Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Bridging Climate Literacy Gaps through Wikimedia projects in Ogoni Land Rivers State (ID: 22760755)

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Applicant Details

Main Wikimedia username. (required)

ugwulebo

Organization

N/A

If you are a group or organization leader, board member, president, executive director, or staff member at any Wikimedia group, affiliate, or Wikimedia Foundation, you are required to self-identify and present all roles. (required)

I'm a group leader of an informal Wikimedia group.

Describe all relevant roles with the name of the group or organization and description of the role. (required)

I am the co-founder of the Port Harcourt Wikimedia hub. I have organized and facilitated Wikimedia programs and trainings within and outside Rivers State, Nigeria.

Main Proposal

1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.

Bridging Climate Literacy Gaps through Wikimedia projects in Ogoni Land Rivers State

2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.

2024-10-06 - 2024-12-01

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

Nigeria

5. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign, project, or event? If so, please select the relevant project or campaign. (required)

Not applicable

6. What is the change you are trying to bring? What are the main challenges or problems you are trying to solve? Describe this change or challenges, as well as main approaches to achieve it. (required)

Climate literacy has to do with literacy activities about the impact of climate change on our overall well-being as humans and techniques to mitigate the further collapse of the environment through our actions. The Ogoni people according to Wikipedia is an ethnic group located in Rivers South-East senatorial district of Rivers State, in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria. According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the environmental pollution in Ogoni land can be traced to over 50 years of oil companies' exploration in the region and has penetrated deeper into the soil and water components in Ogoni Land. The report also revealed that in at least 10 Ogoni communities, drinking water has been contaminated with high levels of hydrocarbon which is threatening the public health of the inhabitants of the community. (UNEP Ogoniland Oil Assessment Reveals Extent of Environmental Contamination and Threats to Human Health)

The only way forward towards reducing this environmental and impending climate disaster is by educating the people through climate and environmental literacy programs targeted at the youths from the communities to create awareness about the issue using Wikimedia projects and also learn ways of reducing the effect of the environmental issues while avoiding further damage. This is where the theme of climate literacy comes into play. Creating awareness about these issues through the creation of articles on Wikipedia and its sister projects will not just expose the youths to Wikimedia projects but would help them to be environmentally conscious individuals. According to Ogele (2020) research on Climate Change and Human Security in Rivers State, Nigeria, the researcher revealed that climate issues are on the high rising due to activities of gas flaring by oil companies, deforestation by real estate companies, and artisan refining of oil products also known as illegal bunkering. Specifically, Ogoni land has witnessed mass environmental issues in recent times and this calls for awareness about climate issues and also training on how to reduce the environmental issues going on in Ogoni. These activities in recent times have continued with records of gas explosions and pipeline explosions claiming lives and properties. (Gas Pipeline Explosion Rocks Community in Nigeria’s Rivers State - African Affairs Network (aan.africa))

This project intends to expose the youths from Ogoni land in higher institutions in Rivers State where there is an environmental and climate literacy concern to the disadvantages of embarking on bad climate and environmental activities and also train them to be climate literacy champions through Wikimedia projects. The project aims to bring significant change by training and recognizing young Wikimedians who will contribute to the Wikimedia movement using the project theme. The project also aims to create awareness about the issue in their community and also discourage people from continuing in them. Also, this project is conceived to help fill the Wikipedia content gap around environmental and climate change issues, with a specific focus on local content in Rivers State and Ogoni land which is one of Nigeria's rich oil-producing regions.

7. What are the planned activities? (required) Please provide a list of main activities. You can also add a link to the public page for your project where details about your project can be found. Alternatively, you can upload a timeline document. When the activities include partnerships, include details about your partners and planned partnerships.

We will be organizing the following activities: 1. To achieve the aim of the project which is to bridge the gap in climate literacy among youths in Rivers State and specifically in Ogoni land, we will organize awareness and sensitization campaigns about Climate literacy and environmental issue in Ogoni Land. We will also carry out an awareness campaign on Wikipedia project editing among undergraduate Ogoni Students in the two selected higher institutions in the State.

2. We will be partnering with the “An Urgent Concern Environmental Initiative Group”. This group was founded by Delight Chigeru and Dr Peter Oghogho Onyagbodor, an environmental consultant and lecturer with the Department of Animal Science, University of Port Harcourt with a focus on Environmental Education and Sustainability in Rivers State. Their goals also include envisioning environmentally and climate-resilient cities in Nigeria by educating citizens on good environmental activities. (https://instagram.com/an.urgent.concern )

3. We will organize two in-person events per institution followed by virtual sessions on Zoom. These events will consist of Wikipedia Training and Edit-a-thon on the theme of the campaign. A total of 45 undergraduate students in each of the two higher institutions will be trained and they will be expected to educate and create awareness about climate literacy and poor environmental issues in Ogoni Land and Rivers State by improving and creating content about the theme of the campaign on Wikipedia and its sister projects.

