Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Building Sustainability for Kenyan Wikipedia Editors at the University of Nairobi (ID: 23641713)/Final Report

Women in Religion User Group RosPost

Building Sustainability for Kenyan Wikipedia Editors at the University of Nairobi

20 January 2026 - 25 May 2026

Report ID: 13503

Report status: Under review

Report due date: 08 July 2026

Grant ID: G-RF-2510-20749

Amount funded: 519867 KES, 4003 USD

Amount spent: 516626 KES

Rapid Fund 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)

Implemented Activities

i) Retained 11 editors from the previous Rapid grant as mentors. ii) Recruited 19 new editors.

iii) Provided private mentor - mentee trainings
iv) Provided phone editing training 
v) Wikiquote training, created 4 Wikiquote articles, and improved 13 Wikiquote articles.

vi) Hosted weekly Zoom training meetings/editathons vii) Partnered with the departments at the university viii) Reached out to Wikimedia Community User Group Kenya ix) Established and launched the University of Nairobi (UON) physical hub

x) Installed Reliable internet

xi) Created a priority list of articles xii) Created 21 articles in Wikipedia/Sandboxes

xiii)  Improved 31 existing Wikipedia articles

xiv) Uploaded 35 photos to Wikimedia Commons.

Rapid Grant 3: Building Sustainability for Kenyan Wikipedia Editors at the University of Nairobi. This grant project spanned from March 16, 2026, to June 26, 2026. The 3 -month project commenced with intensive activity, including: 1. retention of previously experienced editors, 2. recruitment of new editors, 3. Mentor-mentee training, 4. phone editing training, 5. Wikiquote training, 6. Weekly Zoom training, 7. partnered with departments at the university, 8. reached out to Wikimedia Community User Group Kenya, 9. established the hub, 10. reliable internet, graphics, branding, 11. created a priority list of articles, and 12. Created articles and uploaded photos to Wikimedia Commons.

1. Retained 11 previous editors as mentors

Experienced editors from the previous grant were retained to recruit, train and mentor new editors. The returning editors were well-trained from previous Rapid Grant trainings and were instrumental in this project as mentors and trainers-of-trainers, ensuring continuous recruitment, training, and mentorship.

Result: The creation of a sustainable community of Wikipedia editors.

2. Recruitment of 19 new editors A friendly method was employed to recruit new editors, in which all returning editors were tasked with bringing in new ones to expand the community of Wikipedia editors.

Result: This approach created a vibrant editorial network by combining the efforts of both the previous and new editors, fostering mentorship, collaboration, and a long-lasting, sustainable community of editors.

3. Mentor-mentee training The mentor-mentee training was organised to maintain the capacity of previously experienced editors to support and guide the new editors. The entire training focused on introducing mentees to Wikipedia editing practices. This was achieved by pairing experienced editors with new editors, and the training included demonstrations, practical editing exercises, and regular follow-up sessions.

Result: The training improved the skills and confidence of both the mentors and the mentees. Also, the new editors gained editing experience.

4. Phone editing Since the majority of the new editors did not have access to laptops, we embraced phone-editing. Through the US Women in Religion network, they helped secure Hannah Clover (username: clovermoss, a Wikimedian of the Year 2025 for smartphone editing; see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikimedian_of_the_Year) to lead a specialized mobile editing workshop designed to equip participants with the skills needed to contribute to Wikipedia using only their smartphones. The training session focused on helping editors navigate the Wikipedia mobile interface effectively. Key instructional areas included account creation, article editing, photo uploads, and proper citation practices. Clovermoss provided step-by-step demonstrations, and participants were then given hands-on opportunities to complete editing tasks directly on their mobile devices within the week.

Result: The phone-editing training increased participants' knowledge and confidence in editing Wikipedia on a smartphone.

5. Wikiquote training An expert from the US team, DutchTreat, was brought in to help train the group on Wikiquote. The sessions were taught using presentations to enhance understanding among the editors. This, in turn, equipped the participants with the skills needed to make high-quality contributions to the platform.

Result: The group created 4 new Wikiquote articles and improved 13 existing ones. We have access to the teaching slides of Wikiquote on Wikicommons: See https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Editing-English-WikiQuote-2026-DutchTreat.pdf

6. Weekly Zoom training meetings There have been meetings every Tuesday from 7 pm to 8 pm. The Women in Religion U.S. team, led by Christine Meyer, offered intensive training to the editors. During the meetings, the group reviewed draft articles, trained new editors, improved existing articles, enhanced editing skills, deepened understanding of notability and how to mine articles for additional information, learned how to create info boxes, honed phone editing skills, and uploaded photos to Wikimedia Commons. The meetings enhanced collaboration among the editors.

Result: Improved editing skills such as copyediting, mining reliable sources, linking and referencing, understanding the lead paragraphs, creating infoboxes, and editing from a phone. Nairobi Wiki editors strengthened connections with the US team.

7. Partnered with the departments at the University of Nairobi. The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies collaborated with other academic departments and the Jomo Kenyatta Memorial Library (JKML) at the University of Nairobi to integrate Wikipedia editing into academic contexts and to identify notable subjects for documentation. We held targeted meetings with the department heads and library staff and utilized the Jomo Kenyatta Memorial Library’s digital repositories and archives to access and provide reliable sources and references.

