Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Establishment of Wiki Club Zamboanga (ID: 22954333)/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)
During the Rapid Fund period, WikiClub Zamboanga implemented a series of capacity-building, content-creation, and community-engagement activities aimed at growing a local Wikimedia contributor community and increasing content related to Zamboanga and Mindanao. Key activities implemented included: Pre-event planning and collaboration meetings, which aligned organizers, clarified roles, and ensured activities were inclusive and well-structured.
WikiClub Zamboanga Edit-a-thon / Training of Trainers (TOT), where participants were introduced to Wikipedia editing, Wikimedia Commons uploads, and basic community norms. This activity focused on empowering new editors and potential facilitators.
Wiki Photo Walk and documentation activities, encouraging participants to capture and upload images of local heritage sites, streets, and cultural spaces in Zamboanga City.
Wiki Nights Zamboanga, informal community gatherings that combined learning, mentoring, and social connection, lowering barriers for first-time editors.
Post-event evaluation and reflection sessions, used to assess participation, challenges, and areas for improvement.
Results achieved:
New contributors were onboarded and trained to edit Wikipedia and upload media to Wikimedia Commons.
Participants contributed content related to local history, places, and culture, particularly underrepresented locations in Zamboanga.
A growing core of organizers and repeat participants emerged, helping sustain WikiClub Zamboanga beyond one-off events.
Participants reported increased confidence, sense of belonging, and willingness to continue contributing.
Most effective approaches:
Blended learning (short lectures + hands-on editing).
Peer mentoring during edit-a-thons and Wiki Nights.
Informal, community-friendly spaces, which reduced intimidation for new editors.
Local relevance (focusing on Zamboanga places and stories), which increased motivation and ownership.
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
Wiki Club Zamboanga Edit-a-thon TOT https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Shared_Knowledge_Asia_Pacific_SKAP/Wiki_Club_Zamboanga_Edit-a-thon_TOT Zamboanga Digitization and Edit a thon Project https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Universidad_De_Zamboanga/Zamboanga_Digitization_and_Edit_a_thon_Project?fbclid=IwY2xjawPWqhFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAEwAAEe-xOsizWdFluFbcvPDVAyOcMtr16QemhGBKnxfZxzYe87mYz2JIzPircW4UQ_aem_acXxz6tg7mor9NBTr5fOMw Preserving the Chavacano Language through Wikimedia Projects https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Shared_Knowledge_Asia_Pacific_-_Wikiclub_Zamboanga/Preserving_the_Chavacano_Language_through_Wikimedia_Projects?fbclid=IwY2xjawPWqo5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAEwAAEeVLvs5GoSqx7ZzSBSyMqBmrAi0y_AG7tn2cwj5MEWB1KJ3Re7kYCRZABm0Nw_aem_viRZ9SIteU5cdu0xoNWrfA Wiki Nights Zamboanga 2025 https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Universidad_De_Zamboanga/Wikinights_Zamboanga/articles/available?fbclid=IwY2xjawPplg9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAEwAAEeNp1eaXN_XxNJA6QV7yNL1tRS91CnkCJ5cCVA2YukY_4Yl6YxeDqKOzLoxc8_aem_VD_tiLIEwR-UKfn5F_uBHQ https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Shared_Knowledge_Asia_Pacific/WikiClub_Davao_Edit-a-thon/ https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Shared_Knowledge_Asia_Pacific/WikiClub_Davao_Edit-a-thon/
Photos: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580842124808 https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNra5ptKUnuX3SQp2qMZwKv6j7KsFVKaiCT63Bjh5YLC7e6lr1NP1V-PP1XlUPywA?key=NWd4TlBqVjFxWFEwTFpvcHhiUFJ2VFBNRV9uT2Nn https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPVhaZq3Xv2_d2UIBh2hNdpo8XirQPKL4s_XhJG-_s8WTW62rjaCnR4OFOl-2JlBA?key=MGFQVUNVdC1SUWpFOERrN2tBa1k1LXRZRGJWQUl3 https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOglPfwfcGnu9VEhf7NndsVs7dfu2xjjbxhy6gYQyVXugJEViFjJjuLNHbf8RI7ew?key=ZkRIQ1djTDNNSkxzM01MY0dGSU5RbWVCRzVyVTJn https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipP0VLrTXSu7tEhg7lRG2jq9lPXjBu5uXxw2C3Zj91JormLgd6U2qdHLzN4nvRQQQA?key=Zm83NHJYdDNsdWJyMTQ4Yi1nV3JGZG5WRjd4eUxR
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://docs.google.com/document/d/1vw_S-PfcbG_8EOD1miXfU2nlvweebVfQkpRMnNof28A/edit?tab=t.0
3. To what extent do you agree with the following statements regarding the work carried out with this Rapid Fund? You can choose “not applicable” if your work does not relate to these goals. Required. Select one option per question. (required)
