Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Shaping Tanzanian Film Narratives on Swahili Wikipedia (ID: 23092999)
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Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Jonny Frosty
- 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.
Shaping Tanzanian Film Narratives on Swahili Wikipedia
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2025-07-15 - 2025-09-15
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
Tanzania
- 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) Afrocreative
- 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)
Shaping Tanzanian Film Narratives on Swahili Wikipedia aims to bridge the knowledge gap around the Tanzanian film industry on Swahili Wikipedia. Despite the rich history of film and storytelling in Tanzania, there is limited representation of local creatives, films, institutions, and festivals on Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons. This lack of visibility hinders the global understanding of Tanzania’s cultural contributions and restricts opportunities for creatives to gain recognition beyond national borders.
As from the successfully of AfroCreative program previous year whose metapage can be found here [1], and it’s dashboard [2], this year’s project seeks to address several pressing challenges that limit the visibility and recognition of the country’s film industry on Wikimedia platforms, especially Swahili Wikipedia. One major issue is the content gap.
There are very few articles about Tanzanian filmmakers, actors, historic films, institutions, and cinematic achievements, resulting in limited access to local film knowledge both nationally and internationally. A PetScan query for Tanzanian film directors returns only 13 results, highlighting the significant content gap and underrepresentation of Tanzanian creatives in the global Wikimedia ecosystem.
Additionally, participation in Wikimedia projects remains low among creatives, largely due to a lack of awareness about how these platforms work and the value they bring in terms of visibility and knowledge sharing. This is further compounded by limited digital access and skills, especially in rural areas, where artists and cultural professionals often face technical and infrastructural barriers that prevent them from contributing. Lastly, there is a clear gender and regional imbalance, with women and creatives from underrepresented regions rarely featured on global knowledge platforms leading to an incomplete and skewed representation of Tanzania’s rich and diverse film landscape.
The change we aimed to archive: 1. The change we aim to achieve through this project is a more inclusive, accurate, and vibrant representation of the Tanzanian film industry on Swahili Wikipedia. This includes improved documentation and visibility of notable filmmakers, actors, film institutions, and cinematic works that have shaped Tanzania’s cultural identity.
2. We also seek to empower local creatives such as filmmakers and actresses and equip them with the skills and confidence to share their knowledge and use Wikipedia as a platform for storytelling, education, visibility and Digital inclusion. A key focus will be increasing the participation of women and youth, particularly those from marginalized communities, whose voices and contributions have long been underrepresented in both mainstream media and online knowledge spaces.
Our main approaches will include:
- Training workshops and edit-a-thons: We will organize two hybrid training workshops and edit-a-thons designed for creatives, filmmakers, and cultural professionals, aimed at introducing them to Wikipedia. These events will teach participants how to contribute content related to the Tanzanian film industry, in Swahili and English, empowering them to document their work, share their knowledge, and increase the visibility of Tanzanian cinema and creatives on these platforms. By offering hands-on training and collaborative editing sessions.
- Partnership: We will partner with local institutions such as the Tanzania Film Board, Media Houses, and film festivals to foster collaboration and ensure the inclusion of a diverse range of voices in the project. These partnerships will help connect creatives, students, and professionals to Wikimedia resources, encourage participation, and strengthen the representation of Tanzanian cinema. By working closely with these key stakeholders, we can create a supportive network that amplifies the visibility of Tanzanian filmmakers and film culture on global platforms.
- Prizes and Awards: To recognize the best contributors, we will offer prizes for the top contributors of articles. Awards will include recognition certificates and public acknowledgment on our project’s social media platforms.
- We will promote awareness and encourage ongoing participation through community events and social media outreach. Social media will be a key tool for amplifying the impact of these events, sharing success stories, and motivating new contributors to get involved in documenting Tanzanian cinema and culture.
- 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.
- Training workshops and edit-a-thons: We will organize two training workshops and one edit-a-thons designed for creatives, filmmakers, and cultural professionals, aimed at introducing them to Wikipedia. These events will teach participants how to contribute content related to the Tanzanian film industry, in Swahili and English, empowering them to document their work, share their knowledge, and increase the visibility of Tanzanian cinema and creatives on these platforms. By offering hands-on training and collaborative editing sessions.