Results: Gained institutional support, recruited students directly from various departments and successfully identified notable figures such as women in theological fields and academia who require Wikipedia entries. Through the collaboration, we secured a dedicated editing space at the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies.

8. Reached out to other Wikipedia groups in Kenya As part of our ongoing partnership and collaboration efforts, we reached out to the Wikimedia Kenya UserGroup, led by Carol Mwaura, to support us in training on Wikiquote and to explore possibilities for future joint initiatives. Initial communication was positive, and Carol invited our team to participate in a Wikiquote training session scheduled for June. Below is her email confirming this: Carol Mwaura carolwm07@gmail.com

22 Apr 2026, 11:00*

to Winnie, Wikimedia, Carolyne, me Dear Carolyne, Regarding the wiki quotes training, we shall be conducting one for our community in June (date to be confirmed) and therefore propose that you join in. We can schedule a meeting early next week to discuss potential avenues of collaboration. Our preferred days are Monday & Tuesday, 7:00 pm or 7:30 pm. Regards, Carol However, despite this initial commitment, the planned June event did not materialize, and no alternative date was proposed. This presented a setback in our collaborative efforts with the local user group. Nevertheless, we continued to strengthen our existing partnership with the US team, including Rosalind, Christine, Hannah (Clovermoss), and David (DutchTreat), who provided ongoing support and training in several key areas: Wikiquote, mobile phone editing, mining of credible sources, and Wikimedia Commons. Their expertise and commitment were instrumental in advancing our project goals. The sustained work with the US team and emerging interest from local academic stakeholders reflect our continued dedication to building meaningful partnerships and fostering a culture of open knowledge contribution

Results: Continued collaboration and partnership with the US Women in Religion team. Visibility and connection with the US women in religion ensured that we maintained the global community standards and guidelines. We learned to communicate on talk pages with other Wikipedians and administrators. We learned the difficulty of communicating and setting up meetings and training sessions across divergent time zones and communication cues. We will continue to explore these partnerships.

9. Established the UON Wikipedia editing Hub On 9th June 2026, a Wikipedia hub was launched at the University of Nairobi. This hub has a stable internet connection, 6 laptops and furniture that make editing easier and more effective, even as the editors use their smartphones. The hub also provides a space for new editors to receive ongoing training in Wiki editing and serves as a point of contact for continued recruitment among university students and staff. The hub also has a hot water dispenser from which editors can enjoy a cup of hot tea as they edit, maintaining the communal rigour.

Result: The hub provides editors with a welcoming space for continued learning, editing, and contributing to Wikipedia. The hub created visibility and access for university students and staff, as well as for secondary sources such as the Jomo Kenyatta Memorial Library and the Graduate Library.

10. Installed reliable internet, graphics, and branding The hub was furnished and set up with equipment (six laptops, a projector, extension cables, etc.). A strong, stable, and reliable internet connection was installed to address the challenge of internet connectivity for the editing community on campus, particularly students. Media platforms such as Instagram, email, and WhatsApp were created to enhance the visibility of the editing group's activities.

Result: Connecting to free Wi-Fi on campus, even with one’s smartphone, defrays the cost of personal data plans, which were a major challenge.  We learned how to brand, create a Wiki identity, and increase the visibility of the UoNWikiEditors as an editing community.  We developed a fully furnished dedicated editing and training hub for editors, a gathering space that creates community and friendships across university programs.

11. Created a priority list of articles. The group held a meeting and created a list of priority articles from the Red Link Articles on the Wikipedia Circle page. The list consisted of 40 African Women Theologians without Wikipedia articles. Editors selected names to write on from the list of priority articles.

Result: A clear list of notable matriarchs whose articles are not on Wikipedia was created. This list made it easier for new and returning editors to find references and select names.

12. Created articles and improved articles. Editors drafted articles on selected matriarchs. The drafts were edited and continuously reviewed in editor sandboxes by groups of new and returning editors.

Result: A total of 21 new articles were published, and 31 existing Wikipedia articles were improved.

13. Editors uploaded photos to Wikimedia Commons. New editors learned about Wikimedia Commons.

Result: A total of 35 photos were uploaded to Wikimedia Commons. Editors learned how to categorize photos, learned U.S. copyright laws used by Wikipedia, and learned how to label photos for various types of restrictions and copyrights.

Share which approaches were most effective in supporting you to achieve the results.

i) Communal editing- We paired three to four new Wikipedia editors (mentees) with one or two returning editors (mentors) to collaboratively learn and apply Wikipedia’s editing practices. The initiative was designed to foster a supportive, peer-driven environment that facilitated hands-on training while leveraging the mentor’s experience to guide newcomers through the complexities of article creation, formatting, and citation.

ii) The established Physical UON Wikipedia editing hub with reliable internet that enabled drafting, revision, editing, and publishing of articles.

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

The Kenya circle of concerned African women Theologians Project Page See:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Kenyan_Circle_of_Concerned_African_Women

WikiQuote training materials

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Editing-English-WikiQuote-2026-DutchTreat.pdf

Instagram link

https://www.instagram.com/uon.wikieditors?utm_source=qr&igsh=MXN4dTYwa3g5ZWlpaA==

Wikipedia's UON physical hub (room) Photos Before the renovation (See photos in Google Drive).

