Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Wiki Loves Earth in Northern Ghana (ID: 22990410)
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Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Ibrahim Achiri
- Organization
Tamale Wiki Hub
- 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)
The Tamale Wiki Hub is a member of the Open Foundation West Africa (OFWA) located in the northern region of Ghana. Our mission is to champion the rich culture, history, and knowledge of Ghana, West Africa, and the African continent through an open and collaborative approach. We provide capacity-building and skills-training opportunities to individuals who share our passion for free knowledge and align with our core values.
The hub is led by Lookman Sunday Ibrahim (username: Ibrahim Achiri) and Abdul-Rahim Ziblim (username: Knowledge and philosophy), both of whom have been trained by the Open Foundation West Africa. As dedicated volunteers, our primary goal is to openly share knowledge online, ensuring it remains free, accessible, and unrestricted by copyright or control mechanisms.
At Tamale Wiki Hub, we organize regular training sessions to empower our community members with the skills needed to contribute effectively to various Wikimedia projects. These include: editing and creating articles on Wikipedia, uploading media to Wikimedia Commons, playing Wikidata games, participating in edit-a-thons, and learning photography for Wikimedia Commons.
Currently, our hub boasts 67 active members, and we continuously host training programs to enhance their ability to contribute high-quality, free knowledge to the open ecosystem. We also assign individual editing projects to members and recognize top contributors after each session using the Wikimedia dashboard as a guide.
Below is the link to the Tamale Wiki Hub Dashboard: https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Open_Foundation_West_Africa/Tamale_Wiki_Hub_2024-2025_%28January_2024-_December_2025%29/home
Main Proposal
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
Wiki Loves Earth in Northern Ghana
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2025-04-11 - 2025-06-30
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
Ghana
- 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)
The Tamale Wiki Hub aims to address the poor documentation of northern Ghana’s natural heritage on Wikimedia projects. Despite the region’s rich biodiversity, stunning landscapes, and unique ecosystems, there is a great lack of freely licensed images and information about these areas on platforms like Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons. Through the Wiki Loves Earth 2025 contest, we seek to; showcase northern Ghana’s natural beauty to a global audience, build a comprehensive, freely accessible repository of images and information about the region’s natural heritage, train and engage local photographers, hub members, students, and environmental enthusiasts to contribute to Wikimedia projects, and raise awareness about the importance of preserving Ghana’s natural treasures through open knowledge sharing.
Main Challenges about Ghana’s natural heritage sites are; Northern Ghana’s natural heritage is poorly documented on Wikimedia projects, limiting its visibility and accessibility. Many locals are unaware of Wikimedia Commons or how to contribute to free knowledge. Deforestation, climate change, and unsustainable practices threaten the region’s natural heritage, yet there is limited advocacy for conservation.
The approaches we will apply to achieve the change are; We will partner with local schools, photographers, and environmental organizations to promote the contest and train participants. We will organize workshops to teach photography skills, Wikimedia Commons uploads, and the use of free licenses. We will host the Wiki Loves Earth 2025 contest, encouraging participants to capture and upload images of northern Ghana’s natural heritage. We will use social media, flyers, and community outreach to raise awareness about the contest and the importance of open knowledge. Also, we will award prizes and certificates to top contributors, motivating continued participation and high-quality submissions. We will use the uploaded images to create Wikipedia articles, social media campaigns, and educational materials that highlight northern Ghana’s natural heritage and the need for conservation.
- 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.
The activities we are planning to organize for this project just like we did in the WLE 2024 contest are: 1. We will hold a training session at the Tamale Wiki Hub for participants to enlighten and enhance their skills about the project or movement and educate community members about various Wikimedia projects we will be improving during the contest. 2. We will have five days of photo walks to take fresh pictures of unphotographed northern Ghanaian landscapes to increase the number of free images available on Wikimedia projects. 3. We will have a prize presentation and celebration for the winners' achievements in promoting northern Ghana's natural heritage during the closing ceremony. These campaigns seek to emphasize the value of freely accessible photos on Wikimedia projects while encouraging users to take pictures and share the beautiful landscapes of the region.
