Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Swahili Shesaid 2025 Campaign (ID: 23549764)
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Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Surv_Melch
- 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.
Swahili Shesaid 2025 Campaign
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2025-11-01 - 2025-12-31
- 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)
Wiki Loves Women
- 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)
Many women scientists [1], both from Tanzania and around the world, have shared powerful words and insights that reflect their contributions to science, innovation, and society. Their quotes carry stories of resilience, discovery, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge that have shaped our understanding of the world. However, these voices are largely missing on Swahili Wikiquote, leaving a significant gap in the representation of women in science within the Swahili-speaking knowledge ecosystem. This gap results in an incomplete representation of our societies, where the knowledge and achievements of women are neither adequately showcased nor easily accessible in their native languages. That is why we believe this campaign will create opportunities to amplify their voices and ensure they are heard. The main challenges include the gender gap in representation, the heavy reliance on dominant global languages that restrict access for African communities, where Swahili is widely spoken and the low awareness and limited skills among potential contributors, which have been significant barriers to progress.
We aim to increase the visibility and accessibility of quotes from women scientists by collecting, translating, and sharing their words in Swahili. This effort seeks to inspire not only current and future generations of scientists but also to create a repository that reflects the diverse contributions of women to fields such as medicine, physics, environmental science, technology, and engineering. By bringing their voices to Swahili Wikiquote, we will foster a sense of pride, representation, and inclusion while encouraging more women and girls to pursue careers in STEM.
This campaign also highlights the cultural importance of preserving the intellectual heritage of women scientists both globally and locally so their insights are not lost to language barriers or lack of documentation. It will serve as a platform for mentorship, education, and advocacy, ensuring their achievements and philosophies become part of the collective memory accessible to everyone.
Main Challenges
Lack of Documented Quotes by Women Scientists on Swahili Wikiquote: There is a significant gap in the availability of quotes from women scientists on Swahili Wikiquote. This lack of documented content limits the visibility of women’s contributions to science and makes it harder for readers and researchers to access their words of inspiration or insight in the Swahili language.
Limited Awareness on How to Contribute Quotes from Reliable Sources: Many potential contributors are unaware of how to add quotes, the importance of sourcing them from credible references, and the process of verifying their authenticity. This gap in knowledge reduces community participation and slows down the growth of verified content.
Language Barriers: Most Quotes Remain Untranslated or Unavailable in Swahili A large number of quotes by women scientists exist in other languages, especially English, but remain untranslated into Swahili. This creates a barrier for Swahili speakers to access, share, or be inspired by these quotes, limiting their cultural and educational impact.
Proposed Solutions
Identify and Source Quotes: Research and collect inspiring quotes from notable women scientists globally and in Tanzania, ensuring all quotes come from reliable, credible sources.
Translate into Swahili: Convert selected quotes into Kiswahili to make them accessible, culturally relevant, and impactful for Swahili-speaking audiences.
Train Editors: Organize edit-a-thons and mentorship sessions to guide participants on contributing quotes to Swahili Wikiquote, including proper sourcing, formatting, and citation practices.
- 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.
Design and publish engaging posters and digital flyers to invite participants and raise awareness about the campaign.
Host an online launch session to introduce the campaign, outline its objectives, and explain the participation process.
Conduct an in-person training and edit-a-thon to enhance contributors’ skills and provide hands-on editing guidance.
Facilitate ongoing support through follow-up sessions in online groups to mentor participants, track progress, and share updates.
Develop and publish a red list of notable women in science whose entries or quotes are missing on Swahili Wikiquote.
Implement a contest format, rewarding the top three contributors with prizes upon campaign completion.
- 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.
Our local activity will be organized within the wider Wiki Loves Women SheSaid Campaign, which provides a global framework of mentorship, communication material, and technical support. The global SheSaid team led by experienced Wikimedians such as User:Anthere and User:Islahaddow, with communication support from User:Afek91 offers online training, communication visuals, and active support channels (office hours, one-on-one mentorship, and a telegram group). Several experienced contributors, including administrators on Wikiquote, are also part of the wider movement and will provide further guidance.