- Partnership: We will partner with local institutions such as the Tanzania Film Board, Media Houses, and film festivals to foster collaboration and ensure the inclusion of a diverse range of voices in the project. These partnerships will help connect creatives, students, and professionals to Wikimedia resources, encourage participation, and strengthen the representation of Tanzanian cinema. By working closely with these key stakeholders, we can create a supportive network that amplifies the visibility of Tanzanian filmmakers and film culture on global platforms.
- We will promote awareness and encourage ongoing participation through community events and social media outreach. Social media will be a key tool for amplifying the impact of these events, sharing success stories, and motivating new contributors to get involved in documenting Tanzanian cinema and culture.
- 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. Johnson Massawe: Wikimedia Trainer and Content Curator. He will lead the training workshops and edit-a-thons, teaching participants how to contribute to Wikipedia. Johnson will also compile content related to Tanzanian cinema and filmmakers, focusing on underrepresented areas in the film industry. Username:Jonny Frosty
2. Pellagia Njau:she is an experienced Wikimedian and the lead coordinator for the AfroCreatives WikiProject. She has a proven track record of organizing successful campaigns in Tanzania, such as Wiki Loves Africa, WikiForHuman Rights, and the Wikigap. Pellagia will oversee the overall direction of the project, manage partnerships, and lead community outreach efforts. Username:Pellagia Njau
3. Hussein Issa: is a key member of the team and part of the Global WikiEducation Initiative. He will lead the overall project management, ensuring smooth coordination among team members, partners, and participants. His responsibilities also include overseeing project implementation, tracking progress, and compiling reports. Hussein brings a strong background in Wikimedia education outreach and strategic planning, making him an essential part of the AfroCreatives WikiProject + Film 2025 in Tanzania. Username: Husseyn Issa
4. Ceslause Ogbonnaya is the Wikimedian-In-Residence and continental project lead for AfroCreatives WikiProject and serves as a strategic adviser for the project. He provides guidance on project alignment with the broader goals of AfroCreatives across Africa, supports in developing scalable approaches, and shares expertise in engaging creative communities. User:Ceslause
- 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 target participants for this project are creatives in the Tanzanian film industry such as filmmakers, directors, screenwriters, actors, editors as well as Tanzanian Wikipedia editors and those interested in contributing to Wikipedia . To engage participants before the project activities begin, we will partner with institutions like the Tanzania Film Board, media house, and film festival organizers. We will also raise awareness and invite participants through social media campaigns, community outreach events, and direct invitations shared through creative industry networks.
- 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.
To develop this project, we conducted both formal and informal consultations with members of the Global WikiEducation Initiative, experienced Wikipedia editors, and representatives from the Tanzania Film Board. These conversations took place via WhatsApp groups, virtual community meetings, and direct engagements with participants from the AfroCreatives WikiProject Campaign 2024 [3]. The insights gathered from these interactions helped us identify content gaps, community needs, and opportunities to strengthen local participation. This collaborative approach ensured the proposal is rooted in real experiences and aligned with the interests of both Wikimedia contributors and the Tanzanian creative community.
- 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)
Digital Access
- 15. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select one that most applies. (required)
Improve User Experience
Learning and metrics
[edit]- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
1. How can Wikimedia projects be made more accessible and relevant to filmmakers and creatives in Tanzania? This includes understanding barriers to participation and identifying effective outreach and training methods.
2. What are the most effective approaches to documenting the Tanzanian film industry, its history, and its key players through Wikimedia projects? This will help us refine our content creation strategy and ensure we are filling meaningful knowledge gaps.
3. How can partnerships with local institutions (like the Tanzania Film Board and Media Houses) strengthen awareness, participation, and sustainability of Wikimedia projects in the creative sector? We want to measure the impact of collaboration and co-creation with local stakeholders.
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 30 | |
| Number of editors | 25 | |
| Number of organizers | 3 |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 70 |
| 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)
Program Dashboard,Hashtags, Event Registration Tool and Google Forms.
Financial proposal
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1L2a-VVatLzSzyknPxqbKE_MuGpN5IfBHmgZd7ElAINc/edit?gid=0#gid=0
- 22. and 22.1. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in your local currency. (required)
8150000 TZS
- 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.
3031 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).