Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Wiki Loves Folklore 2025 In Ghana (ID: 23633396)/Final Report
Application type: Standard application
Part 1: Project and impact
1. Describe the implemented activities and results achieved. Additionally, share which approaches were most effective in supporting you to achieve the results. (required)
During the project, we organized a series of activities aimed at engaging participants and helping them contribute effectively to Wiki Loves Folklore 2026 in Ghana. We started with online training sessions where participants were guided on how to upload photos to Wikimedia Commons, how to add proper descriptions, and how to submit their entries to the contest category for easy tracking. These trainings were very helpful, especially for new participants who had little or no prior experience.
In addition, we organized photowalks which gave participants the opportunity to go out together and document cultural practices, traditional attire, crafts, and everyday folklore related activities within their communities. This hands on approach made the experience more practical and enjoyable, while also improving the quality of images captured.
Throughout the campaign, we stayed connected with participants through a dedicated WhatsApp group, where we shared updates, answered questions, and provided continuous support.
As a result, we saw active participation from both new and returning contributors, with a good number of quality images uploaded that reflect Ghana’s diverse cultural heritage. Participants became more confident in using Wikimedia Commons and in documenting culture in a meaningful way.
One of the most effective approaches was the combination of hands on training, photowalks, and continuous engagement. The online training sessions made it easier for participants to get started, while the photowalks gave them practical experience, and the ongoing support helped keep them active and motivated. Creating a dedicated contest category also made it easy to track contributions and measure our impact.
Overall, the project successfully built skills, increased participation, and contributed valuable cultural content to Wikimedia Commons.
2. Documentation of your impact. Please use space below to share links that help tell your story, impact, and evaluation. (required)
Share links to:
- Project page on Meta-Wiki or any other Wikimedia project
- Dashboards and tools that you used to track contributions
- Some photos or videos from your event. Remember to share access.
You can also share links to:
- Important social media posts
- Surveys and their results
- Infographics and sound files
- Examples of content edited on Wikimedia projects
1.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Folklore_2026_In_Ghana
2.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Campaign:wlf-gh-26-wwh
3.https://wikiloves.toolforge.org/folklore/2026/Ghana/users
5.https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jU16bkIeyNf7FFzrhLFZ5lr43JaFGOTS?usp=drive_link
6.https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hF-JYx8fnATuyCsziZY0Yda6QmsLeV7T?usp=drive_link
Additionally, share the materials and resources that you used in the implementation of your project. (required)
For example:
- Training materials and guides
- Presentations and slides
- Work processes and plans
- Any other materials your team has created or adapted and can be shared with others
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hF-JYx8fnATuyCsziZY0Yda6QmsLeV7T https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Jk1MKPJAFKPVa5mZfplaoLg_r-5bYxsFXRxIQvo3PPk/edit?tab=t.0
3. To what extent do you agree with the following statements regarding the work carried out with this Rapid Fund? You can choose “not applicable” if your work does not relate to these goals. Required. Select one option per question. (required)
| A. Bring in participants from underrepresented groups | Strongly agree |
| B. Create a more inclusive and connected culture in our community | Strongly agree |
| C. Develop content about underrepresented topics/groups | Strongly agree |
| D. Develop content from underrepresented perspectives | Agree |
| E. Encourage the retention of editors | Strongly agree |
| F. Encourage the retention of organizers | Agree |
| G. Increased participants' feelings of belonging and connection to the movement | Strongly agree |
| F. Other (optional) |
Part 2: Learning
4. In your application, you outlined some learning questions. What did you learn from these learning questions when you implemented your project? How do you hope to use this learnings in the future? You can recall these learning questions below. (required)
You can recall these learning questions below: Through the Wiki Loves Folklore Ghana 2026 project, we hope to learn how documenting folklore through photography can help build stronger Wikimedia communities and preserve Ghana’s rich cultural heritage. We want to understand what truly motivates people to take part in cultural documentation and how we can keep them engaged even after the project ends.
Some key questions we hope to explore include:
How can local outreach and hands-on training encourage more people across Ghana to join and contribute to Wikimedia projects?
What are the best ways to photograph and document folklore respectfully and accurately, while keeping community traditions at the center?
How can mentorship and capacity building improve the quality of contributions to Wikimedia Commons?
What keeps participants motivated to continue sharing knowledge after the contest?
How can our experiences and lessons be shared with other Wiki communities to inspire similar projects across Africa?
In the end, we want this project to teach us how storytelling and collaboration can keep Ghana’s living traditions visible and accessible to the world.
1. Growing the Community Through Simple Support One thing we clearly saw is that people are more willing to join when the process feels simple and welcoming. The trainings and local outreach really helped, especially for those who were new to Wikimedia. Many participants said they felt more confident because they were guided step by step. Going forward, we want to keep things this simple and supportive by organizing more trainings and staying connected with participants even after the project.
2. Better Understanding of Respectful Cultural Documentation We learned the importance of approaching cultural documentation with respect and sensitivity. Engaging community members and sometimes seeking permission before taking photos helped build trust and resulted in more authentic and meaningful images. In the future, we will continue to promote ethical storytelling and community involvement, ensuring that cultural heritage is documented in a way that truly represents the people and their traditions.
3. Motivation and Retention of Participants One key learning was that mentorship, recognition, and continuous engagement keep participants motivated. Participants were more active when they received guidance, feedback, and encouragement during the project. Going forward, we hope to create stronger follow up activities such as mentorship programs and future campaigns to keep participants engaged and help them continue contributing to Wikimedia projects beyond the contest.
5. Did anything unexpected or surprising happen when implementing your activities? This can include both positive and negative situations. What did you learn from those experiences? (required)
Yes, there were a few unexpected situations during the project, both positive and challenging.