4. We will create awareness, organize sensitization campaigns, and train undergraduate students from the Ogoni Students Association in two higher institutions in Rivers State so that they can be well informed about climate literacy and also champion the campaign against poor environmental behaviors in Ogoni land and in extension Rivers State. This training through exposure to Wikimedia projects is proposed to help train selected undergraduate students from two higher institutions in Rivers State (University of Port Harcourt and Rivers State University) on the subject matter.

5. We will create an outreach dashboard where we will assign articles to participants, monitor their activities, and create a separate WhatsApp group where participants will be mentored after the events. This initiative will help participants to solidify their knowledge through knowledge sharing and collaboration. Also, interested participants will be added to the Port Harcourt Wikimedia Hub WhatsApp group for continual contribution and follow-up of Wikimedia activities.

8. Describe your team. Please provide their roles, Wikimedia Usernames and other details. (required) Include more details of the team, including their roles, usernames, Wikimedia group, and whether they are salaried, volunteers, consultants/contractors, etc. Team members involved in the grant application need to be aware of their involvement in the project.

1. User: Ugwulebo (Project Lead): I am a Librarian at the University of Port Harcourt and a Wikimedian who has organized and facilitated Wikimedia programs and trainings within and outside Rivers State, Nigeria. I am the co-founder of the Port Harcourt Wikimedia Hub which is an informal Wikimedia group housing students and staff from higher institutions in Rivers State and Nearby states who have been trained on Wikimedia projects by my Team.

2. Iwuala Lucy (Co-facilitator): She is an experienced Igbo Wikipedia trainer and editor, As a member of the Igbo Wikimedians User Group and Co-Founder of the Igbo Wiki Community in Imo, she brings extensive experience to this project. In this project, she will conduct and spearhead training on equipping editors with the knowledge and skills required to make effective contributions, including translation, and enhancing the quality of content on the Igbo language Wikipedia.

3. User: Nubelbariloe (Advertising and liaison officer for Ogoni Students Associations): He is a student in the Department of Library and Information Science, University of Port Harcourt, and a Wikimedian from Ogoni land who joined the movement in 2022 and has been an active member of the community while contributing on Wikipedia. He is also an executive member of the Ogoni Students Association at the University of Port Harcourt. He will interface with the Ogoni Student Association in the two universities to ensure effective representation of Ogoni student union bodies at the training.

9. Who are the target participants and from which community? How will you engage participants before and during the activities? How will you follow up with participants after the activities? (required)

Our primary target participants are students and young individuals in the higher institutions in Rivers State from Ogoni in Rivers State who are either new to Wikimedia or existing contributors. The target participants are undergraduate Ogoni students who have been identified as members of the Ogoni Students Association at the University of Port Harcourt and the Rivers State University in Port Harcourt, River State. At Least 20 participants will be trained from each school. Most of the participants will be newbies and this will provide an avenue to recruit new Wikimedians for the Port Harcourt Wikimedia Hub and the Wikimedia Nigeria Community while bridging the gap on climate and environmental literacy issues. The participants will be added to a WhatsApp group where onboarding information will be shared. The participants will be mentored on WhatsApp and in Zoom meetings in addition to the in-person training and edit-a-thon. After the events, interested participants will be added to the Port Harcourt Wikimedia Hub and other Wikimedia sustainable development and climate-related groups where they will participate in other Wikimedia events and campaigns.

10. Does your project involve work with children or youth? (required)

Yes

10.1. Please provide a link to your Youth Safety Policy. (required) If the proposal indicates direct contact with children or youth, you are required to outline compliance with international and local laws for working with children and youth, and provide a youth safety policy aligned with these laws. Read more here.

We will adopt the Wikimedia Foundation Youth Safety Policy in all our meetings and ensure everyone is welcome and allowed to contribute to the good of the Movement. At the beginning of each event, we will summarize and read the Wikimedia Youth Safety Policy to all participants, ensuring everyone is informed of its guidelines. https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Friendly_space_policy#Youth_Safety

11. How did you discuss the idea of your project with your community members and/or any relevant groups? Please describe steps taken and provide links to any on-wiki community discussion(s) about the proposal. (required) You need to inform the community and/or group, discuss the project with them, and involve them in planning this proposal. You also need to align the activities with other projects happening in the planned area of implementation to ensure collaboration within the community.

