Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Wiki Academic Icons Edit-a-thon (ID: 23757066)
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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.
Wiki Academic Icons Edit-a-thon
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2026-04-05 - 2026-05-05
- 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)
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)
The change we aim to achieve through this Rapid Fund proposal is to significantly improve the representation of distinguished Tanzanian academicians who have made notable contributions to the research and academic sector in Tanzania on Wikipedia. Currently, there is a visible gap in Wikipedia’s coverage of Tanzanian researchers, particularly those who have served as lecturers and professors in higher learning institutions. This is reflected in the PetScan data [1]. This gap not only limits global awareness of their work but also undermines recognition of their contributions to national development, education, and scientific advancement.
On English Wikipedia, using the category Tanzanian academics [2], it is evident that only a limited number of articles exist, despite the large number of notable Tanzanian scholars and researchers. This demonstrates a significant content gap. The lack of representation restricts access to the documentation of their scholarly contributions, research outputs, mentorship roles, and professional impact. Without proper visibility, their achievements remain largely unknown to students, researchers, and the general public both locally and internationally. Strengthening this representation will not only enhance recognition of Tanzanian scholars but also enrich Wikipedia as a reliable and inclusive source of knowledge for readers worldwide.
Similarly, on Swahili Wikipedia, when searching for “Wasomi wa Tanzania” (Tanzanian academicians) within the category Jamii: Wasomi [3], only a few articles relating to Tanzanian academicians are found. This limited representation highlights a critical content gap in documenting Tanzanian scholars and their academic contributions in the Swahili language. Bridging this gap is particularly important because Swahili is the primary language for millions of Tanzanians, and limited content restricts access to local knowledge in a language that is widely understood.
By addressing these gaps, the project will enhance the visibility and accessibility of Tanzanian scholars’ work, encourage greater participation of local editors in documenting their national knowledge, and create opportunities for students, researchers, and the general public to engage with content about Tanzanian research and academia. Furthermore, this program aligns with global efforts to promote gender equity, diversity, and inclusivity on Wikimedia platforms by ensuring that underrepresented voices in academia are recognized. In the long term, this will strengthen Tanzania’s representation in global knowledge systems, inspire future generations of scholars, and foster a culture of documenting and sharing local expertise.
- 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.
Research and Identification of Notable Academicians: Compile a list of Tanzanian scholars, lecturers, and professors from universities and research institutions, prioritizing those with notable contributions. Gather reliable sources to support article creation, develop a red list of articles to be written on Swahili Wikipedia, and identify articles that can be translated from English to Swahili.
Training Workshops for Editors: Conduct online and in-person training sessions for new and existing editors on creating and editing Wikipedia articles, including Swahili-language sessions
Edit-a-thons and Content Creation: Organize events where participants collaboratively create and improve articles on Tanzanian academicians with mentoring support.
Category Improvement and Organization: Review existing categories on English and Swahili Wikipedia and create or expand subcategories for lecturers, professors, and researchers.
Mentorship and Continuous Support: Pair new editors with experienced mentors and maintain online groups for ongoing support. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting: Track contributions, number of articles created or improved, and editor participation, and share lessons learned via Wikimedia project pages and reports.
- 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: User (Surv_Melch) is an academician and lecturer at Mbeya University with extensive experience in research, teaching, and academic leadership. As Project Lead, he will be responsible for overall project management and coordination, including planning and scheduling activities, supervising team members, and ensuring the timely implementation of all project components. He will oversee proposal execution, budget management, and compliance with grant requirements, while maintaining alignment with Wikimedia policies and goals.
Partnership lead: Pellagia Njau is a Tanzanian Wikimedian who joined Wikipedia in 2017 as a Swahili editor. She has extensive experience organizing campaigns across Tanzania, including WikiForHuman Rights, SheSaid, WikiLoves Women, 1Lib1Ref, Wiki Loves Africa, and Wiki Loves Monuments. As Project Lead, she will oversee overall project execution, activity planning, budget management, grant compliance, partnerships, and reporting, ensuring alignment with Wikimedia policies and goals. Pellagia is also a Certified Kiwix Trainer, bringing both leadership and technical expertise to support offline Wikipedia integration and content development.
Workshop Trainer :Hussein Issa (User: Husseyn Issa) is an experienced Wikimedian and Swahili Wikipedia admin who has actively participated in organizing campaigns in Tanzania, including WikiForHuman Rights, Africa WikiChallenge, Kiwix4Schools, and the Afrocreatives + Film Project
Technical Support: Ally Kiliwasha (User: Killy95) has been an active Wikimedian for the past five years, contributing both as an editor and organizer in campaigns such as WikiForHuman Rights, 1Lib1Ref, WikiLoves Africa, WikiLoves Women, Arts + Feminism, and the Kiwix4Schools project. He is also an academician, bringing both technical expertise and academic knowledge to support project activities, including content creation, and editing.
- 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 Tanzanian academicians from universities, including lecturers and professors, as well as Swahili Wikipedia editors, both new and experienced. These participants have the knowledge, expertise, and interest necessary to contribute high-quality content about Tanzanian scholars and academic achievements on Wikipedia.
- 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.
We have actively informed the Global WikiEducation Initiative community and several academicians from Mbeya University about this project through WhatsApp and Telegram groups. To support open communication and gather valuable feedback, we have set up a discussion page linked to our Meta page [ https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Global_WikiEducation_Initiative]. This platform enables detailed exchanges, allowing community members to ask questions, provide feedback, and share ideas effectively, ensuring inclusive participation and continuous engagement throughout the project.
- 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)
Other Important Topics (topics considered to be of impact or important in the specific context)
- 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)
Linguistic / Language
- 15. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select one that most applies. (required)
Identify Topics for Impact
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 gain insights into the best approaches for increasing the representation of Tanzanian academicians on Wikipedia, particularly in both English and Swahili. We aim to learn which strategies are most effective in engaging university scholars and Swahili Wikipedia editors, including new and experienced contributors, in content creation and knowledge sharing. Additionally, we hope to understand how mentorship, workshops, and edit-a-thons can support sustained participation and improve the quality of contributions. We also aim to learn how to bridge gaps between offline academic communities and Wikimedia platforms, including the effective use of Kiwix and other tools to facilitate access to knowledge. These learnings will help us refine future initiatives, strengthen community engagement, enhance content coverage, and develop sustainable methods for empowering local editors and academicians to contribute to Wikipedia over the long term.
- 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 | 3 |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 100 |
| 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)
Event registration tool and 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/1IZjW3i06M2WEHY6JlMnZPorwVTK1uI2OSkijyeJe3SM/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)
8850000 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.
3455.65 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).