Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Exploring the Soul of Villages in Adana:Showcasing Culture Through Photography (ID: 22894095)/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 project, we documented local culture, traditions, and daily life through photography. We successfully collected over 1000 high-quality photos and detailed notes from several villages, enriching Wikimedia Commons and related articles. The most effective approach was close collaboration with local residents and leaders, which helped us gain access, build trust, and gather authentic content. This community engagement ensured the accuracy and richness of the information collected, making the project impactful and sustainable.
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
Diff https://diff.wikimedia.org/2025/06/23/exploring-the-soul-of-villages-in-adana/
https://diff.wikimedia.org/tr/2025/06/23/adanadaki-koylerin-ruhunu-kesfetmek/
Wikimedia Commons category: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Exploring_the_Soul_of_Villages_in_Adana
Meta wiki page of the event: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Exploring_the_Soul_of_Turkish_Villages:_Showcasing_Culture_Through_Photography
On WMTR's accounts: https://www.instagram.com/p/DKUUogfMrDN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://x.com/WikimediaTurkey/status/1928787216802758916
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19H3AQg1oW/
https://bsky.app/profile/wikimediaturkey.bsky.social/post/3lqhpy35fyc24
Our project was published in a local news website: https://kozanbilgi.net/2025/05/yavru-vatan-kktcden-kozan-gazikoye-ziyaret/
A participant posted on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DKKaaWTMR0H/?img_index=8
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
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 | Not applicable |
| 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 | Agree |
| E. Encourage the retention of editors | Agree |
| F. Encourage the retention of organizers | 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: 1: How accurately can photography-based documentation reflect the lifestyle of local people? 2: How involved are the local people in the documentation process, and what feedback do they provide? 3:What impact does collaboration with local communities have on preserving and sharing their culture? 4: How can images shared on Wikimedia Commons be used more effectively in education and research? 5: How can documenting rural areas and local culture improve the accuracy and richness of Wikipedia articles?
1. How accurately can photography-based documentation reflect the lifestyle of local people? Photography-based documentation reflected the lifestyle of local people with high accuracy. We captured their daily routines, traditional practices, architecture, and local environments in their natural context. These visuals made it possible to present cultural elements that written descriptions alone could not fully convey.
2. How involved are the local people in the documentation process, and what feedback do they provide? Local people were actively involved in the documentation process. Before photographing, we explained the project and obtained their consent. Many villagers suggested places or customs to document. Their feedback was very positive—they were proud to have their culture recognized and preserved.
3. What impact does collaboration with local communities have on preserving and sharing their culture?^ Collaborating with local communities had a significant impact on preserving and sharing their culture. It ensured that the documentation was respectful and accurate. Local participation helped us capture not only visible traditions but also stories, knowledge, and practices that might otherwise be lost.
4. How can images shared on Wikimedia Commons be used more effectively in education and research? Images on Wikimedia Commons can be used more effectively in education and research by ensuring they are well-organized, properly categorized, and accompanied by clear, detailed descriptions, including location, date, and context. Educators can incorporate these visuals into lesson plans, presentations, and learning materials to make content more engaging and relatable. Researchers can use them as visual references in studies related to history, anthropology, geography, and cultural studies.
To increase impact, workshops and tutorials can be organized to teach students and educators how to search, use, and attribute Commons images correctly. Highlighting these resources in academic networks and educational platforms can also boost their usage and visibility.
5. How can documenting rural areas and local culture improve the accuracy and richness of Wikipedia articles? Documenting rural areas and local culture improved Wikipedia articles by providing verified visuals and field-based information. Many underrepresented or poorly documented places gained visibility. The addition of photos and cultural context enriched articles and made them more engaging and reliable.
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)
We faced several unexpected situations during the project. Due to legal requirements such as age limits and the date of license issuance, no one in our team was eligible to rent a car. We asked several people to rent and drive a vehicle on our behalf, but no one accepted. As a solution, we offered payment to a local individual who agreed to use his own vehicle for transportation throughout the project.
While traveling from Akören village to Akpınar village, the roads were winding and mountainous. Our vehicle broke down, but with the help of a local person who happened to pass by, we were able to fix the problem and continue.
Reaching some of the locations described by villagers was also challenging — at times, we had to spend hours climbing mountains. In one case, we hadn’t been able to contact the village head (muhtar) in advance, and we went without a plan. Upon arrival, we were not welcomed warmly; the muhtar did not allow us to take photos and attempted to call the police. However, we calmly explained our purpose, and he eventually offered to help — which we accepted.
Additionally, the mountain terrain caused problems for some of our participants. Their shoes were not suitable for muddy and steep areas. After walking through muddy paths, their shoes became unusable, and we had to purchase new ones so they could continue participating in the project.
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 have already shared the results and experiences of our project with the community through several platforms. We posted photos, updates, and behind-the-scenes moments on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Bluesky, and Telegram groups. These posts helped us reach both the Wikimedia community and a broader audience interested in rural culture and open knowledge.
Additionally, we published a blog post on Diff that highlights our field experiences, challenges, and what we learned throughout the project. We also plan to share our work in the upcoming CEE Hub Newsletter to further expand its reach and inspire others.
We aim to present the project during future local Wikimedia events and online meetups, especially within the Wikimedia Community User Group Turkey, to encourage similar initiatives.
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 | 6 | 6 | |
| Number of editors | 5 | 5 | |
| Number of organizers | 1 | 1 |
| Wikimedia project | Target | Result - Number of created pages | Result - Number of improved pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 25 | 2 | 30 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 500 | 1324 | 0 |
| Wikidata | 80 | 11 | 9 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of villages to be documented | 10 | 10 | ||
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)
94037
11. Please state the total amount spent in US dollars. (required)
2607
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/1vHBAgNDqx7qeo2HNQ28B7ew4BK9t26skwYQZZ3VAldg/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.
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