Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Hausa Wiktionary annual contest 2026 (ID: 23641281)/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)
Hausa Wiktionary Annual Contest 2026 was successfully implemented with the aim of increasing contributions, improving editor engagement, strengthening community capacity, and expanding awareness of Hausa Wiktionary. Several key activities were carried out during the project period. Prior to the contest, the organizing team conducted community outreach and awareness campaigns through WhatsApp groups, Telegram groups, and social media platforms. An introductory online meeting was organized to explain the contest objectives, participation requirements, judging criteria, and prizes. This helped participants understand the contest structure and encouraged broad participation. Training and capacity-building activities were also implemented. Both online and in-person sessions were organized to support editors with Hausa Wiktionary editing skills, content creation techniques, and compliance with Wiktionary guidelines. The contest itself was conducted over the planned period, during which participants created and improved Hausa Wiktionary entries. Organizers continuously monitored contributions using Wikimedia hashtags. Social media channels were actively used throughout the contest to promote participation, share updates, recognize contributors, and increase public awareness of Hausa Wiktionary activities. At the conclusion of the contest, the organizing team and judges reviewed contributions based on the established rules and evaluation criteria. Winners were selected and publicly recognized through community communication channels and social media platforms. Certificates, prizes, and awards were distributed to top-performing participants, providing motivation and recognition for their efforts. As a result of the project, the Hausa Wiktionary community experienced increased participation and engagement among editors. The contest contributed to the creation and improvement of a significant number of Hausa Wiktionary entries. The project strengthened collaboration among community members, improved participants' editing skills, and increased awareness of Hausa Wiktionary within and beyond the Wikimedia community. The most effective approaches that supported the achievement of these results were: Continuous community engagement through existing communication channels, which helped maintain participant motivation throughout the contest. Combining training activities with the contest, enabling both new and experienced editors to improve their skills while actively contributing. Providing recognition, certificates, and prizes, which served as strong incentives for sustained participation. Regular monitoring and feedback from organizers and judges, which ensured adherence to contest rules and maintained contribution quality. Strategic use of social media platforms to promote the contest, showcase achievements, and attract wider interest in Hausa Wiktionary. Overall, the project successfully met its objectives of promoting active participation, improving Hausa Wiktionary content, strengthening editor capacity, and creating a sustainable framework for future annual contests.
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
https://hashtags.wmcloud.org/?query=%23FJIW&project=&startdate=&enddate=&search_type=or&user= https://hashtags.wmcloud.org/graph/?query=%23HWACII&project=&startdate=&enddate=&search_type=or&user= https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=Hausa+Wiktionary+Contest+&title=Special%3AMediaSearch&type=audio
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://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cTQoo3IfU4lES_mfF3SvgBs2xuKCDgb6
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 | 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: We will learn how continuous contests can motivate editors and sustain active participation within the Hausa Wiktionary community. This includes understanding what types of incentives and activities attract more contributors and keep them engaged. By creating and improving Hausa Wiktionary guideline pages, We will learn how to design clear instructional materials that make editing easier for both new and experienced contributors, enhancing the usability of Hausa Wiktionary. We will learn how to effectively use social platforms (Facebook and Instagram) to promote Wikimedia projects, highlight community achievements, and attract new contributors. We will learn how to plan, execute, and evaluate an annual Wiktionary contest from developing fair judging criteria to ensuring adherence to Wiktionary editing rules and Wikimedia movement principles. We will learn how to build a sustainable model of engagement, motivate volunteers, measure impact, and expand Hausa Wiktionary’s visibility and credibility,ensuring the continued growth and improvement of the project across future editions. We hope to see Hausa Wiktionary guidelines pages created to assist and guide editors on how to contribute. We are excited to see how brave Hausa Wikitionary editors will be as they compete for incredible prizes. Through participation in this contest, we hope to learn and provide analysis on the rapid growth of Hausa Wiktionary by providing a statistical report Wikimedia Xtools. We are looking forward to creating an overall experience, understanding, and statistical report that will be shared on the Wikimedia diff blog post.
Through the implementation of the Hausa Wiktionary Annual Contest 2026, we gained valuable insights into community engagement, contributor motivation, capacity building, and project sustainability within the Hausa Wiktionary community.
We learned that well-structured contests, combined with clear goals, regular communication, and meaningful recognition, significantly increase contributor engagement. Participants remained active throughout the contest period, and many contributors demonstrated improved commitment to Hausa Wiktionary because they felt their efforts were recognized and valued.
We also sought to learn how effective instructional materials and guideline pages could support editors. We observed that contributors were better able to understand editing requirements, avoid common mistakes, and improve the quality of their contributions. These resources reduced confusion among participants and provided a useful reference for both new and experienced editors.
Another important learning area was the use of social media for promoting Wikimedia projects. We learned that platforms such as Facebook,WhatsApp and Telegram can be effective tools for increasing awareness of Hausa Wiktionary activities, highlighting contributors' achievements, and attracting interest from potential new editors. Regular updates and community-focused content helped maintain visibility throughout the contest period.
The project also provided important lessons in organizing and managing a large community contest. We learned the importance of establishing clear rules, transparent judging criteria, regular progress monitoring, and open communication with participants. These practices helped build trust within the community and ensured that the contest was conducted fairly and efficiently.
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)
During the implementation of the Hausa Wiktionary Annual Contest 2026, we experienced both positive and challenging situations that were not fully anticipated during the planning stage.
One of the most encouraging surprises was the quality of contributions made by participants. While the project aimed to increase the number of entries on Hausa Wiktionary, many contributors focused not only on quantity but also on improving the quality of entries by adding definitions, examples, references, and other useful information. This demonstrated that previous trainings and community capacity-building efforts had a lasting impact on participants' skills and understanding of Wiktionary standards.
Another unexpected development was the willingness of experienced editors to support newer contributors. Several community members voluntarily assisted participants by answering questions, sharing editing tips, and reviewing contributions. This created a collaborative environment that strengthened community relationships and reduced the burden on organizers.
On the challenging side, some participants joined the contest later than expected, which affected their ability to compete effectively throughout the entire contest period. We also observed differences in participants' skill levels, requiring additional support and guidance to ensure that everyone understood the contest rules and editing requirements. Furthermore, tracking and reviewing a large number of contributions required more time and coordination than originally anticipated.
We also learned that social media outreach generated interest from people outside the existing Hausa Wiktionary community. While this was positive, some interested individuals required introductory training before they could contribute effectively. This highlighted the need to integrate beginner-friendly orientation activities into future contests.
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 shared the project report on Hausa Wiktionary community discussion page, and our social media platforms. We will also organize a follow-up meeting to present the outcomes, gather feedback from participants, and discuss improvements for future contests. https://ha.wiktionary.org/wiki/Tattaunawa:Babban_shafi
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 | 100 | 40 | |
| Number of editors | 50 | 30 | |
| Number of organizers | 3 | 3 |
| Wikimedia project | Target | Result - Number of created pages | Result - Number of improved pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | |||
| Wikimedia Commons | 1000 | 300 | 300 |
| Wikidata | |||
| Wiktionary | 2000 | 610 | 638 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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)
1711428
11. Please state the total amount spent in US dollars. (required)
1200
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/1BZZeHcD6K7ias23TM3-04ICLHId9x1llxKN06z2NNFU/edit?usp=drivesdk https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RAtuaVbELER4ObEX7XHiuvS2hXJEnppx
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)