See https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1NvlSyPysr2nejuPUWobUd8db4-LCKkZY

After the Renovation of the UON Wikipedia Hub, See photos in Google Drive,

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1_iqkE-4Vq184h0Mqd7PQeLRc08S9VDSC

Created 21 New articles on Wikipedia

1. Susan Kilonzo - Wikipedia 2. Mercy Odondo - Wikipedia 3. Eva Chipenda - Wikipedia 4. Rose Zoe Obianga - Wikipedia 5. Sarah K - Wikipedia 6. Funke-Felix Adejumo - Wikipedia 7. Christina Landman - Wikipedia 8. Omega Bula - Wikipedia 9. Denise Ackermann - Wikipedia 10. Esha Faki Mwinyihaji - Wikipedia 11. Mutale Mulenga Kaunda - Wikipedia 12. Loreen Maseno - Wikipedia 13. Teresa Wacera Kìragū - Wikipedia 14. Angelene Swart - Wikipedia 15. Emily Jeptepkeny Choge Kerama - Wikipedia 16. Mary Akatsa - Wikipedia 17. Daisy Nwachukwu - Wikipedia 18. Mabel Katahweire - Wikipedia 19. Esther Obasike - Wikipedia 20. Judith Waudo - Wikipedia 21. Draft:Lydia Chituku - Wikipedia

Improved 31 existing Wikipedia articles

1. Esther Mombo - Wikipedia 2. Nyambura Njoroge - Wikipedia 3. Fulata Moyo - Wikipedia 4. Teresa Okure - Wikipedia 5. Musa Dube - Wikipedia 6. Teresia Wairimu - Wikipedia 7. Eunice Wanjiku Kamaara - Wikipedia 8. Margaret Wanjiru - Wikipedia 9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_as_theological_figures 10. Wikipedia:WikiProject Kenyan Circle of Concerned African Women - Wikipedia 11. Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians - Wikipedia 12. Grace Wamue Ngare - Wikipedia 13. Rose Akua Ampofo - Wikipedia 14. Rosemary Edet - Wikipedia 15. Musimbi Kanyoro - Wikipedia 16. Puleng LenkaBula - Wikipedia 17. Anna Mghwira - Wikipedia 18. Nyokabi Kenyatta - Wikipedia 19. Ferdinand Waititu - Wikipedia 20. Editing Jeremiah J. M. Nyagah - Wikipedia 21. Kimani Ichung'wah - Wikipedia 22. Njenga Karume - Wikipedia 23. Anne Nkirote Kubai - Wikipedia 24. Presidency of Daniel arap Moi - Wikipedia 25. Masinde Muliro - Wikipedia 26. Jesse Mugambi - Wikipedia 27. Healthcare CRM - Wikipedia 28. Wayland Academy (Wisconsin) - Wikipedia 29. Nyal, South Sudan - Wikipedia 30. George Muhoho - Wikipedia 31. Ngina Kenyatta - Wikipedia

Wiki Quote articles Created 4 new pages

1. Hannah Wangeci Kinoti, - Wikiquote 2. Musimbi Kanyoro - Wikiquote 3. Teresa Okure - Wikiquote 4. Rosemary Edet - Wikiquote

Improved 13 existing pages

Teresia Mbari Hinga - Wikiquote https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mercy_Oduyoye https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Truphena_Muthoni Esther Mombo - Wikiquote Musa W. Dube - Wikiquote Nyambura J. Njoroge - Wikiquote Rose Akua Ampofo - Wikiquote Nokuzola Ndongeni - Wikiquote Anne Askew - Wikiquote Anna Akhmatova - Wikiquote Ann Marie Lipinski - Wikiquote Peggy Moran - Wikiquote https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_as_theological_figures

Wikimedia Commons links

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Some_of_wikieditors.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Virginia_Macharia.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Some_of_UonWikiEditors.jpg

Virtual Training meetings (Zoom)/(GOOGLE MEET)

Due to the delayed opening of the physical hub, the training sessions were transitioned to a virtual format. These online meetings proved highly beneficial, as we received substantial support from the US-based Women in Religion project team. Beyond the core training, they also assisted us in identifying additional trainers proficient in phone-based editing and in using Wikipedia's Wikiquote platform.

The minutes of the training meetings are uploaded and published in the Kenyan Circle Wikiproject page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Kenyan_Circle_of_Concerned_African_Women

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

Materials and resources used in implementing the project.

1.Created a Wikipedia Training guide for mentors and mentees 2. Wikipedia Editing Training Curriculum - Google Docs 3. The use of a template to cushion new editors, new articles, drafts and sandboxes from harassment, suspension, and blocking.

