Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Wiki Kyrgyzcha 2026 (ID: 23830099)
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Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Mamatkazy (talk • accounts • contributions • edit count)
- 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)
I'm a group leader of an informal Wikimedia group.
- Describe all relevant roles with the name of the group or organization and description of the role. (required)
We are an informal group of active Kyrgyz Wikipedia volunteers who are initiating the implementation of this project.
Main Proposal
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
Wiki Kyrgyzcha 2026
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2026-06-01 - 2026-12-20
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
Kyrgyzstan
- 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 Earth
- 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)
Context and achievements to date Over two years of organizing the Wiki Loves Earth competition in Kyrgyzstan, our community has built experience and grown to a level where we can run competitions independently, without external mentors. We already have experience self-organizing mini-competitions such as "Asia Month," and we are confident that the Kyrgyz Wikipedian community is capable of organizing Wiki Loves Earth 2026 entirely on its own. In previous competitions, approximately 2,000 photographs were uploaded, with the majority of participants being newcomers to the wiki movement — which confirms the project's relevance and the high potential of Wikimedia Commons for reaching new audiences. In 2026, we will organize the competition fully independently for the first time, led by the local community, which also strengthens our voice and capacity. Core problems we are addressing Despite these achievements, two years of experience have revealed three systemic problems. The first is a category imbalance. The number of photographs in the "macro and individual species" category is five times lower than in the "landscapes" category. The reason is that participants do not know how to shoot macro photography and are unsure of the evaluation criteria. The second is geographic unevenness. Most photographs come from popular and easily accessible locations — Issyk-Kul, Ala-Archa, Sary-Chelek. Many of Kyrgyzstan's unique natural areas — Karakol, Naryn, Batken, Jalal-Abad — remain virtually unrepresented on Wikimedia Commons. The third is metadata quality. Many uploaded photographs lack accurate descriptions, coordinates, and categories, which reduces their value for articles in the Kyrgyz Wikipedia. In addition, in 2026 we have a special goal: to strengthen the capacity of the community itself — to run the competition using local participants, and to introduce new activities to attract volunteers to the Kyrgyz Wikipedia. Our goals for 2026 This year, within the framework of the WLE competition in Kyrgyzstan, we aim to achieve the following results: upload at least 2,500 photographs, of which approximately 50% will be of high quality, and attract new volunteers through a pilot hybrid training program. Implementation approaches To achieve these goals, we plan to work along two tracks. The first track is the WLE competition. Having tested offline workshops, social media, and outdoor tours, this year we want to build close partnerships with professional photographers — supporting their trips to underrepresented locations on Commons in exchange for quality photographs from remote areas. At the same time, we will continue promoting the project through social media, which has proven effective for the second consecutive year. The second track is increasing the number of volunteers through a pilot hybrid training program. We plan to launch online meetings and training courses for new volunteers, organize motivating competitions and activities, and fund participants' travel to wiki community events. We will also hold regular offline meetings to strengthen community bonds and a sense of belonging. Our experience has shown that one-day workshops and short-term events are not sufficiently effective: participants do not have enough time to acquire the necessary knowledge and motivation. That is why we want to try a more structured, long-term pilot program. Long-term significance In 2026, Kyrgyzstan will organize a national competition fully independently for the first time. This is not only an opportunity to generate new content for Wikimedia Commons, but also an important step toward building a sustainable local Wikimedia community — and toward preparing a new generation of active Kyrgyz Wikipedia volunteers who will contribute to our community's development, participate in regional events, and independently organize local activities in the future.
- 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.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1P6tllOLY64q2DM4iDyJaD_bIqQleHXnvifSZs_-bAGE/edit?usp=sharing
- 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 project implementation team consists of active Kyrgyz Wikipedia volunteers who are also involved in the wiki movement at the regional and international level — helping to organize events and supporting local communities. Mamatkazy (username: Mamatkazy) — applicant and project coordinator, responsible for the entire implementation process, team coordination, effective budget use, and achievement of set indicators and goals. He is an active community event organizer and one of the organizers of previous WLE competitions in Kyrgyzstan. He has experience implementing social projects for youth in a local NGO in Kyrgyzstan. Aziz (username: …) is responsible for the technical side of the project: creating pages, improving the list of locations and protected natural areas of Kyrgyzstan on Wikimedia Commons. He also serves as a trainer and facilitator of online Wikipedia training sessions for youth. Aziz is an administrator of the Karakalpak Wikipedia and is currently an administrator of the Kyrgyz Wikipedia, having made significant contributions to its technical development. Ayana (username: …) is responsible for communication and promotion of the competition on social media, participant recruitment, and the creation of media materials. She will be responsible for attracting new volunteers to the training program through social media and other communication channels, ensuring their active participation. She will also serve as a trainer in the training program. Aida (username: …) is an active Kyrgyz Wikipedia volunteer and one of the organizers of the annual "Asia Month" competition in the Kyrgyz Wikipedia. She will act as an advisor on effective project implementation and goal achievement, monitoring progress, and will also be involved as a trainer in the training program.
