Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Building on Previous Wikimedia Initiatives to Strengthen Communities in Niger (ID: 23730983)
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Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Umar A Muhammad
- 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)
N/A
- Describe all relevant roles with the name of the group or organization and description of the role. (required)
Main Proposal
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
Building on Previous Wikimedia Initiatives to Strengthen Communities in Niger
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2026-04-10 - 2026-06-10
- 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)
This project aims to strengthen and sustain Wikimedia communities in Niger by building on previous initiatives such as this and this. These initiatives successfully introduced students and community members to Wikimedia projects and editing skills.
Changes
The change we want to bring is a shift from isolated training events to a connected, active, and sustainable Wikimedia community, where past participants remain engaged, collaborate regularly, and contribute high-quality content.
Main Challenges
The main challenges we aim to solve include fragmented engagement, lack of follow-up support or mentorship, low confidence among editors, and weak coordination among past participants.
Main Approaches
Our main approaches to achieve this change are: follow-up engagement with previous participants, refresher and advanced training sessions to strengthen skills and confidence, mentorship and peer learning to provide guidance, and coordinated editing activities to foster collaboration and sustained participation.
- 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.
The project will implement the following main activities to strengthen and sustain Wikimedia communities in Niger: Community follow-up and outreach
- Re-engage past participants from previous Wikimedia initiatives through direct communication and community channels.
- Invite them to participate in follow-up activities and coordinated editing efforts.
Refresher and capacity-building training sessions
- Organize refresher training sessions for past participants to reinforce Wikimedia editing skills.
- Focus on practical editing, content improvement, and Wikimedia best practices.
Mentorship and peer-learning support
* Pair experienced editors with newer contributors to provide guidance and ongoing support.
- Encourage peer learning and knowledge sharing within the community.
Coordinated editing and contribution activities
- Organize thematic or group editing sessions to encourage collaboration.
* Support participants to actively contribute content related to local knowledge and underrepresented topics in Niger.
'Community coordination and sustainability activities * Facilitate discussions on community organization, communication channels, and long-term engagement.
* Identify active participants who can help sustain future Wikimedia activities in Niger.
- 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.
This project will be implemented by a small and experienced team of Wikimedia contributors. The team brings together skills in project coordination, training, mentorship, and community engagement. All team members are aware of and have agreed to their involvement in the project.
- User:Umar A Muhammad - I am the Project Lead and Organizer. I'm a volunteer Wikimedia contributor and a member of the Wikimedia User Group Nigeria and Hausa Wikimedians User Group. I'm responsible for overall project coordination, planning and implementation of activities, community engagement, documentation, and reporting. I have previously organized Wikimedia awareness and training initiatives in Niger State.
- User:Abdulrahman tahir shika - serves as a Facilitator and Trainer on the project. He is a volunteer Wikimedia contributor. Abdul will support refresher training sessions, provide hands-on editing guidance, and assist participants during coordinated editing activities.
- User:Smshika - is responsible for Community Support and Mentorship. He is a volunteer Wikimedia contributor and a member of the Wikimedia User Group Nigeria and Hausa Wikimedians User Group. Smshika will provide follow-up support to participants, encourage sustained engagement, and help strengthen collaboration within the community.
- User:Abubakar Kaddi - supports Logistics and Community Engagement. He is a volunteer Wikimedia contributor. Abubakar will assist with participant coordination, communication, logistics, and on-ground support during project activities.
The team combines Wikimedia experience, local community knowledge, and facilitation skills to ensure effective implementation, strong participant support, and sustainable growth of the Wikimedia community in Niger.
- 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)
The target participants for this project are students, early-career contributors, and community members in Niger State who have previously participated in Wikimedia awareness and training initiatives, as well as a small number of new participants interested in contributing to Wikimedia projects. The project primarily focuses on members of the local Wikimedia community in Niger, including students from higher institutions and emerging volunteer editors.
Engagement before the activities:
Before the activities, participants will be engaged through direct outreach to past participants using existing contact lists, community communication channels (such as WhatsApp and email). Invitations will clearly outline the goals of the follow-up activities and encourage continued participation.
Engagement during the activities:
During the activities, participants will be actively engaged through interactive refresher training sessions, hands-on editing exercises, group discussions, and coordinated editing activities. Facilitators and mentors will provide real-time support, encourage collaboration, and create a welcoming environment that builds confidence and motivation.
Follow-up after the activities:
After the activities, participants will be followed up through mentorship and peer-support channels to encourage sustained contribution. Communication platforms will be used to share editing opportunities, provide feedback, and support ongoing participation. Active contributors will be encouraged to take on community support roles to help sustain engagement beyond the project period.
- 10. Does your project involve work with children or youth? (required)
No
- 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.
N/A
- 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.
The idea for this project was developed through discussions with community members from the Hausa Wikimedia community and past participants of previous Wikimedia initiatives in Niger State. Initial consultations were carried out through off-wiki community communication channels, including WhatsApp groups and direct discussions with active contributors, to reflect on the outcomes of earlier activities and identify areas that required follow-up support. To ensure broader community awareness and involvement, the project idea was publicly announced on the Hausa Wikipedia community Discussion Page. Community members were informed about the proposed follow-up initiative and invited to share feedback and support for the project.
- 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)
Geography
- 13. Does your proposal include any of these areas or thematic focus? Select one option that most applies to your work. (required)
Culture, heritage or GLAM
- 14. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Ethnic/racial/religious or cultural background
- 15. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select one that most applies. (required)
Improve User Experience
Learning and metrics
[edit]- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
Learning goals and questions
Through this project, we hope to learn how follow-up and coordinated community support can improve the sustainability of Wikimedia initiatives in Niger State. Specifically, the project aims to generate learning that will inform future community-building and capacity-strengthening efforts.
The main learning questions include:
- To what extent do follow-up engagement and refresher activities improve editor retention and continued participation among past Wikimedia training participants?
- How effective are mentorship and peer-support approaches in increasing participants’ confidence and quality of contributions?
- What types of coordinated editing activities best encourage collaboration and long-term engagement within the local Wikimedia community?
- What challenges still limit sustained participation after follow-up activities, and how can these be addressed in future projects?
- How can lessons from previous initiatives be better consolidated to support sustainable community growth in Niger?
Data to answer these questions will be collected through participation records, contribution tracking on Wikimedia projects, feedback from participants, and observations during and after project activities. The learning from this project will guide improvements to future Wikimedia follow-up initiatives and community-strengthening efforts in Niger and similar contexts.
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 50 | Number of participants |
| Number of editors | 35 | Number of editors |
| Number of organizers | 4 | Organiser and facilitetors |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 1000 |
| 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 | 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)
Wikimedia Dashboard
Financial proposal
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
- 22. and 22.1. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in your local currency. (required)
2490000 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.
1754.26 USD
- We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.
Yes
Endorsements and Feedback
[edit]Please add endorsements and feedback to the grant discussion page only. Endorsements added here will be removed automatically.
Community members are invited to share meaningful feedback on the proposal and include reasons why they endorse the proposal. Consider the following:
- 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).