Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Wiki Loves Monuments 2026:A photo walk on The Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe) in Tanzania (ID: 23645407)

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Applicant Details

Main Wikimedia username. (required)

Jonny Frosty

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

1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.

Wiki Loves Monuments 2026: A photo walk on The Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe) in Tanzania

2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.

2026-02-01 - 2026-03-01

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)

Wiki Loves Monuments

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)

Tanzania’s tourism sector continues to experience rapid growth, making it an ideal focus for cultural preservation efforts such as Wiki Loves Monuments. In 2024, Zanzibar recorded 736,755 tourist arrivals, a 15.4% increase from 2023 [1], with tourism contributing 27–29.5% of the island’s GDP and around 80% of its foreign exchange earnings The Daily News Tanzania [2]. With these stats it surely reflects a growing global interest in Tanzania’s cultural and historical heritage, particularly sites like The Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe), one of Stone Town’s oldest landmarks.

However, despite this progress, many of Tanzania’s monuments remain underrepresented online. Studies show that cultural heritage sites significantly influence tourism performance, ranking highly in attractiveness within Tanzania’s key tourism regions from RSIS International Journal [3]. Yet, Wikimedia research reveals that around 15% of Wikipedia articles are poorly linked or “orphaned,” showing major content gaps, especially in African cultural topics [4].

Following the success of Wiki Loves Monuments in Tanzania 2024, [5] which brought together youth, photographers, and Wikimedia enthusiasts to document Tanzania’s monuments found in Bagamoyo the heart of ancient places and history of the people of Tanzania and share them on Wikimedia Commons,and images taken which can be found here [6] and here [7] Wiki Loves Monuments in Tanzania 2026 will build on this momentum to reach new monumental places and deepen the impact of cultural heritage preservation efforts, that align with the foundation’s goal.

The 2026 campaign will take place at The Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe) in Stone Town, Zanzibar one of the oldest and most iconic heritage sites in the country. This continuation seeks to strengthen community participation, expand awareness, and ensure that more Tanzanian monuments are represented and accessible online.

We aim to promote sustainable digital preservation of our cultural heritage by equipping more people with the skills and motivation to document, photograph, and improve content related to national monuments on Wikimedia platforms.

One of the main challenges are;

Limited Digital Representation:

  Many monuments across Tanzania  especially those in coastal and island regions remain undocumented online.

Low Public Awareness:

  Many citizens, particularly youth, are unaware of the role Wikimedia projects play in preserving heritage and promoting free access to cultural knowledge.

Insufficient Technical Skills:

  Potential contributors often lack the skills to upload, categorize, and edit heritage-related content on Wikimedia platforms, and thus we will be performing workshops on Commons.

We plan to do this as our approaches;

Train participants on photography, uploading images to Wikimedia Commons, and knowledge about commons and copyrights.
Partner with The Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe) and local communities to document monuments found in the area and nearby places.
Promote cultural preservation through social media, and partnerships with tourism stakeholders.
We will encourage participants to contribute through creative competition, rewarding top uploaders and active editors.

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.

1. Online Launch & Awareness Campaign

  - Official online launch via social media platforms and Wikimedia channels to introduce the campaign theme, timeline, and registration process. Newly created and updates Meta page will be found here [8] to share details, updates, and outcomes.

2. Site Visit & Photo Walk We will organize a guided photo walk at The Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe) and nearby historical sites in Stone Town.

  - Participants will learn photography skills, monument documentation techniques, and best practices for capturing heritage images.

3. Commons and Copyright Training

  - We will facilitate a workshop on how to upload images to Wikimedia Commons, understand copyright and free licenses (CC-BY-SA), and add descriptive metadata to uploaded files.
  - Provision of  training to participants on using categories and improving the visibility of Tanzanian heritage on Wikimedia platforms.

4. Uploading Session

  - Conduct hands-on upload sessions to ensure all participants successfully contribute images.
  -  Provide mentorship and peer support during uploads and editing.

