You can recall these learning questions below: In this project, we aim to learn and achieve several learning outcomes :
1. Enhanced Editing Skills:Through hands-on participation in editing wikiquote, we aim to enhance our editing skills, including article creation, improvement, citation, and sourcing standards. This will not only benefit our contributions to this project but also improve our overall proficiency in editing Wikimedia projects.
2. Community Engagement and Collaboration: We hope to learn effective strategies for engaging and collaborating with diverse communities, including new editors, existing wikimedian editors, Association of Nigerian Authors and individuals interested in contributing to Wikiquote in Nigeria and across Africa. Building strong community relationships is essential for the success and sustainability of this project.
3. Cultural Understanding and Appreciation: By focusing on African literature and quotes, we aim to deepen our understanding and appreciation of African culture, traditions, and literary heritage. This project provides an opportunity to explore diverse perspectives and narratives, fostering cross-cultural understanding and appreciation.
4. Project Management and Leadership: As project leads and facilitators, we seek to develop and refine our project management and leadership skills. This includes overseeing all aspects of the project, coordinating activities, managing resources, and guiding team members to achieve project goals effectively and efficiently.
5.)Editor Retention: We seek to understand and implement strategies to retain editors beyond the duration of this project. By providing ongoing support, mentorship, and opportunities for engagement, we aim to create a welcoming and supportive environment that encourages continued participation in Wikiquote and other Wikimedia projects.
6. Impact Assessment and Evaluation: Finally, we aim to learn how to assess and evaluate the impact of our work. This involves measuring the reach and effectiveness of our outreach efforts, evaluating participant engagement and satisfaction, and identifying areas for improvement. By collecting and analyzing data on project outcomes, we can continually refine our strategies and maximize our impact.
Improved Editing Skills: Through consistent one on one training sessions and detailed videos recordings on how to edit Wikiquote, we were able improve the editing skills of participants. These sessions covered article creation, citation standards, and overall content improvement, which resulted in improvement in their contributions to Wikiquote and other Wikimedia projects.
Community Engagement: We engaged with several African Wikimedia communities, including those in Ghana, Rwanda, Botswana, and various local communities in Nigeria. These engagements fostered interests among communities interested in African literature and contributing to Wikiquote.
Cultural Appreciation: Focusing on African storytelling and folklore, we deepened our understanding and appreciation of African culture. Participants explored diverse cultural perspectives through literature and quotes, contributing to a richer, more resourceful representation of Africa and African literature on Wikiquote.
Leadership and Project Management: As the project lead, I worked alongside three co-organizers, which helped sharpen my leadership and project management skills. The collaboration with team members taught me how to effectively manage tasks, coordinate activities, and work cooperatively with individuals to achieve our goals.
Editor Retention: We maintained strong editor retention by providing mentorship, ongoing support, and continuous engagement opportunities. These efforts created a welcoming environment that encouraged participants to remain active in Wikiquote even after the project concluded.
Impact Assessment: We conducted an impact assessment during our online follow-up sessions and a webinar. These evaluations measured participant engagement and satisfaction, helping us identify areas for improvement and ascertain the project success.
I hope to use these learnings to contribute to and improve Wikimedia projects in the future by leading impactful and resourceful projects that align with Wikimedia’s goal of providing free and accessible knowledge. I plan to implement what I've learned by continuing to lead and participate in Wikimedia projects aimed at creating inclusive communities and promoting minority voices. I intend to increase the use of mentorship and personalized training to retain editors and create long-term engagement.
5. Did anything unexpected or surprising happen when implementing your activities? This can include both positive and negative situations. What did you learn from those experiences? (required)
During the onboarding online session, we encountered unexpected network issues that disrupted our training. The unstable connection on Google Meet caused frequent disconnections, leading to the creation of multiple session links and almost postponing the event. However, the patience and dedication of the participants allowed us to continue the session as planned.
On a positive note, the active contributions from participants during the online writing contests were highly encouraging. Overall, we had nearly 80 participants from various African communities throughout the project, which reflected strong engagement and interest. This experience taught me the importance of having backup plans for virtual events and reinforced the value of participant resilience and adaptability. For future projects, we will ensure better preparation for technical challenges to improve the flow of our online sessions.
6. What is your plan to share your project learnings and results with other community members? If you have already done it, describe how. (required)
To share the lessons and results of this project with other community members, I plan to write clear and detailed reports that explain everything we did, the outcomes, and what we learned along the way. These reports will be designed to help others who are interested in promoting cultural appreciation on Wikimedia, especially through African literature and storytelling. By sharing what worked and what didn’t, I hope others can use these insights to successfully implement similar projects and contribute to a richer representation of diverse cultures on Wikimedia.
In addition to the reports, I plan to actively engage with the community through Wikimedia mailing lists, forums, and social media. Through these platforms, I’ll share project updates, resources, and lessons learned to encourage discussions and collaborations.
Part 3: Metrics
7. Wikimedia Metrics results. (required)
In your application, you set some Wikimedia targets in numbers (Wikimedia metrics). In this section, you will describe the achieved results and provide links to the tools used.
| Target | Results | Comments and tools used | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 40 | 89 | Event Registration tool |
| Number of editors | 40 | 40 | Outreach Dashboard |
| Number of organizers | 4 | 4 | Outreach dashboard |
| Wikimedia project | Target | Result - Number of created pages | Result - Number of improved pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | |||
| Wikimedia Commons | |||
| Wikidata | |||
| Wiktionary | |||
| Wikisource | |||
| Wikimedia Incubator | |||
| Translatewiki | |||
| MediaWiki | |||
| Wikiquote | 300 | 316 | 317 |
| Wikivoyage | |||
| Wikibooks | |||
| Wikiversity | |||
| Wikinews | |||
| Wikispecies | |||
| Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia |
8. Other Metrics results.
In your proposal, you could also set Other Metrics targets. Please describe the achieved results and provide links to the tools used if you set Other Metrics in your application.
| Other Metrics name | Metrics Description | Target | Result | Tools and comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
9. Did you have any difficulties collecting data to measure your results? (required)
No
9.1. Please state what difficulties you had. How do you hope to overcome these challenges in the future? Do you have any recommendations for the Foundation to support you in addressing these challenges? (required)
Part 4: Financial reporting
[edit]10. Please state the total amount spent in your local currency. (required)
1553000
11. Please state the total amount spent in US dollars. (required)
1040
12. Report the funds spent in the currency of your fund. (required)
Provide the link to the financial report https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VVIlpfDoG9sbJeLpZXcAvbzvewNhzAMRpqEtxbOtEJE/edit?pli=1&gid=928458698#gid=928458698
12.2. If you have not already done so in your financial spending report, please provide information on changes in the budget in relation to your original proposal. (optional)
13. Do you have any unspent funds from the Fund?
No
13.1. Please list the amount and currency you did not use and explain why.
N/A
13.2. What are you planning to do with the underspent funds?
N/A
13.3. Please provide details of hope to spend these funds.
N/A
14.1. Are you in compliance with the terms outlined in the fund agreement?
Yes
14.2. Are you in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations as outlined in the grant agreement?
Yes
14.3. 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
15. If you have additional recommendations or reflections that don’t fit into the above sections, please write them here. (optional)
Review notes
[edit]Review notes from Program Officer:
N/A
Applicant's response to the review feedback.
N/A