I have announced this project in the discussion page of the Nigerian Wikimedia User Group https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_User_Group_Nigeria#Bridging_Climate_Literacy_Gaps_through_Wikimedia_projects_in_Ogoni_Land_Rivers_State I have also announced this project in the discussion page of the Port Harcourt Wikimedia Hub https://meta.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_User_Group_Nigeria/_Port_Harcourt_Wikimedia_Hub#Bridging_Climate_Literacy_Gaps_through_Wikimedia_projects_in_Ogoni_Land_Rivers_State

12. Does your proposal aim to work to bridge any of the content knowledge gaps (Knowledge Inequity)? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)

Other Important Topics (topics considered to be of impact or important in the specific context)

13. Does your proposal include any of these areas or thematic focus? Select one option that most applies to your work. (required)

Climate Change and sustainability

14. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)

Geographic

15. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select one that most applies. (required)

Identify Topics for Impact

Learning and metrics

17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)

1. We hope to learn how engagement with youths and undergraduates can be used in contributing to Wikimedia projects aimed at promoting climate literacy and reduction in bad environmental behaviours. 2. We hope to create awareness about the environmental issues in Ogoni land and attract experts in the environmental field who can come in develop strategies that will be used to reduce the environmental disaster and ensure a safe environmental. 3. We hope to gain insights into how underrepresented groups in Wikimedia appreciate Wikimedia trainings and how they contribute to Wikimedia projects. Also, we how to learn how to ensure continuous performance from participants and active contribution to Wikimedia projects from their various language and fan club groups. 4. We hope to understand the role of climate literacy in ensuring a safe environment by creating climate ambassadors through Wikimedia projects that will champion a safe environment.

18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)

Number of participants, editors, and organizers
Other Metrics	Target	Optional description
Number of participants	48	20 new participants from the Ogoni Students Association at the University of Port Harcourt and 20 new participants from the Ogoni Students Association at Rivers State University. 5 returning participants from the Port Harcourt Wikimedia Hub and 3 Organizers.
Number of editors	48	40 new editors from the Ogoni Students Association in the two universities. 5 returning editors from the Port Harcourt Wikimedia Hub. 3 organizers.
Number of organizers	3	2 experienced organizers in the Nigerian Wikimedia Community and 1 editor from the Port Harcourt Wikimedia Hub who is also an Executive member of the Ogoni Students Association, Rivers State Chapter

Number of content contributions to Wikimedia projects
Wikimedia project	Number of content created or improved
Wikipedia	150
Wikimedia Commons	100
Wikidata	50
Wiktionary
Wikisource
Wikimedia Incubator
Translatewiki
MediaWiki
Wikiquote
Wikivoyage
Wikibooks
Wikiversity
Wikinews
Wikispecies
Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia

Optional description for content contributions.

N/A

19. Do you have any other project targets in numbers (metrics)? (optional)

No

Main Open Metrics Data
Main Open 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

20. What tools would you use to measure each metrics? Please refer to the guide for a list of tools. You can also write that you are not sure and need support. (required)

I will use the outreach dashboard to measure each of the metrics and the event registration tool to monitor registrations, and coordinate training dates and general information to participants.

Financial proposal

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

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UItVfOSO6XeqrZmZqGvAq0_vuMmNk_h-17POqOKG1v4/edit?gid=0#gid=0

22. and 22.1. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in your local currency. (required)

3966400 NGN

22.2. Convert the amount requested into USD using the Oanda converter. This is done only to help you assess the USD equivalent of the requested amount. Your request should be between 500 - 5,000 USD.

2430.75 USD

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

Yes

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Stating why the proposal is important for the communities involved and why they think the strategies chosen will achieve the results that are expected.
Highlighting any aspects they think are particularly well developed: for instance, the strategies and activities proposed, the levels of community engagement, outreach to underrepresented groups, addressing knowledge gaps, partnerships, the overall budget and learning and evaluation section of the proposal, etc.
Highlighting if the proposal focuses on any interesting research, learning or innovation, etc. Also if it builds on learning from past proposals developed by the individual or organization, or other Wikimedia communities.
Analyzing if the proposal is going to contribute in any way to important developments around specific Wikimedia projects or Movement Strategy.
Analysing if the proposal is coherent in terms of the objectives, strategies, budget, and expected results (metrics).

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