Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Documenting and Improving South Sudanese Indigenous names on Wikidata and Commons (ID: 22988317)/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)
We successfully documented approximately 750 South Sudanese names from 15 ethnic groups on Wikidata, each with its cultural meaning and context. This was achieved through community-based data collection, where local speakers and elders shared names and their significance, supported by Wikimedians who structured the data on Wikidata. The most effective approaches were working directly with community knowledge holders, which ensured authenticity and trust, and using Wikidata tools like QuickStatements for efficient uploading and standardization. Collaboration with the Wikimedia Community User Group South Sudan and the Reliable Refugee Storytellers Association provided technical and outreach support, making the process both participatory and sustainable. This combination of community-driven knowledge sharing and Wikimedia’s open platforms was key to achieving the results.
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
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
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Presentation_-_Wikidata_Basics.pdf
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 | 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 | 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: Through this project, we hope to learn how documenting indigenous South Sudanese names can improve representation on Wikimedia platforms, especially on Wikidata and Wikipedia. Our key learning questions include:
1. How does adding South Sudanese names to Wikidata enhance the discoverability and accuracy of cultural identity information? 2. What are the best approaches for engaging communities in contributing name documentation and pronunciations? 3. How can we ensure the long-term sustainability and growth of Indigenous name documentation efforts within Wikimedia projects? 4. What impact does name documentation have on language preservation and community engagement in Wikimedia projects?
The data we collect from contributions, community participation, and feedback will help us refine future efforts and scale the initiative effectively.
From our learning questions, we found that adding South Sudanese names to Wikidata significantly improved the discoverability of cultural identity information, as the names are now searchable, structured, and linked to wider Wikimedia projects. We also learned that the most effective way to engage communities was through direct collaboration with elders, language speakers, and youth, using conversations and oral storytelling as entry points rather than purely digital methods. In terms of sustainability, we realized the importance of training local contributors so that the work continues beyond one project cycle, and that partnerships with existing groups like GoGirls ICT and the Wikimedia Community User Group South Sudan are vital for growth. Finally, we observed that documenting names sparked community pride and interest in language preservation, showing that this approach not only safeguards cultural knowledge but also motivates new contributors. Going forward, we plan to build on these learnings by strengthening contributor training, scaling audio pronunciation documentation, and aligning our work with broader Wikimedia language and oral knowledge initiatives.
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)
One unexpected outcome was the high level of community enthusiasm—many elders and youth were eager to share names once they understood that their cultural knowledge would be preserved online, which gave the project more momentum than anticipated. On the other hand, we also faced unexpected challenges with spelling variations and dialect differences, as the same name could have multiple forms depending on the community or language. This taught us the importance of carefully documenting not just the name, but also the language, region, and pronunciation to avoid misrepresentation. We also learned that limited internet connectivity slowed down contributions, which reinforced the need for offline preparation and batch uploads. Overall, these experiences highlighted that while cultural knowledge is abundant and people are willing to share, technical and linguistic complexities require flexible approaches to ensure accuracy and inclusivity.
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)
We plan to share our project learnings and results through multiple channels. First, we will create a Meta-Wiki project page documenting the process, outcomes, and next steps so that other Wikimedians can learn from and replicate our model. We will also share updates on the Wikimedia mailing lists, Diff blog, and social media to reach wider audiences. Locally, we will present our findings in community meetups and training sessions with the Wikimedia Community User Group South Sudan and partners like GoGirls ICT, ensuring that contributors see the impact of their work. Additionally, we intend to prepare a short visual summary (infographic/video) highlighting the significance of documenting names for cultural preservation, which can be easily shared with schools and community groups. These efforts will make our results both visible within the global Wikimedia movement and meaningful to local communities.
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 | 30 | 30 | |
| Number of editors | 20 | 11 | |
| Number of organizers | 5 | 5 |
| Wikimedia project | Target | Result - Number of created pages | Result - Number of improved pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | |||
| Wikimedia Commons | |||
| Wikidata | |||
| Wiktionary | |||
| Wikisource | |||
| Wikimedia Incubator | |||
| Translatewiki | |||
| MediaWiki | |||
| Wikiquote | |||
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 750 | 750 wikidata items | |||
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)
4480000
11. Please state the total amount spent in US dollars. (required)
4480
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/1fsLaibKoia3lwm2FNmjvge3iilaj7NdRrQzvLqguCG0/edit?gid=0#gid=0
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