5. Statistics Recognition and Awards Ceremony (Online)

  - Celebrate top contributors with certificates, prizes, and public recognition based on the number and quality of uploads, as well as article edits.
  - Share campaign statistics (uploads, new users, articles improved) on the Meta page and social media platforms to promote transparency and motivation.

NB: Activity 3&4 can be joint, depends on schedule and resources

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.

1. Team Leader:

Name: Johnson Massawe (Global WikiEducation Initiative)
Role: Oversees the overall planning, grant writing, coordination, and execution of the campaign activities, and reporting.
Wikimedia Username: Jonny Frosty

2.Workshop Facilitator (Commons)

Name: Hussein Issa (Wikimedia Community Zanzibar)
Role: Experienced Wikimedian and Swahili admin who participated in organizing different Campaigns in Tanzania such as WikiForHuman Rights Campaign, Africa WikiChallege,Kiwix4school program in Tanzania and Afrocreatives +Film Project. He will be doing workshops on commons and copyrights.
Wikimedia Username: Husseyn Issa

3. Team Lead II (Photographer)

Name: Jacob Nyirenda
Role: Leads in taking professional and quality images to be uploaded to the Wikimedia Commons as an open source.
Wikimedia Username: Jacobgijjah

4. Project Advisor

Name: Pellagia Njau (Global WikiEducation Initiative)
Role: As an experienced wikimedian she will be acting as our advisor.
Wikimedia Username: Pellagia Njau

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 main participants in the Wiki Loves Monuments Campaign will be members of the Global WikiEducation Initiative [9] and Wikimedia Community Zanzibar [10], experienced photographers from Tanzania, and other interested individuals. The Global WikiEducation Initiative Community will provide essential support and guidance, ensuring that participants receive the necessary training and resources. Experienced local photographers will contribute their expertise in capturing high-quality images of Tanzanian monuments, mentoring less experienced photographers and sharing best practices. Additionally, interested participants from various backgrounds, including students, cultural enthusiasts, and community members, will be encouraged to join as well.

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 Community and Wikimedia Community Zanzibar about the Wiki Loves Monuments project through WhatsApp and Telegram groups to maximize reach and engagement. To support open communication and gather valuable feedback, we’ve set up a discussion page connected to our Meta page [here](https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_Community_Zanzibar). This platform facilitates detailed exchanges, allowing community members to provide feedback, ask questions, and share their ideas effectively. In addition, we’ve strategically promoted the campaign and our discussion platforms across social media, community forums, and through targeted outreach efforts.

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)

Cultural background, ethnicity, religion, racial

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)

Ethnic/racial/religious or cultural background

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

17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)

1. How did hosting the 2026 campaign in Zanzibar, at The Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe), influence participation and inclusivity among local communities, youth, and women compared to previous editions on the mainland?

2. To what extent did the campaign increase participants’ and the public’s awareness and appreciation of Tanzania’s cultural heritage, particularly Zanzibar’s monuments?

3. Which aspects of the training (e.g., Commons uploads, copyright understanding, or article editing) most effectively enhanced participants’ digital literacy and confidence in contributing to Wikimedia projects?

4. How did partnerships with local cultural institutions, Wikimedia affiliates, and innovation hubs contribute to the success of the campaign? What lessons can be learned for future collaborations in heritage documentation?

5. How many participants continued contributing to Wikimedia Commons or Wikipedia after the campaign ended, and what motivated or limited their sustained engagement?

18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)

Number of participants, editors, and organizers
Other Metrics	Target	Optional description
Number of participants	20
Number of editors	15
Number of organizers	4

Number of content contributions to Wikimedia projects
Wikimedia project	Number of content created or improved
Wikipedia	70
Wikimedia Commons	200
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 Data
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)

Hashtags, Program Dashboard, Event Registration Tool

Financial proposal

21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RuNq7a_6rAUIx_oFCq_qZ-GivP8Mh0Rzwr3oAqICTnU/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)

7250000 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.

2907.21 USD

We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.

Yes

Endorsements and Feedback

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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).

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