Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/WMDRC Q4 2025 Activities (ID: 23553324)
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Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
BamLifa
- Organization
Wikimedians of Democratic Republic of Congo User Group
- 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., I'm a staff member or contractor in a Wikimedia Affiliate, group, or allied organization., I'm a bank account signatory for the joint bank account of a Wikimedia affiliate, group, or organization.
- Describe all relevant roles with the name of the group or organization and description of the role. (required)
Board: https://wikimediardc.org/index.php/a-propos-de/bureau/ Staff: https://wikimediardc.org/index.php/a-propos-de/staff/
Main Proposal
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
WMDRC Q4 2025 Activities
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2025-10-31 - 2026-01-15
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
Democratic Republic of the Congo
- 5. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign, project, or event? If so, please select the relevant project or campaign. (required)
Not applicable
- 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 community faces two interconnected challenges. First, many new contributors join during isolated events but quickly disengage because they lack continuous mentoring and opportunities to practice. This results in low retention, discouragement, and articles that are often deleted or flagged for poor sourcing and quality. Second, there is still limited awareness of Wikimedia as a movement. For many people, Wikipedia is only a platform to read information, not a space where they can actively contribute. As a result, many of our members don’t understand the culture behind Wikipedia or its sister projects which limit their growth and active contribution in discussion, conferences… for the benefit of everyone in the movement.
The change we want to bring is to build a stronger and more resilient contributor base while also raising awareness of Wikimedia as a collaborative knowledge movement where everyone is invited to share ideas. Our vision is that participants not only acquire technical editing skills but also develop confidence, motivation, and a sense of belonging that keeps them engaged over time.
To achieve this, we are focusing on two broad strategies:
- Capacity building. We want to focus on onboarding of new comers, continuous learning for existing ones and more specifically Wikiclub leaders, and offering support to everyone within our community so that they can easily contribute to the movement. Most of these need to be done in WikiClubs. In this case, we ensure local ownership, continuity, and a better environment for retention.
- Sensitization. This is a great opportunity for members within our community to learn more about Wikimedia as a movement, beyond technical skills they can acquire in capacity building and at the same time, we can attract new editors.
Together, these approaches address both internal and external barriers: they ensure editors have the capacity to remain active and that society at large understands and values their contributions. This dual focus lays the foundation for sustainable, diverse, and impactful Wikimedia communities in our UG.
- 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.
- [Wikipemanence](https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedians_of_Democratic_Republic_of_Congo_User_Group/Renforcement_de_capacit%C3%A9/v2): gathering of wikimediens on regular basis to contribute and welcome new comers :
- Quality training & editathon: experienced editors will learn more about [content assessment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Content_assessment) on Wikipedia and will improve and/or assess articles within the D[RCongo project](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo).
- New comers mentorship programme: a structured mentorship programme to make sure Wikipedia newbies are well onboarded
- [Women mentorship programme](https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedians_of_Democratic_Republic_of_Congo_User_Group/Renforcement_de_capacit%C3%A9/v1): provides practical, hands-on sessions that strengthen participants’ editing and content creation skills directly within WM platforms.
- [100 days of WM contribution](https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:Wikimedians_of_Democratic_Republic_of_Congo_User_Group/100WikiDays/puclications_r%C3%A9sutats_finaux): a contest that aims at contributing on the WM projects for 100 days.
Most of these activities have been done in the past and we aim at continuing with and improving them.
- 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.
The overall project coordination: BamLifa, VALENTIN NVJ. These persons will offer the necessary support needed so that the project is running very well. Among their roles we can note:
- oversee every aspect of the project
- make sure everything is documented on Meta
- communicate about activities (either inviting people or spreading the world about the result)
- bookkeeping (finance)
- reporting to the WMF
WikiClubs leaders and trainers: [Rufin Wakilongo](https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Rufin_Wakilongo), [Jossy27](https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Jossy27),[Lingabo](https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Lingabo),[Levykav](https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Levykav),[Cngakani](https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Cngakani), WINEUR, These persons make sure the projects are well implemented in their specific region or Wikiclubs. Among their roles we can cite:
- book venue
- physically support and guide attendees
- communication with the national team for instructions on how to run activities locally
- report their accomplishment
- 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)
Target participants are volunteers within our community as well as other professional and students. To engage participants before and during the activities, we will employ the following strategies:
- Pre-Activity Engagement**
- Online Promotion: We will utilize social media platforms, Wikimedia mailing lists, and on-wiki notices to reach out to potential participants.
- Team meeting: onboard each member for the objective and expected outcome as well as the role they have in the project
- During the Activities**
- Monitoring and Support: Maintaining an active online presence to answer queries, provide guidance, and address any issues that participants may encounter during the contest period.
- Community Building: Facilitating online discussions and forums where participants can interact, share tips, and foster a sense of community among contributors.
After the activities, our approach for follow-up with participants includes:
- Post-Activity Engagement**
- Acknowledgment and Recognition: Recognizing and appreciating the contributions of participants through announcements, certificates, and showcasing winning entries.
- Feedback and Surveys: Collecting feedback through surveys to understand participants' experiences and areas for improvement.
- Documentation: Make sure we don”t miss any important information
- Retention Efforts: Encouraging participants to continue contributing to Wikimedia projects and engage in future cultural preservation initiatives.
- 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.
- 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)
Education
- 14. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Not applicable
- 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)
Through this project, we want to generate learning that helps us refine our strategies and strengthen the sustainability of our community. Our key learning questions are:
1. **Capacity building and retention.** To what extent does continuous mentoring and structured onboarding improve the retention of new contributors? We want to learn which support mechanisms (peer learning, coaching for WikiClub leaders, progressive training) are most effective in keeping members active over time.
2. **Quality assurance.** How effective are our efforts to improve article quality in reducing deletions and increasing confidence among contributors? We want to understand whether community-led quality support leads to more reliable and sustainable content.
3. **Motivation and engagement.** How do regular practices and challenges influence contributor motivation and consistency? We want to see if these approaches help members develop a sense of belonging and identity within the movement.
4. **Sensitization and outreach.** Which formats of sensitization (community dialogues, “Wikimedia, Let’s Talk,” partnerships with institutions) are most successful in raising awareness and attracting new and diverse editors?
5. **Sustainability and feedback.** What elements of these strategies can be institutionalized within WikiClubs to ensure continuity after the project ends? What do participants themselves suggest as improvements for long-term engagement?
By exploring these questions, we aim to not only improve our local practices but also share insights with the wider Wikimedia movement about how to grow resilient communities in underrepresented contexts.
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 200 | |
| Number of editors | 80 | |
| Number of organizers | 10 |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 19 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 1 |
| 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/1bIM8y2IRTsLQmY5EkizF0i0ncA9LR2Fo_5K3kNPz5SM/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)
14325000 CDF
- 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.
5000 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).