Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Rites and Rituals Photo Walk In Rivers and Akwa Ibom States In Niger Delta Region. (ID: 23577941)
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Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Dappasolomon001
- Organization
N/A
- 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)
N/A
- Describe all relevant roles with the name of the group or organization and description of the role. (required)
Main Proposal
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
Rites and Rituals Photo Walk In Rivers and Akwa Ibom States In Niger Delta Region.
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2026-02-28 - 2026-04-30
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
Nigeria
- 5. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign, project, or event? If so, please select the relevant project or campaign. (required)
Wiki Loves Africa
- 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)
We aim to bring change by preserving and amplifying the visibility of Niger Delta cultural practices through the documentation of rites and rituals. These traditions, which define identity and community, are often passed down orally and risk disappearing in the face of modernization. By capturing them through a cultural photowalk and sharing them on Wikimedia platforms, we ensure that they remain accessible, accurately represented, and celebrated globally.
The challenges we address include cultural erosion, underrepresentation of African traditions on Wikimedia projects, and limited documentation skills among local photographers and Wikimedians in the Niger Delta region. Many young creatives lack the training to properly capture, license, and share cultural content, while communities often fear misrepresentation.
Our approach combines hands-on photowalk documentation, training workshops, and community engagement. We will work with custodians of traditions to ensure consent and respectful storytelling, while empowering participants with skills in photography, categorization, and Wikimedia contribution. This will not only enrich open knowledge platforms but also build a sustainable network of cultural documentarians across Rivers and Akwa Ibom States.
- 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.
- 1 Virtual Info Session/ Campaign Launch.
- 2 workshops (one in each state) conducted on photography, licensing, and Wikimedia contributions.
- 2 cross-state documentation trips (Rivers and Akwa Ibom States).
- 2 cross-state upload-a-thon
- 40 participants trained (new and old Wikimedians, photographers, and cultural enthusiasts, 20 each state).
- Community engagements and collaborations with the Wikimedia networks in Rivers and Akwa Ibom States and Photographers Network.
- Engagement with at least 10 cultural custodians/communities for access and storytelling consent in both Rivers and Akwa Ibom State.
- 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.
Project Lead: Dappa Solomon Ezekiel. User: Dappasolomon001
Dappa Solomon Ezekiel is an award-winning documentary photographer from the Opobo Kingdom in Rivers State, Nigeria, and the founder of the Dappa Solomon Photography and the informal Wikimedia group, Wiki Niger Delta Heritage Collective, focusing, cultural documentation. Since joining Wikimedia, he has contributed over 1,500 images to Wikimedia Commons, documenting Nigeria’s cultural traditions, festivals, and community life.
I was the co-project organiser of Wiki Loves Africa 2025 in Niger Delta and the First-Round Jury Member for the competition, My photos won top national prizes, including Wiki Loves Folklore (Nigeria) and Wiki Loves Africa (Nigeria – Africa Creates) in 2024.
With a background in Computer Science and a strong passion for cultural preservation, Solomon is dedicated to using photography and Wikimedia platforms to safeguard and share the living heritage of the Niger Delta.
Programs Coordinator: - Andikan Efiok Eduok
User: - Andikan Efiok Eduok
She is a Nigerian Wikimedian, community, and social media manager. A Fellow of the Africa Wiki Women Fellowship. She contributes to Wikipedia and its sister projects. She is the founder and lead of the Wikimedia User Group Nigeria – Akwa Ibom Network and has served as the Community Engagement Officer for the Wikimedia Niger Delta Network. She led the Train the Trainers South-Southern Nigeria edition in 2024 and was part of the Wiki Loves Africa 2025 Niger Delta planning committee, where she served as an admin, facilitator, and Jury Coordinator. She was also part of the Nigerian Oral History Documentation Project team in Akwa Ibom State.
Information and Records Coordinator: - Goodness Ignatius User: - Olugold
She is an experienced Wikimedian actively engaged in the Wikimedia movement, where she contributes to open knowledge through advocacy, community coordination, training, and documentation. With a professional background in library and information science, she supports initiatives that promote information access, digital literacy, culture, environmental sustainability, indigenous languages, and women’s participation in online knowledge spaces. She is the co-founder and coordinator of the Igbo Wiki Librarians Hub and contributes across multiple Wikimedia projects, including Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, Wiktionary, Wikiquote, and Meta-Wiki.
Facilitation: - Albert Mkpongonyong
User: - Albertoblaq
Albert Mkpongonyong is a wikimedian from the southern part of Nigeria who joined the Wikimedia space in 2021, is a notable contributor to the Igbo Wikimedians User Group, Nigerian Wikimedians User Group. Currently a Wiki Loves Africa ambassador. His Wikimedia journey started from improving items on Wikidata to providing translations for articles on igbo Wikipedia down to wikicomons.
- 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)
The contest is open to everyone in the Niger Delta region, with special interest in photography, new and existing Wikimedians, and cultural storytellers eager to document traditions and everyday life.
To build a strong and connected community, participants will be invited to join a dedicated WhatsApp and Telegram group, where they can receive updates, share experiences, and collaborate with peers.
For newly trained editors, we will pair them with experienced Wikimedians as mentors, ensuring they get personalized guidance, continuous support, and follow-up to help them grow as confident contributors.
- 10. Does your project involve work with children or youth? (required)
No
- 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.
N/A
- 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.
When the email announcement about the 2026 Wiki Loves Africa theme: Rites and Rituals was released, I immediately began planning with my team leads in a dedicated WhatsApp. This space became the hub for brainstorming and refining the proposal.
Together, we discussed how best to focus on Rivers and Akwa Ibom States, identifying cultural practices and ceremonies suitable for documentation. The team leads also highlighted the need for structured trainings, mentorship opportunities, and ways to engage both new and existing Wikimedians as well as photography enthusiasts.
The group agreed on a mentorship model where experienced editors would guide newly trained contributors to ensure continuity and sustained participation, they will be added to the dedicated WhatsApp and telegram groups.
- 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)
Increase the Sustainability of Our Movement
Learning and metrics
[edit]- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
1. How would your participation in WLA make our community members feel engaged and become attached to the Wikimedia movement? 2. How did you feel being part of the WLA? What was your experience like meeting other community members? 3. What do you hope to learn from this project ? 4. How do you think this Photo walk can bring a sense of urgency to increase the cultural documentations in Niger Delta region? 5. Do you think partnership and stakeholder engagement will help us achieve this aim? 6. During next year's contest will you be part of this movement again? 7. How possible is it that you will tell others about WLA ?
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 40 | |
| Number of editors | 40 | |
| Number of organizers | 4 |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | |
| Wikimedia Commons | 1000 |
| 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)
Commons Category tool. Outreach dashboard tool Meta landing page
Financial proposal
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ydN2czXfgWbui2YWarIbqydBcmwGVBDZj7CmGXcJTrk/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)
7222172 NGN
- 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.
4932.17 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).