Template for users

Links to Wikipedia training and sources

4. Minutes and activities of the training meetings can be found at training minutes section in the project page Wikipedia:WikiProject Kenyan Circle of Concerned African Women - Wikipedia Guideline to citing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_Wikipedia

Guideline on Notability Wikipedia:Notability (people) - Wikipedia

Guidelines on creating sandboxes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help

Guidelines on credibility of sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Reliable_sources

User guide on publishing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publishing

Guide to Wikipedia style of linking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Linking

Guide to Wikipedia blocking policy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Blocking_policy

Channels of communication

i) Rapid Grant 3 Whatsapp group for all editors ii) Mini-groups for mentor-mentee meetings, training, and review in Google conference meetings. iii) Zoom meetings-https://tulane.zoom.us/j/97669272729, iv) Google conference meetings. v) Emails, for seamless and timely connection between the teams in Kenya and the U.S team vi) Google Drive- Rapid Grant 3 Drive for record keeping vii) Talkpages

Example of Talkpages:

1.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Communista 2. User talk:Figureskatingfan - Wikipedia 3. User talk:Wikedits2024 - Wikipedia 4. User talk:Giluwa - Wikipedia 5. User talk:Lekolake - Wikipedia 6. User talk:Maquetok - Wikipedia

5. Secondary sources: Our work relied heavily on a range of secondary sources, including relevant book chapters, peer-reviewed journal articles, and other scholarly publications. To access these materials, we made extensive use of the library archives at the Jomo Kenyatta Memorial Library, which provided us with credible, authoritative references to support our training content and editing activities. Virtual meetings, training, and edit-athons required that we conduct desktop research and utilize credible research websites to access secondary sources like journals and scholarly publications. The websites include the Internet Archive, ResearchGate, Academia.edu, Google Scholar, Taylor & Francis, Springer Nature, JSTOR, and Sage.

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)

Our efforts during the Fund period have helped to...
A. Bring in participants from underrepresented groups	Strongly agree
B. Create a more inclusive and connected culture in our community	Strongly agree
C. Develop content about underrepresented topics/groups	Strongly agree
D. Develop content from underrepresented perspectives	Strongly 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: The guiding learning question: 1. How can a university-based hub most effectively create a sustainable model for closing the systemic, gender and content gap on Wikipedia in Kenya? Measure - Compilation of other learning questions below.

2. What combination of physical space with fast wifi connectivity, mentorship, and community is most effective for converting a first-time editor into a committed, long-term contributor? Measure - Registration & Attendance Data: Track unique participants per event and repeat attendees over time.

3. How can the hub systematically overcome the significant barriers to creating high-quality content on marginalized topics? Measure - Note down the reported challenges by the new editors. Track any articles or edits made at the hub that are flagged for deletion or challenged, and analyze ways to improve future training.

4. What models of outreach and collaboration with other Wikimedia groups and external resources in Kenya yield the highest mutual benefit and amplify impact? Measure - Number of meetings with outside groups. Ability to integrate trainers into our workflow. A Catalogue of potential future issues, campaigns, and collaborative events. Number of accepted invitations to collaborate. Designated roles and responsibilities of new collaborations.

5. What models of outreach and collaboration within the UoN setting to ensure a steady flow of new editors?

Measure - Number of meetings with outside groups. Ability to integrate trainers into our workflow. A catalogue of potential future issues, campaigns, and collaborative events. Number of accepted invitations from within the university to collaborate. Designated roles and responsibilities of new university collaborations. Number of new editors and diversity of departments engaged.

1. How can a university-based hub most effectively create a sustainable model for closing the systemic, gender and content gap on Wikipedia in Kenya?

i) By setting up a sustainable, university-based hub, we provided a dedicated physical editing space with consistent high-speed internet and additional laptop computers. ii) A hub anchored in an academic setting has created a permanent, self-sustaining movement of all genders, students and lecturers for local knowledge production. iii) The UON Wikipedia Hub provides a resourceful, supportive and conducive environment for editing and training events. iv) The UON Wikipedia Hub created a shared, protected space for guided group activities. v) Situating the Hub in the university helped us attract and build lasting partnerships with academic departments and other universities, as content creation is a recognised part of university life. vi) With the university accommodating all, we have managed to recruit two men among the women editors. We have men who understand the importance of the gender gap on Wikipedia and are helping improve, edit, and write articles about women. vii) The university-based hub creates a platform for diversified areas of knowledge production, which can close the systemic gap. viii) A university setting provides access to libraries and librarians, who are instrumental in producing quality, well-sourced Wikipedia articles.

2. What combination of physical space with fast wifi connectivity, mentorship, and community is most effective for converting a first-time editor into a committed, long-term contributor?

i) A physical space allows real-time learning and collaborative participation. ii) A physical space promotes access to the university libraries and the ability to find credible secondary resources. iii) The environment is suitable as it creates a reading culture, which would be difficult to maintain when editing alone. iv) The hub provides the essential physical infrastructure, a dedicated, welcoming space with high-speed internet, which serves as the central point of activity. v) New editors are paired with experienced mentors for personalized guidance, a practice proven to build confidence and skills. vi) It creates a supportive community where first-time editors feel a sense of belonging, purpose and emotional support from discouragement when articles are flagged.

Measure - Registration & Attendance Data:

i) We tracked unique participants per event and repeat attendees over time.

ii) We followed up on repeat attendees who transition from attendees to core community members and editors.

iii) We tracked members visiting from other universities. iv) We registered members of staff willing to learn Wikipedia editing and their departments.

3. How can the hub systematically overcome the significant barriers to creating high-quality content on marginalized topics? Measure: Note down the reported challenges from the new editors. Track any articles or edits made at the hub that are flagged for deletion or challenged, and analyze ways to improve future training.

i) We developed a structured framework for reviewing and validating local knowledge. ii) Articles on marginalized subjects are written and peer-reviewed within a dedicated user sandbox before publishing iii) We set up a team of experienced editors within the hub to monitor articles created by the mentees. iv) Reliance on smartphones made editing long articles and formatting citations difficult. So, purchasing additional laptops helped editors review and edit articles more effectively. v) Reliable internet connectivity, while rare in Nairobi, became a reason to return to the hub and edit. vi) Regular training sessions on Wikipedia policies reinforced the learning of all editors. vii) The hub allowed for physical in-person training, which overcame the limitations of online training and the limited time we had together.

