Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Oral History 2024 in South Sudan (ID: 22830432)
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Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Lomoraronald
- Organization
Open Knowledge South Sudan
- 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)
I'm a group leader of an informal Wikimedia group.
- Describe all relevant roles with the name of the group or organization and description of the role. (required)
I lead the team in the strategic development of the community
Main Proposal
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
Oral History 2024 in South Sudan
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2024-11-10 - 2024-12-31
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
South Sudan
- 5. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign, project, or event? If so, please select the relevant project or campaign. (required)
Other (please specify) Oral History 2024
- 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)
Our project, "Oral History 2024," is dedicated to preserving the rich oral traditions, stories, and cultural heritage of South Sudan’s diverse tribes. In our initial phase, we successfully documented traditions in the Murle, Kakwa, Pojulu, and Keliko languages, and the content was warmly received. However, we recognize that we have only covered a small portion of the country’s linguistic diversity, with many other languages and traditions still at risk of being lost.
To address this, we are expanding our efforts through respectful fieldwork, building trust with additional tribal representatives, and gathering authentic oral histories directly from the source. For the languages we have already covered, we plan to deepen our documentation by adding more content to various Wikimedia projects like Wikidata and Wikipedia, ensuring these traditions are preserved and accessible in a more comprehensive manner.
Using multimedia documentation techniques, we aim to capture stories, songs, dances, and rituals. Additionally, we will train local communities in multimedia production and archiving, empowering them to actively participate in preserving their own heritage.
These valuable cultural resources will be made accessible to a global audience via platforms like Wikimedia Commons. Furthermore, we are collaborating with local cultural organizations, educational institutions, and other stakeholders to enhance the project’s impact and ensure its long-term success.
- 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.
We have outlined a comprehensive plan to preserve South Sudan's cultural heritage by engaging with the local communities and utilizing various multimedia techniques. Our first step involves reaching out to tribal leaders and community representatives to introduce our project and gain their support. Building trust through meetings and discussions with community members is crucial as we explain our objectives and address any concerns they may have about the project.
Once we have established a strong relationship with the community, we will move into the field to conduct oral history interviews with elders and knowledgeable members of different tribes. These interviews will capture important oral traditions, stories, and cultural practices. We also plan to document traditional storytelling sessions, songs, dances, rituals, and other significant cultural activities using audio and video recordings. Additionally, photography will be used to visually document daily life, cultural artifacts, and important events to provide context to the collected oral histories.
After gathering these materials, we will then focus on multimedia production by editing and processing the recordings to ensure high quality and clarity. This includes transcribing interviews and providing translation if necessary. Organizing and categorizing the collected materials systematically will also be a priority to ensure easy access and retrieval.
Furthermore, we aim to create digital archives by uploading the files to Wikimedia Commons with proper tags and descriptions to enhance accessibility. Detailed metadata will be developed for each entry, including descriptions, cultural context, and relevant information to make the materials easily searchable and usable.
We will also conduct training workshops for community members on multimedia recording, editing, and archiving techniques, along with providing ongoing technical support and resources. Our goal is to empower the local communities to manage and update their own digital archives.
In addition, we will develop educational resources and lesson plans based on the collected materials to be used in schools and educational programs. Organizing exhibitions and presentations to showcase oral histories and cultural artefacts, both locally and internationally, is also part of our plan for educational outreach and promotion.
Throughout the project, we will gather feedback from community members and stakeholders to assess our efforts' impact and effectiveness. This feedback will be used to make improvements to our processes and ensure the long-term sustainability of the initiative.
Finally, we aim to forge collaborations with local cultural organizations, educational institutions, and international bodies to enhance the reach and impact of our project. Engaging local volunteers and experts to assist with various aspects of the project will ensure community ownership and involvement.
- 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.
1. Project Manager: Romeo Ronald Lomora User: Lomoraronald
- Responsible for overall project coordination, planning, and management.
- Ensures the project stays on track, meets objectives, and maintains communication with team members and stakeholders.
2. Researcher:
- Conducts in-depth research on South Sudan's tribes and ethnic groups, identifying communities in need of documentation.
- Assists in gathering background information and historical context for the project.
3. Community Engagement Coordinator: Arop Mathew User: Aropmathewdaniel
- Engages with local communities, cultural organizations, and community leaders to build relationships and gain support for the project.
- Facilitates community meetings, workshops, and consultations.
4. Fieldwork Team: Likambu Isaac User: LikamboisaacK
- Comprised of field researchers, interviewers, and photographers/videographers.
- Collects oral histories, conducts interviews, records performances, and captures photographs/videos during field visits to tribal communities.
5. Multimedia Editors: Wani Yusif User: Waniyusif94
- Skilled in audio and video editing software to process and enhance the collected multimedia content.
- Ensures the quality and clarity of audio and video recordings.
6. Archivist and Metadata Specialist: Woja Emmanuel Wani: User: Woja Emmanuel
- Organizes and catalogs the collected multimedia content.
- Adds metadata, descriptions, and tags to facilitate efficient search and navigation within the digital archive.
7. Wikimedia Commons Trainer/ Facilitator: George Levi User: George Levi
- Manages the uploading and sharing of multimedia content on Wikimedia Commons.
- Ensures compliance with Wikimedia Commons guidelines and licensing requirements.
- Provides ongoing support and maintenance of the project's presence on Wikimedia Commons.
- 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)
Our project focuses on engaging members of South Sudan's diverse tribes, with a focus on seven key languages: Dinka, Nuer, Acholi, Bari, Kuku, Muro, and Shiluk. To involve these communities, we will organize meetings with tribal leaders and elders, collaborate with local cultural organizations, and run culturally sensitive awareness campaigns. Inclusivity and language sensitivity will be prioritized to ensure meaningful participation.
After gathering oral histories and cultural practices, we will share the documented content with the communities through accessible platforms and events. We’ll also develop educational resources for schools to preserve these traditions. Feedback from participants will guide the project’s sustainability and long-term impact.
- 10. Does your project involve work with children or youth? (required)
Yes
- 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.
- 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.
We discussed the "Oral History 2024" project with community leaders and organisations. We tailored our presentations to the local context, addressed questions and concerns, and provided examples of successful projects. We encouraged collaboration and partnerships, established an on-wiki community discussion, and facilitated online participation. We documented and summarized community feedback to inform project planning. Through these efforts, we fostered open dialogue and collaboration with our community members, ensuring their meaningful involvement in shaping 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)
Cultural background, ethnicity, religion, racial
- 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)
Identify Topics for Impact
Learning and metrics
[edit]- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
We hope to learn how to effectively preserve and document endangered oral traditions and cultural knowledge from South Sudan’s diverse tribes. Additionally, we aim to understand the best practices for community engagement, building sustainable partnerships, and ensuring cultural sensitivity. This project will also help us explore how digital tools like Wikimedia platforms can amplify the accessibility and preservation of these cultural heritages.
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 50 | |
| Number of editors | 20 | |
| Number of organizers | 5 |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | |
| Wikimedia Commons | |
| Wikidata | |
| 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)
Dashboard
Financial proposal
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SHOl_LifhAI1lfzdeR3kzcExlQ7eOa2a-H0KQ6O68oY/edit?usp=sharing
- 22. and 22.1. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in your local currency. (required)
3000000 SSP
- 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.
3000 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).