| A. Bring in participants from underrepresented groups | Strongly agree |
| B. Create a more inclusive and connected culture in our community | 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: Through this project, we hope to learn how to effectively build and sustain a local Wikimedia community that actively contributes to preserving our language, culture, and heritage. We aim to understand the best practices for engaging diverse participants, including students, young professionals, and indigenous groups, in open knowledge initiatives. Additionally, we want to gain insights into the challenges and opportunities of documenting underrepresented content, improving our skills in capacity development, digital literacy, and collaborative partnerships. Ultimately, we aim to learn how to create a lasting impact in promoting knowledge equity within our region.
Through the implementation of this project, we gained valuable insights into building and sustaining a local Wikimedia community that meaningfully contributes to preserving local language, culture, and heritage. We learned that community-building is most effective when learning activities are localized, relational, and paced appropriately for beginners. Participants were more engaged when content focused on familiar places, stories, and cultural spaces in Zamboanga. This local relevance helped reduce intimidation, especially for first-time editors, and increased motivation to contribute. Engaging diverse participants—including students, young professionals, and community members—worked best through informal and welcoming formats, such as Wiki Nights and photo walks, rather than purely formal workshops. These spaces encouraged peer learning, mentoring, and sustained participation. While engagement with indigenous groups requires more time and trust-building, we learned that partnerships and culturally sensitive approaches are essential for meaningful participation. We also gained deeper understanding of the challenges in documenting underrepresented content, such as limited existing sources, lack of digital skills, and unfamiliarity with Wikimedia policies. Addressing these challenges required capacity development strategies, including step-by-step guidance, repeated practice, and follow-up support beyond single events.
In the future, we will use these learnings to:
Design longer-term engagement pathways instead of one-off activities Strengthen mentorship and Training of Trainers models Develop more localized learning materials in accessible language Build partnerships with schools, cultural groups, and local institutions
These steps will help ensure a lasting impact and contribute more effectively to knowledge equity in our region.
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 positive surprise was the strong enthusiasm of first-time participants, many of whom initially joined out of curiosity but became actively involved once they realized the value of contributing local knowledge to global platforms. Informal activities such as Wiki Nights helped participants overcome fear of “making mistakes” and encouraged experimentation and collaboration. A challenge we encountered was uneven digital literacy and access to reliable internet, which affected the pace of some activities. This required flexibility in facilitation, additional hands-on support, and adjusting expectations for output. We also realized that retention requires continued engagement, as participants may lose momentum without follow-up activities or clear next steps. From these experiences, we learned the importance of: Designing flexible, beginner-friendly activities
Allowing time for relationship-building, not just content production
Providing post-event support and communication to sustain engagement
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 within and beyond our local community. These include: Community sharing sessions during Wiki Nights, where organizers and participants reflect on lessons learned and best practices
Documentation on Wikimedia platforms, such as event pages, reports, and Commons categories
Social media posts and community updates to highlight outcomes, challenges, and success stories
Informal knowledge-sharing with other Wikimedia communities in the Philippines through online discussions and collaborations
These efforts ensure that our learnings are not only documented but also accessible and useful to other community organizers, contributing to collective growth within the Wikimedia movement.