- 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 Tamale Wiki Hub team consists of passionate volunteers committed to promoting free knowledge and documenting northern Ghana’s natural heritage. Our team brings diverse skills and experiences to ensure the success of the Wiki Loves Earth 2025 project. Below are the key members and their roles: 1. Abdul-Rahim Ziblim, Username: Knowledge and philosophy Role: Hub Lead Responsibilities: Overseeing project planning, coordination, and implementation; liaising with OFWA and the Wikimedia Foundation; ensuring project goals are met. Experience: Trained by Open Foundation West Africa (OFWA); experienced in organizing Wikimedia events and training sessions. 2. Lookman Sunday Ibrahim, Username: Ibrahim Achiri Role: Deputy Hub Lead Responsibilities: Assisting the Hub Lead in project management; organizing training workshops; managing community outreach and participant engagement. Experience: Skilled in Wikimedia Commons uploads and Wikipedia editing; actively involved in previous Wiki Loves Earth campaigns. 3. Baba Dorcas Awinsongya, Username: Awinsongyababa Role: Contest Coordinator Responsibilities: Managing logistics, budget, and timelines; coordinating with trainers and participants; documenting the project’s progress. Experience: Experienced in organizing Wikimedia events and contributing to Wikimedia projects. 4. Sharif Bawiah Luri Tiisu, Username: Tiisu Sharif Role: Training Facilitator Responsibilities: Conducting workshops on photography, Wikimedia Commons uploads, and free licensing; providing technical support to participants. Experience: Professional photographer with expertise in Wikimedia Commons contributions. 5. Maryam Suglo Adam, Username: Suglo20 Role: Community Outreach Facilitator Responsibilities: Promoting the contest through social media, flyers, and community partnerships; engaging local schools and organizations. Experience: Skilled in communication and community mobilization. 6. Adam Abdul Rauf Moshie, Username: Abdul-Rauf Moshie Role: Documentation and Reporting Lead Responsibilities: Capturing photos and videos of the event; preparing reports for the Wikimedia Foundation and OFWA. Experience: Experienced in event documentation and report writing.
- 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: Our Wiki Loves Earth 2025 contest targets the following groups in northern Ghana: Photographers, students, hub members, local communities, environmental enthusiasts, Wikimedia contributors. Engagement Strategies; We will use social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) to promote the contest. We will collaborate with local schools, universities, photography clubs, and environmental organizations to reach potential participants. Organize training sessions to teach participants about; photography techniques for capturing natural heritage, uploading images to Wikimedia Commons, and understanding free licenses (e.g., Creative Commons). We will host online or in-person info sessions to explain the contest rules, goals, and benefits of participation. Also, we will survey to gather feedback from participants about their experience and suggestions for improvement. Organize regular meetups or edit-a-thons to maintain engagement. Share the contest’s outcomes, including the number of participants, photos uploaded, and their impact on Wikimedia projects, with participants and the broader community.
- 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.
To discuss the idea of the Wiki Loves Earth 2025 project, we will hold a series of consultations with key stakeholders, including members of the Tamale Wiki Hub, local photographers, students, and environmental organizations. We will organize both in-person and virtual meetings to present the project’s goals, gather feedback, and address concerns. Additionally, we will share the proposal on our WhatsApp group for Wikimedia volunteers in northern Ghana and on the Wikimedia Ghana User Group’s Telegram channel to reach a broader audience. Feedback from these discussions will help refine the project’s objectives and activities. These steps will ensure that the project aligns with the community's needs and interests while fostering collaboration.
- 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)
Geographic
- 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)
We look forward to learning what best works when encouraging local communities to contribute to Wikimedia projects through this Wiki Loves Earth 2025 project in poorly documented regions like northern Ghana. Focus is on understanding how best to motivate and train participants to upload content of higher quality to Wikimedia Commons and how to hold participants engagement long-term, post-contest. We also want to learn about how the use of freely licensed images is opening up new avenues in creating awareness about environmental conservation and documenting northern Ghana's natural heritage. Our goal in capturing this experience is to document both this process and its outcome so that we can articulate best practices to replicate in future initiatives, to reinforce the Wikimedia movement in West Africa and beyond.
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 70 | |
| Number of editors | 20 | |
| Number of organizers | 6 |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 20 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 800 |
| Wikidata | 5 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Images Uploaded on Wikimedia Commons | Other images will be used in contributing to other wikimedia projects | 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, Uploaded images for Wiki Loves Earth in Northern Ghana 2025
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)
38978.2 GHS
- 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.
2525.03 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).