Challenges reported by new editors

i) Many new editors expressed distress after their accounts were suspended or blocked without clear guidelines for appealing. ii) A significant number of new editors reported a pronounced lack of confidence when editing in isolation. Without a collaborative partner or mentor to review their work in real time, they struggled with self-doubt about the accuracy of their formatting, the appropriateness of their tone, and the neutrality of their content. iii) A specific and noteworthy challenge involved editors attempting to write or expand articles on women theologians. This task proved particularly difficult for editors whose primary academic background or departmental affiliation lay outside of theology or religious studies. They encountered difficulties in navigating specialized theological terminology, identifying authoritative and reliable sources specific to the field, and understanding the nuanced historical and doctrinal contexts necessary for a comprehensive and encyclopedic article. This created a barrier to diversifying content on underrepresented matriarchs.

iv) New editors frequently reported confusion and frustration regarding the process of having their articles "flagged" by automated systems or other users for issues such as notability, sourcing, or copyright. They often lacked a clear understanding of the specific policies that triggered the flag, the steps required to resolve the issue, and the appropriate channels for seeking clarification. This led to a sense of being penalized without adequate guidance, further contributing to the overall feeling of being overwhelmed and unsupported.

Ways to improve future training

i) Expand on areas of editing, not just African women theologians: While the initial training provided valuable instruction on creating and improving articles related to African women theologians, it became clear that this focus was too narrow for many participants who came from different departments. Future training programs should broaden their scope to cover a wider range of editing areas, including general article maintenance, copyediting, content organization, and the addition of citations across diverse subject matters. ii) Dedicate some training hours to Wikipedia policies: A recurring theme in participant feedback was confusion regarding Wikipedia's underlying rules and guidelines, particularly around notability, verifiability, neutral point of view, and copyright compliance. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that future training schedules allocate dedicated hours specifically to unpacking these core policies. Rather than treating policy as an afterthought, trainers should provide clear, practical examples of how these policies apply in real editing scenarios. This focused policy instruction would help new editors understand why articles are flagged or tagged for deletion and equip them with the knowledge to proactively address policy concerns before they arise, thereby reducing frustration and improving the quality of their contributions.

iii) Have more physical training and less virtual training- Although virtual sessions offered convenience and broader accessibility, many participants expressed a clear preference for in-person, physical training environments. They reported that face-to-face interactions fostered stronger collegial relationships, allowed for more immediate and nuanced feedback, and significantly reduced the sense of isolation that often accompanied their subsequent solo editing. Physical training sessions also provided a more conducive atmosphere for hands-on, collaborative editing exercises, where trainers could directly observe and guide participants in real time. Consequently, future iterations of this project should prioritize physical, in-person training workshops wherever feasible, while retaining a limited virtual component only for those who are unable to attend in person due to geographical or logistical constraints.

4. What models of outreach and collaboration with other Wikimedia groups and external resources in Kenya yield the highest mutual benefit and amplify impact?

Models of Outreach and Collaboration

i) Reaching out to other Wikipedia groups - We will continue to reach beyond Kenyan editors' training meetings to fully integrate external trainers into our workflow. ii) Cross-learning: We envision creating a seamless exchange of expertise, either in virtual or physical training meetings with experts in different areas of Wikipedia editing. iii) We will continue establishing clear roles and responsibilities for each collaboration. iv) We will develop a shared catalogue of future issues and campaigns that can be publicized. v) We will work in partnership with the University of Nairobi Television to publicize our events and campaigns. vi) We are leveraging our editors at other universities in the country and beyond to foster more collaboration and recruit additional Wikipedia editors: St. Paul's University, Kiriri Women's University of Science and Technology, and Kabianga University have come into our virtual space.

Measure

i) We held over twenty (20) virtual training meetings with US Women in Religion trainers. ii) We had two training sessions with colleagues in the USA, on phone editing and Wikiquotes, plus weekly meetings with the US Wiki Women in Religion Project, plus outreach to Christine Meyer, who suggested improvements to articles on talk pages. iii) We attempted to follow up with the Wikimedia Kenya UserGroup to extend our knowledge of Wikiquote research and publishing, and will continue outreach in this area. iv) A Wikipedia editathon is planned at Kiriri Women's University of Science and Technology, building through our connection with returning editor Josephine Kanyiva, who now works there full-time and has already introduced her students to Wikipedia editing. Through joint efforts with Josephine, we recruited two new editors. We will continue leveraging her presence at the university to recruit more editors and strengthen our engagement with the institution. v) Since the Wikimedia Kenya UserGroup's Wikiquote editing event did not take place in June as initially planned, we will continue to follow up with the group to secure an alternative date and time.