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 | 120 | 337 | Based on the Wikimedia Programs & Events Dashboard metrics, a total of 337 participants attended and benefited from the WikiClub Zamboanga activities, both onsite and online. This figure includes students, faculty members, community volunteers, partners, advocates, and first-time contributors who participated in edit-a-thons, training sessions, photo walks, and knowledge-sharing activities.
The achieved result significantly exceeded the original target, reflecting strong community interest, effective outreach, and sustained engagement across multiple Wikimedia activities. |
| Number of editors | 60 | 382 | The number of editors was tracked using the Wikimedia Programs & Events Dashboard and WikiEdu Dashboard, which record unique users who created or improved content on Wikimedia projects as a result of WikiClub Zamboanga activities.
The achieved number significantly exceeded the original target, indicating strong editor retention and successful onboarding of new contributors through edit-a-thons, training sessions, and mentoring activities. |
| Number of organizers | 3 | 3 | The number of organizers is self-reported and not derived from the Wikimedia Programs & Events Dashboard. Organizers were identified based on their roles in planning, coordinating, facilitating, and supporting the implementation of WikiClub Zamboanga activities.
While the original proposal listed Ahmad Musahari as a Co-Organizer, he was replaced by Yves Surbano due to conflicts in schedule during the implementation period. The project was implemented by the following three volunteer organizers, all serving in a non-paid capacity: Yolynne Medina (@LuzViMindaLife) – Lead Organizer (Volunteer) Yves Surbano (@Yvessurbano0) – Co-Organizer (Volunteer) Raymond Vincent Siyluy (@Aristorkle) – Co-Organizer (Volunteer) All organizers contributed their time, expertise, and coordination support to ensure the successful execution of WikiClub Zamboanga activities. |
| Wikimedia project | Target | Result - Number of created pages | Result - Number of improved pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 250 | 264 | 352 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 800 | 127 | 0 |
| Wikidata | 200 | ||
| Wiktionary | 300 | 1927 | 2072 |
| Wikisource | 100 | ||
| Wikimedia Incubator | |||
| Translatewiki | |||
| MediaWiki | |||
| Wikiquote | |||
| Wikivoyage | 100 | ||
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beyond numerical outputs, the project achieved the following:
Strong engagement with underrepresented language content, particularly Chavacano High editor productivity, with relatively small groups generating substantial edits and content Sustained participation, as contributors joined multiple activities across the project period Increased visibility of local content, reflected in more than 20,000 article views These outcomes were observed through dashboard activity logs, repeat editor participation, and post-event reflections. | ||||
| 100 | In addition to the metrics captured in the Wikimedia Programs & Events Dashboard, WikiClub Zamboanga was able to significantly expand its outreach through collaboration with external communities.
During the GDG Zamboanga IO Event, WikiClub Zamboanga collaborated with Google Developer Group (GDG) Zamboanga and provided two (2) speakers who discussed Wikipedia and Wikimedia initiatives, including open knowledge, local content contribution, and community participation. Through this collaboration, WikiClub Zamboanga was able to reach approximately 500 participants, many of whom were non-Wikimedia community members, including developers, students, and young professionals. This activity helped introduce Wikimedia projects to a broader audience and served as an entry point for future contributors and partners. | |||
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)
Yes, there were some challenges in data collection: Editor overlap across dashboards, which required careful aggregation to avoid over- or under-counting Delayed dashboard updates, as some statistics are estimated and refreshed periodically Contributions across multiple Wikimedia projects, which required cross-checking different tabs (Pages, Uploads, Activity) To address this, we relied primarily on dashboard-generated metrics and used conservative aggregation where overlaps were possible, ensuring transparent and reliable reporting.
Part 4: Financial reporting
[edit]10. Please state the total amount spent in your local currency. (required)
147800.8
11. Please state the total amount spent in US dollars. (required)
2512.92
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/1Ug6KEK6yisycZ2c_tGve6ApTbc1OUcXEeY1ryqCOgvc/edit?usp=sharing
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.
Yes, 240.7 PHP, not enough to spend for another activity
13.2. What are you planning to do with the underspent funds?
B. Propose to use them to partially or fully fund a new/future request with PO approval
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)