Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/South Sudanese Heritage:Names, Meanings, and Pronunciations on Wikidata (ID: 23478784)
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Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Lomoraronald (talk • accounts • contributions • edit count)
- 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 a Wikimedia User Group (submitted to the Affiliation Committee).
- Describe all relevant roles with the name of the group or organization and description of the role. (required)
1. Wani Yusif [User: Waniyusif94] - Facilitate the coordination of the event 2. Woja Emmanuel [Woja emmanuel] - Communications and as well Community Liaison 3. George Levi [User: George Levi] - Trainer Wikidata 4. Likambo Isaac [User: LikamboisaacK]- Trainer Wikipedia 5. Lomora Ronald [User: Lomoraronald] - Finance managment
Main Proposal
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
South Sudanese Heritage: Names, Meanings, and Pronunciations on Wikidata
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2025-09-08 - 2025-10-31
- 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 documentation campaign in South Sudan a series we started and contiuning with.
- 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)
South Sudan is a country rich in ethnic and linguistic diversity, yet this cultural wealth is largely invisible on open knowledge platforms. Names carry deep cultural meaning, history, and identity, but most South Sudanese names are undocumented, misrepresented, or completely absent from Wikimedia projects. Even the names currently on Wikidata often lack pronunciation, contextual meaning, or linguistic nuance.
We aim to increase the cultural and linguistic visibility of South Sudanese communities on Wikimedia projects by documenting the meanings and pronunciations of traditional names from 15 ethnic groups. Although we have already added about 750 names to Wikidata, most lack audio and cultural context. This project addresses the challenges of oral tradition, underrepresentation, and limited access to digital tools by recording native speakers, adding meaningful explanations, and training local contributors. By linking audio files and context to Wikidata and other Wikimedia platforms, we aim to preserve endangered knowledge, promote digital inclusion, and amplify the voices of South Sudanese in the global knowledge ecosystem.
- 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.
Our planned activities include: (1) collecting audio recordings of name pronunciations from native speakers across 15 South Sudanese ethnic groups; (2) adding these recordings to Wikidata and linking them to existing name items using tools like Lingua Libre and Wikimedia Commons; (3) researching and documenting the cultural meanings and origins of each name through community interviews; (4) improving and expanding related Wikipedia articles and Wikidata entries with accurate, culturally grounded information; (5) training local contributors in audio documentation, metadata structuring, and uploading practices through workshops or online sessions; and (6) collaborating with community elders, language teachers, and local Wikimedians to ensure authenticity and sustainability. We will also partner with some refugee-led organisations, like Reliable Refugee Storytellers, to support outreach and technical capacity building.
- 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. Wani Yusif [User: Waniyusif94] - Facilitate the coordination of the event 2. Woja Emmanuel [Woja Emmanuel] - Communications and Community Liaison 3. George Levi [User: George Levi] - Trainer Wikidata 4. Likambo Isaac [User: LikamboisaacK]- Trainer Wikipedia 5. Lomora Ronald [User: Lomoraronald] - Finance management
- 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 target participants include South Sudanese community members, linguists, cultural experts, and Wikimedia contributors, particularly those from underrepresented tribes. We will engage participants through community outreach, partnerships with cultural organizations, and training sessions on Wikimedia projects. Before activities, we will collaborate with tribal representatives to gather accurate name data. During the project, participants will contribute names, pronunciations, and cultural details to Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons. After the activities, we will maintain engagement through follow-up training, mentorship, and online support to encourage continued contributions and ensure sustainability.
- 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.
This proposal builds directly on the successful first phase of documenting over 750 South Sudanese names on Wikidata, which was developed in close collaboration with members of the Wikimedia Community User Group South Sudan and supported by local contributors from 15 ethnic groups. During that project, we worked with language speakers, cultural elders, and youth groups to identify, verify, and upload names with culturally accurate meanings. The positive feedback from these communities sparked interest in adding pronunciations and deeper cultural context. We discussed this follow-up idea in our local user group meetings and through community WhatsApp channels and planning calls. Reliable Refugee Storytellers, a trusted partner with strong community roots, has also expressed support and will help with implementation and outreach. We have aligned our efforts with ongoing regional Wikimedia work, including initiatives focused on preserving oral knowledge and languages. A Meta-Wiki project page is being developed to document progress and invite broader participation.
- 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)
Invest in Skills and Leadership Development
Learning and metrics
[edit]- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
Through this project, we hope to learn how audio and cultural context enhance the visibility, accuracy, and engagement with South Sudanese names on Wikidata. Our key learning questions include: (1) How does adding pronunciation audio impact the understanding and usage of South Sudanese names on Wikimedia platforms? (2) What methods are most effective in capturing and preserving oral cultural knowledge in digital formats? (3) How can local contributors be better supported and trained to document intangible cultural heritage sustainably? (4) What motivates communities to engage in documenting their identities on open platforms, and how can this be scaled? These insights will help us refine our approach and contribute to global conversations on decolonizing knowledge and increasing African representation online.
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 30 | |
| Number of editors | 20 | |
| Number of organizers | 5 |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 30 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 750 |
| Wikidata | 750 |
| 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/1LOcaEZP_Vx_gfcpxmKng15rdxmbOYJ9ryJPh2_oo-Xw/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)
300000 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
- By submitting your proposal/funding request you confirm that you have read and agree to the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy, and the 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).