On the positive side, we saw more interest than we initially expected, especially from new participants who had little or no prior experience with Wikimedia. Many people were eager to learn and contribute once they understood the purpose of the project. This showed us that there is a strong interest in cultural documentation, but sometimes people just need the right opportunity and guidance to get involved.
On the challenging side, some participants faced internet connectivity issues and difficulty uploading images, particularly those in areas with limited access. There were also moments where a few participants were unsure about how to properly categorize or describe their uploads, even after training.
From these experiences, we learned the importance of continuous support and follow up beyond initial training sessions. It became clear that one training is not always enough, and participants benefit from ongoing guidance. We also realized the need to simplify instructions as much as possible and provide step by step support materials.
Going forward, we will plan for more flexible support systems, including additional check in sessions and possibly offline guidance where needed. Overall, these experiences helped us better understand the needs of our participants and how to improve future projects.
6. What is your plan to share your project learnings and results with other community members? If you have already done it, describe how. (required)
We plan to share our project learnings and results with other community members through both online platforms and local community channels. After the project, we shared highlights, photos, and key lessons within our local Wikimedia groups, especially through WhatsApp and Telegram, where most participants are active.
We also plan to publish a detailed story on platforms like Diff to share our experience with the wider Wikimedia community. This will help showcase what worked, the challenges we faced, and the impact of the project.
In addition, we intend to organize a short follow up session where we will present the project outcomes, discuss lessons learned, and allow participants and other community members to ask questions and share ideas. Overall, we hope that by sharing our experience openly, we can contribute to learning within the Wikimedia movement and inspire similar projects in other communities.
Part 3: Metrics
7. Wikimedia Metrics results. (required)
In your application, you set some Wikimedia targets in numbers (Wikimedia metrics). In this section, you will describe the achieved results and provide links to the tools used.
| Target | Results | Comments and tools used | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 26 | 26 | |
| Number of editors | 26 | 10 | |
| Number of organizers | 5 | 5 |
| Wikimedia project | Target | Result - Number of created pages | Result - Number of improved pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | |||
| Wikimedia Commons | 1000 | 1120 | 0 |
| Wikidata | |||
| Wiktionary | |||
| Wikisource | |||
| Wikimedia Incubator | |||
| Translatewiki | |||
| MediaWiki | |||
| Wikiquote | |||
| Wikivoyage | |||
| Wikibooks | |||
| Wikiversity | |||
| Wikinews | |||
| Wikispecies | |||
| Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia |
8. Other Metrics results.
In your proposal, you could also set Other Metrics targets. Please describe the achieved results and provide links to the tools used if you set Other Metrics in your application.
| Other Metrics name | Metrics Description | Target | Result | Tools and comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
9. Did you have any difficulties collecting data to measure your results? (required)
No
9.1. Please state what difficulties you had. How do you hope to overcome these challenges in the future? Do you have any recommendations for the Foundation to support you in addressing these challenges? (required)
Part 4: Financial reporting
[edit]10. Please state the total amount spent in your local currency. (required)
13000
11. Please state the total amount spent in US dollars. (required)
1184.04
12. Report the funds spent in the currency of your fund. (required)
Provide the link to the financial report https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HP20k3ZRjtF92izE99ioUaFWzUjx5q5aR4pG9irwTyE/edit?gid=0#gid=0
12.2. If you have not already done so in your financial spending report, please provide information on changes in the budget in relation to your original proposal. (optional)
13. Do you have any unspent funds from the Fund?
Yes
13.1. Please list the amount and currency you did not use and explain why.
Amount & Currency: $315.96 USD (Held as 2,871 GHS).
Explanation: The unused funds are a result of careful budget management and strategic savings during our field activities. We focused our efforts on a dedicated group of 26 participants and 10 active editors, which allowed us to be more efficient with our spending on training materials and local logistics. Additionally, we were able to negotiate better-than-expected rates for transportation and venue hire for our photowalks. Because we didn't run into any major technical or logistical emergencies, our contingency fund remained largely untouched, leaving us with these remaining funds at the end of the campaign.
13.2. What are you planning to do with the underspent funds?
B. Propose to use them to partially or fully fund a new/future request with PO approval
13.3. Please provide details of hope to spend these funds.
Proposed Spend: We propose to carry these funds forward to strengthen the foundation for the Wiki Loves Folklore 2027 campaign in Ghana. Specifically, we plan to use the 2,871 GHS for:
Early Community Mobilization: Starting our outreach and awareness workshops earlier in the next cycle to reach even more remote communities across Ghana.
Editor Retention Sessions: Organizing a "refresher" meetup later this year for our 10 editors to keep them engaged with Wikimedia Commons and improve their metadata skills before the next big contest.
Equipment & Data Support: Providing high-speed data bundles and basic photography accessories (like memory cards) for our most consistent contributors to help them document folklore throughout the year.
Expanded Documentation: Funding a targeted photowalk to a high-priority cultural site that we couldn't fit into this year's schedule, ensuring that more of Ghana’s unique traditions are preserved online.
By investing these remaining funds back into the community, we can sustain the momentum we built this year and ensure our editors stay active and motivated for the future.
14.1. Are you in compliance with the terms outlined in the fund agreement?
Yes
14.2. Are you in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations as outlined in the grant agreement?
Yes
14.3. Are you in compliance with provisions of the United States Internal Revenue Code (“Code”), and with relevant tax laws and regulations restricting the use of the Funds as outlined in the grant agreement? In summary, this is to confirm that the funds were used in alignment with the WMF mission and for charitable/nonprofit/educational purposes.
Yes
15. If you have additional recommendations or reflections that don’t fit into the above sections, please write them here. (optional)