5. What models of outreach and collaboration within the UoN setting ensure a steady flow of new editors? Measure - Number of meetings with outside groups.

i) Outreach to university departments (such as the Institute of Anthropology, Gender & African Studies, the School of Journalism, the School of Arts and Design, Philosophy and Religious Studies, and the Library and Informatics) and engage students in learning critical sourcing to address content gaps. ii) Social media messaging and Wiki campaigns to recruit new editors. Pairing new editors with an experienced peer mentor for one-on-one training in Wikipedia guidelines, policies, editing, and article creation. iii) We kept the UON Wikipedia Hub open throughout the remaining part of the semester for continued recruitment and training of more Wikipedia editors. iv) Calendaring a catalogue of "edit-a-thons" aligned with departmental interests, mostly on notable scholars, to ensure a consistent flow of new editors in their areas of focus or interest. v) Since two of us are faculty at the University of Nairobi, we wish to keep the Wi-fi fully charged and connected throughout to ensure steady and reliable internet for the new editors

Measure - Number of meetings with outside groups.

i) Four academic departments expressed interest in our Wikipedia outreach activities and were recorded and subsequently engaged. These included the Departments of Library and Informatics, Journalism and Mass Communication, International Relations, and Philosophy and Religious Studies. ii) We have a detailed registry of the number of students who visited the University of Nairobi (UON) Wikipedia Hub and attended virtual meetings. This registry helped us track participation levels and monitor engagement across both in-person and online sessions. Repeat attendees and dropouts are reviewed. See https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TGNz7hWk_IlQnxAiZwI6NW6w0iD3si_x/edit?gid=596479769#gid=596479769

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)

Unexpected challenges

1. Some sandboxes belonging to newly trained Wikipedia editors were taken down during the course of our training sessions. This development was demoralizing for the trainees, as several sandboxes had to be rebuilt from scratch, creating a burden on editors’ time and costing more money because of data bundles. The situation required the intervention of Christine Meyer and Rosalind Hinton to get the administrator to stop deleting the articles in sandboxes. This administrator was argumentative, difficult to negotiate with, and showed little cultural sensitivity. Our group, with the guidance of our trainer, Christine, created a template indicating that each sandbox belonged to a trainee under a trainer's guidance. Unfortunately, we lost some members due to this disruption. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Currixno/sandbox https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Maquetok/sandbox https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercy_Odondo

2. We had planned for a robust series of physical editathons at the University of Nairobi Hub. However, its launch and use were delayed due to significant disruptions, including civil unrest that led to university closure. The unrest in Nairobi throughout March and April made it unsafe and impractical to hold in-person gatherings, as had been anticipated earlier.

3. Hub Relocation - The room originally promised by the university was changed, and we were moved to a higher, safer floor. While this was a positive development for security, it delayed the furnishing and setup of the physical space.

4. University Leadership Transition: The university received a new management council and a new Vice Chancellor. Although this created administrative delays, we were heartened that the Dean remained consistently supportive of our cause throughout the transition. Some new editors dropped off along the way because the virtual meetings were overwhelming, and they also cited the data bundle challenge, with some resurfacing after the establishment of the physical hub.

Learnings

1. We learned that sandboxes are not safe training spaces for editing. As a result, we created a template to let administrators know we are new editors. The trainers learned to use templates to cushion new editors, new articles, drafts and sandboxes from harassment, suspension, and blocking.

Template for users

2. The delay in setting up the UON Wikipedia Hub forced us to adapt quickly and creatively to weekly virtual meetings. We converted a portion of our food and beverage budget to data bundles, enabling us to facilitate virtual meetings and editathons. This unexpected shift yielded a remarkable positive outcome- our reach expanded far beyond our original scope. The virtual space attracted editors from other universities across Kenya, including St. Paul's University, Kiriri Women's University of Science and Technology, and Kabianga University. This broadened our national footprint and demonstrated that our model could transcend geographical limitations.

3. We need to continue with leadership development. Having people who were accountable for the virtual Tuesday meetings with the U.S. team was helpful. We need to develop an outreach position or positions with roles and responsibilities, and train people on how to set up communications and communicate within Wikipedia talk pages. They also need to learn how to use Wikipedia help sites and communicate with the Wikipedia community when help is needed. We also need to develop accountable lists of internal Wikipedia outreach, University of Nairobi outreach, external universities outreach, and Nairobi region outreach. People should have a weekly workflow and regularly report on outreach.

4. We learned that flexibility in resource allocation is essential for sustainability. By redirecting funds to data bundles, we discovered a more inclusive model of engagement. Students who might have faced transportation barriers to attend physical editathons could now participate from their campuses, increasing diversity and participation.

5. Virtual engagement is a strategic advantage, not a fallback- The unexpected shift to virtual platforms revealed that our hub's impact can extend beyond the physical University of Nairobi campus. We now recognize that a hybrid model, combining physical hub activities with virtual participation, is more powerful and sustainable than a purely in-person approach.

6. Financial and logistical adaptation- The delay in furnishing the hub meant we could not fully utilize the physical space as quickly as anticipated. This required us to rethink our budget allocation and operational model.

7. Two deaths affecting members of our editing team. One member suddenly lost a child, and our administrator lost her father. This changed the focus and flow of our editathons, which were somewhat disrupted. But we could respond to grief as a community, and we offered emotional and economic support.

8.Strong relationships with university leadership are critical -The dean's unwavering support throughout the leadership transition taught us that champions within the institution are invaluable. We learned to nurture these relationships proactively, as they can sustain our activities even during periods of administrative change.