Our local team is made up of committed and skilled members who bring both experience and passion for the Wikimedia movement:
User: Mimi Prowess – Training and Facilitation Lead Mimi Prowess has played a pivotal role in advancing Wikimedia initiatives, particularly through her expertise in training and facilitation. She has successfully organized and supported several impactful campaigns, including the Africa WikiChallenge and the AfroCreatives Project within the Wikimedia community in Zanzibar.
User: SurvMelch – Experienced Editor and Campaign Organizer SurvMelch is an experienced Wikimedia editor with over three years of active participation in various campaigns, including Wiki Loves Africa and WikiForHumanRights. He also served as one of the organizers of the 2023 SheSaid campaign in Tanzania, contributing to efforts that amplify women’s visibility on Wikimedia projects.
User: Pellagia Njau – Project Advisor Pellagia Njau is a seasoned Wikimedian from Tanzania who joined Wikipedia in 2017 as a Swahili editor. She has been actively involved in organizing numerous Wikimedia campaigns across Tanzania, including WikiForHumanRights, SheSaid Campaign, Wiki Loves Women, 1Lib1Ref, Wiki Loves Africa, and Wiki Loves Monuments.
User: Nadya Issa – Content and Quality Assurance Lead Nadya Issa oversees content and quality assurance, guiding contributors on Wikiquote editing standards and ensuring that all entries meet high-quality benchmarks. She supports participants in producing accurate, well-structured, and properly sourced content, helping maintain the integrity and reliability of the campaign’s contributions.
- 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 targets women, youth, and emerging contributors from the Swahili-speaking community, with a special focus on those who are underrepresented in the Wikimedia movement. Before the activities, we will engage participants through local networks, social media campaigns, and outreach via universities, libraries, and women-led organizations. During the campaign, participants will be actively involved in interactive workshops, both online and in-person, where they will receive training, mentorship, and practical editing experience. After the activities, we will maintain engagement through follow-up sessions in our online groups, continued mentorship, and recognition of contributions to ensure participants remain connected and motivated to keep contributing to Swahili SheSaid Campaign.
- 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.
I have informed the Tanzania Community about this project through WhatsApp and Telegram groups. Individual swahili editors in both Tanzania mainland and those in Zanzibar who are interested in SheSaid Campaign, had a discussion with user:Afeq91 who gave us idea of implementation, planning and execution and discuss on how to construct better plans so as to conduct the events.
- 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)
Content Gender gap
- 13. Does your proposal include any of these areas or thematic focus? Select one option that most applies to your work. (required)
Gender and diversity
- 14. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Gender Identity
- 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 more about how to effectively close the visibility gap of women’s voices on Swahili Wikiquote and how to sustain contributor engagement beyond the campaign. The main learning questions we aim to explore are:
How effective are our outreach and engagement strategies in attracting new contributors, especially women and youth, to Swahili Wikiquote?
What training and support methods best help participants develop the skills and confidence to continue contributing after the campaign?
How does creating and improving entries in Swahili language increase access and visibility of women’s voices in our communities?
What forms of motivation (recognition, prizes, community support) are most impactful in retaining contributors for future Wikimedia campaigns?
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 40 | |
| Number of editors | 30 | |
| Number of organizers | 4 |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | |
| Wikimedia Commons | |
| Wikidata | |
| Wiktionary | |
| Wikisource | |
| Wikimedia Incubator | |
| Translatewiki | |
| MediaWiki | |
| Wikiquote | 100 |
| 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)
Event dashboard Event registration tool Google form
Financial proposal
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GkyKp_rqGGaC49yUxHhejU8uAdUAlVxOHXhnnbtW_bk/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)
7810000 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.
3111.68 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).