- 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 The project is oriented toward several groups. The core audience is youth and students in Kyrgyzstan who want to contribute to the development of the Kyrgyz Wikipedia but are not yet familiar with the wiki movement. We also specifically work with professional photographers and travel photographers capable of providing quality images from hard-to-reach regions of the country, as well as ecologists and nature enthusiasts interested in documenting Kyrgyzstan's natural heritage. In addition to new participants, already active Wikipedians will be involved in the project — to deepen their contributions and pass on experience to newcomers. Engaging participants before and during the project Before the competition begins, the primary promotion channel will be Instagram and other social media with targeted advertising and step-by-step participation guides — an approach that has already proven effective in 2024 and 2025. We will also work with universities, schools, and environmental NGOs for direct outreach to the target audience. During the competition, we will hold hybrid training workshops where participants will gain practical skills in photography and uploading materials to Wikimedia Commons. Following up with participants after the project After the competition, we do not stop working with participants. All participants will be invited to the Kyrgyz wiki community's Telegram group for ongoing communication and support. The most active participants will be engaged in the pilot long-term training program with regular online meetings and offline events. To maintain motivation, we will organize new competitions and activities throughout the year, not only during the WLE period. The goal is to form a stable core of new volunteers who will continue to actively develop the Kyrgyz Wikipedia after the project concludes.
- 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.
The idea and content of this proposal were developed through several rounds of discussion within the project team. First, the entire project team — Mamatkazy, Aziz, Ayana, and Aida — jointly discussed continuing to organize the WLE competition and agreed on incorporating new elements into the 2026 application. Second, discussions were held in the Kyrgyz wiki community's Telegram group, where participants expressed support for continuing WLE and suggested ideas for improving the format. Third, the idea of including a pilot online training program for new volunteers did not arise by chance — it is based on a community needs assessment conducted across Central Asia in 2025 by the Foundation team. The results of that assessment showed that short-term events are insufficiently effective and that communities should focus on attracting new, sustainable volunteers and growing the size of the community. Regarding coordination with other wiki projects in the region, we plan to involve representatives from communities in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan for knowledge exchange during the training program. It is also worth noting that one team member, Aziz, is an administrator of the Karakalpak wiki community, and both Mamatkazy and Ayana are members of the CEE Youth 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)
Geography
- 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)
Age (diversity of age groups)
- 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)
In the course of implementing the project, we would like to find answers to the following questions: Question 1. How effective is the long-term pilot training program for retaining new volunteers compared to short-term workshops? Do program participants remain active in the community six months after its completion? Question 2. Which participant recruitment channels are most effective in Kyrgyzstan — targeted Instagram advertising, partnerships with universities, or working with professional photographers? Question 3. Does the quality of uploaded photographs and metadata improve after training workshops are conducted? Question 4. Is a local community team capable of fully independently organizing a national WLE competition without the support of external mentors?
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 115 | 115 people — ~100 WLE competition participants (uploading photographs) — ~15 new volunteers in the training program |
| Number of editors | 20 | 20 people (new editors who made at least 1 edit to wiki projects after participating in the project) |
| Number of organizers | 4 | 4 people (Mamatkazy, Aziz, Ayana, Aida) |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 100 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 2000 |
| 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)
Yes
| Main Open Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Newcomers | New joined Wiki volunteers within kyrgyz Wikipedia community | 20 |
| 2000 | 2,000–2,500 files (photographs uploaded to Wikimedia Commons) | 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)
Metric Tool Competition participants Fountain + competition page on Commons Uploaded photographs Fountain, Commons statistics Editor activity XTools Training program Google Forms (pre- and post-surveys) Overall reporting Outreach Dashboard
Financial proposal
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
- 22. and 22.1. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in your local currency. (required)
425400 KGS
- 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.
4864.49 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).