9. Resourcefulness builds resilience - Converting budget lines to meet emerging needs demonstrated that our team can adapt quickly to unforeseen circumstances. The agility makes our operational model more robust.

10. Diversity of participation is enhanced by accessibility - The virtual format allowed us to engage a wider demographic, including women from Kiriri Women's University and students from institutions outside Nairobi. This experience reinforced the importance of lowering barriers to entry and proved that our mission resonates across institutional boundaries.

11. The most surprising and encouraging learning was the quality of the participants' communalism following the passing on of some of our editors' relatives. Their in-kind support demonstrated that we do not just edit Wikipedia articles but also nurture caring relationships and communities beyond blood kinship.

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)

1. We have already established a digital footprint through our Instagram page, where we actively share project updates, editor spotlights, and activity highlights. This platform serves as an immediate and accessible channel for engaging with the youth demographic and the broader Wikipedia community in Kenya. Visual content from our virtual editathons and milestones is regularly posted to maintain visibility and momentum. Digital presence and social media is ongoing at https://www.instagram.com/uon.wikieditors/

2. University media -To anchor our work within the University of Nairobi's institutional identity, we plan to approach the University of Nairobi TV channel/station. This represents a significant opportunity for amplification because it provides a credible, official platform to showcase our work to the entire university community, including students, faculty, and administrators.

3. We recognize that collaboration amplifies impact. Therefore, we plan to continue reaching out to other Wikimedia groups across Kenya to share our learnings, offer our support, and leverage their established publicity channels.

4. We will create a coordinated voice for the Kenyan Wikimedia community, such as Wiki Loves Africa and Wikimedia Kenya UserGroup, to increase visibility for all partners.

5. We will leverage the dean's support and institutional networks - Given the dean's consistent support throughout the leadership transition. We plan to work closely with the dean's office to integrate our learnings into relevant academic forums, such as faculty meetings and departmental seminars. This ensures that our results reach decision-makers and potential academic partners who can sustain and expand the project.

6. This report will be on our project page, and we will discuss findings with the current group and build on the report for future Hub events.

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	35	35	The project met its target of 35 participants, including 31 from Kenya and 4 trainers from the US international collaboration, which enhanced continued mentorship and Wikipedia training for both new and returning editors. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11PsSorGBFlPf85O5efMQU4s_qqLo4GL7JRmY7wTUyj0/edit?gid=0#gid=0
Number of editors	18	18	A total of 18 editors were active and consistently contributed during the final weeks of the project. This shows strong editor retention and the development of a committed, sustainable editing community. Although the target was fully achieved, several factors affected sustained participation. For instance, some editors experienced article deletions or had their drafts tagged for policy-related issues. Addressing these concerns required additional training and revision, which slowed their editing progress and increased the time and effort needed to publish the content. These setbacks were discouraging, reducing their confidence and motivation to continue contributing at the same pace, leading to lower participation during the final phase of the project. See here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fPq206sR-abaaErRpFbS6R8LuscfuuBV/edit
Number of organizers	6	7	The project had a target of 6 organisers, but this was exceeded by one to 7 (5 from Kenya and 2 from the U.S.), coordinating training, mentorship and project activities. The additional organiser emerged, retaining an experienced editor who took on leadership and trainer-of-trainers roles, as well as continued support and collaboration from the U.S. team. This expanded leadership structure, strengthened mentorship, improved coordination of weekly meetings and training sessions, and enhanced the project's capacity to support new editors. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lQlBYdsSyv5AV_tqFDF_MwW57xjs0Jzc/edit

Wikimedia project	Target	Result - Number of created pages	Result - Number of improved pages
Wikipedia	40	21	31
Wikimedia Commons	20	35	0
Wikidata
Wiktionary
Wikisource
Wikimedia Incubator
Translatewiki
MediaWiki
Wikiquote	10	4	13
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	Result	Tools and comments
Wiki Dashboard	For our campaigns, we would like to master the Wiki Dashboard to track people, edits, and creations. We have not used the Wiki dashboard, so there will be a learning curve, especially around reminding everyone to sign in on a regular basis when they are editing..	19	Mentor-mentee mentorship: We aimed to recruit 15 new editors, and each new editor was assigned to a mentor for successful mentorship. We managed to recruit 19 new editors. Recruitment was generally based on interest in Wikipedia and the editor's availability. The strong turnout indicates that most university students were interested in exploring the Wikipedia space. They were mentored in seven groups: Rapid Grant 3 MENTOR AND MENTEES GROUPS.docx - Google Docs
		1	Wikipedia editing module: We planned to develop a Wikipedia editing module to guide the mentorship training session within the mentor-mentee groups. We managed to create the module, and it guided the training on basic Wikipedia editing skills. See the module: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1al84c3NKo5dh3EezUb3PSmUqotBLBhYJvDeY-MBZmXI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.mdqljnabxz4
		1	Weekly training attendance register: Regular attendance for the weekly trainings was mandatory. This helped ensure every editor learnt a skill in every training session: Attendance_Register See https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TGNz7hWk_IlQnxAiZwI6NW6w0iD3si_x/edit?gid=596479769#gid=596479769
		13415	Tracking the user contributions: Editors’ contributions throughout the grant period were tracked. The total contributions of all the participants within the grant period are 13,415 edits as captured here: UoN Wiki Editors-Contributions as at 30TH JUNE 2026.docx - Google Docs
		1	Launching of Wikipedia physical editing hub: We planned to launch a physical editing hub at the University of Nairobi. In order to achieve this, a pre-campaign to create awareness and visibility for the hub was conducted through our social media platform - Instagram. The launch was successful, and it took place on 9th June 2026. The physical editing hub will provide a favourable editing space, especially with internet access and access to library resources at the UON. The series of events was documented as shown here: UoN Wiki Editors (@uon.wikieditors) • Instagram photos and videos

9. Did you have any difficulties collecting data to measure your results? (required)

Yes

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)

1. Challenge Some of the editors’ sandboxes with the draft articles were deleted, and others were tagged on the grounds of Wikipedia policies.

Strategy for overcoming the challenge

Though it was a challenge, it created an opportunity for more training and better understanding of Wikipedia policies. It was also an eye-opener on the importance of having the working sandboxes on the watch list. Furthermore, the tagging of the articles demonstrated the importance of responding to talk pages.

Foundational support

The foundation should consider continued support for ongoing mentorship and training for newly recruited and returning editors to stay up to date with Wikipedia policies, especially regarding article creation.

2. Challenge Availability and accessibility of credible secondary sources for some of the Circle matriarchs were challenging since some of these sources are in hard copies.

Strategy for overcoming the challenge

We had a training session with the USA trainer on mining sources which enabled the editors to utilize the available and accessible credible secondary sources.

Foundational support

The Foundation can consider providing access to the Wikipedia library within the rapid grant timeframe for easy access to reliable secondary sources.

3. Challenge Phone editing privileged the editors without laptops. However, articles created or drafted on phones required additional formatting and alignment. This consumed more time and contributed to the delays in publishing some articles.

Strategy for overcoming the challenge

Draft articles created on phones were later reviewed, refined and formatted on the laptops during the weekly review meetings.

Foundational support

The Wikimedia Foundation can upload training notes and formatting tips, especially those on phone editing, since it is more accessible to the majority of students.

Part 4: Financial reporting

10. Please state the total amount spent in your local currency. (required)

516626

11. Please state the total amount spent in US dollars. (required)

4003

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/1iJZV3NadigjOfb3e3z6UZW5eIhCI_U5S/edit?gid=1040492615#gid=1040492615

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)

The application budget was Kshs. 520,000/US$4,000. The actual total received was Kshs. 516,626/US$ 4,003.

The discrepancy in the total currency is due to conversion rates. You requested that we use the Oanda converter, but we must use M-Pesa, which incurs much higher fees for conversion and transfer. The extra US$ 3 (4003) received was because of interest from the Fidelity money market account, where the Wiki-Women in Religion project holds its money.

Most budget lines were adhered to as originally submitted, with a few adjustments to better align with emerging needs and operational realities.

1. Equipment and tools (Application Budgeted line item: Kshs. 130,250 /US$ 1,001.94) The actual expense for equipment and tools was Kshs 157,414 /US$ 1,223.48.

We got 4 laptops instead of the 2 we budgeted for, accounting for the extra expense. These laptops greatly enhanced our training capacity, bringing the total number of laptops available at the hub to six, which proved invaluable during hands-on editing sessions.

2. Logistics and space (Kshs 26,600/US$ 206.74) In the original budget, we did not include logistics and space, but since we had to renovate the Wikipedia editing room, we created and itemised a budget line item for logistics and space. The funds for this line item were reallocated from the Merchandise budget line.

3. Merchandize – (Budgeted line item: Kshs. 68,000/US$ 523.08 ) Actual expense for the merchandize was Kshs. 45,550/ US$354.04

The merchandise was partially revised. This budget line was partially revised. We branded 50 T-shirts at a cost of Kshs. 32,500/US$ 252.61, and the balance was reallocated toward the renovation of the UON Wikipedia Hub (discussed in No. 2).

3. Food and Beverages (Original Budgeted line item: Kshs. 155,000/US$ 1,192.31) Actual expense for food and beverages was KShs. 55,280/ US$ 429.66 The difference was reallocated to purchasing data bundles for the editing group to facilitate their participation in online training sessions.

4. Internet and services (Original Budgeted line item: Kshs. 18,750/US$ 144.23 Actual expense for Internet services was KShs. 118,472/ US$ 913.04

We have two line items for internet data bundles because we spent the money at two different times.

5. Travel and accommodation (Original Budgeted line item: Kshs. 45,000/US$ 346.15) Actual expense for travel and accommodation KShs. 40,152/US$ 307.42 From the remaining amount, we opted to purchase a cordless kettle and a small coffee maker for the UON Wikipedia Hub. This decision proved more cost-effective than providing a full meal per Tuesday, as it enables mentors to regularly replenish tea bags and coffee sachets, thereby sustaining the hub's operations over the long term.

6. Administrative Costs (Original Budgeted line item: Kshs. 78,000/US$ 600.00) Actual administrative expense was Kshs. 61,109 /US$ 474.96

We transferred the remaining amount to the data bundles.

Overall, the budget adjustments were made judiciously to maximize the impact of the funds while ensuring the sustainability and effectiveness of project activities. The renovations, combined with the equipment purchases, have significantly improved the functionality and appeal of the UON Wikipedia Hub for both current and future editors.

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)