Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Wiki for Digital Literacy of Refugees, as part of the World Refugee Day Celebration in Bidibidi Refugee Settlement, Uganda (ID: 23941132)
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Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Adige malona (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)
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 for Digital Literacy of Refugees, as part of the World Refugee Day Celebration in Bidibidi Refugee Settlement, Uganda
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2026-09-08 - 2026-11-30
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
Uganda
- 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)
Digital literacy is the ability of an individual to use, interpret, and create content using digital tools like computers, smartphones, and social media platforms. Digital literacy is the basis for online information literacy, as an individual will first be able to use these digital tools before they can interpret them correctly. It also involves understanding how online platforms like Wikipedia, Wikidata, and other wiki-related work in the online space. Every year, the United Nations sets aside June 20 as a day to celebrate refugees all around the world. The United Nations revealed that over 117 million people are forcibly displaced globally, including refugees from conflicts in Sudan, DRC, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, and Myanmar. According to Wikipedia, the Bidibidi Refugee Settlement is a refugee camp located in Yumbe District, West Nile sub-Region, Uganda, in the Eastern part of Africa. It is one of the world’s largest refugee settlements in Africa, housing approximately 285,000 refugees fleeing conflict in South Sudan as of late 2016.
The refugee settlement faces severe challenges, including inadequate access to clean water, understaffed educational facilities, Food insecurity, and a lack of educational materials, compounded by the lack of vocational training opportunities. Access to education is limited for refugees and the host community due to a shortage of schools, educational training, and teachers. The situation is worse due to the low number of teachers in the settlement. (Bidibidi Refugee Settlement - Wikipedia) Based on a study by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2024), Uganda was hosting up to 1,611,732 refugees. Of these, 58 % (935,260) were from South Sudan. Out of the 935,260 South Sudanese, 198,061 (21.1%) were from the Bidibidi settlement. The age group of 18-35, within which the study population falls, made up approximately 23% (45,974) of all the South Sudanese in the Bidibidi settlement. However, existing evidence from refugees’ lived experiences suggests that refugee higher education students continue to experience gaps in resilience in Uganda (Nambi et al., 2023). https://doi.org/10.1177/17454999231185647 In the wake of these displacements, these individuals are faced with poor digital skills and poor knowledge of information literacy tools in their society.
As part of the World Refugee Day celebrations, events are organized in the month of June and beyond, ranging from cultural displays, information advocacy campaigns, community gatherings, and educational activities. These events help to bridge the literacy gap in the settlement among the young people who have been victims of war and conflict in their host countries. For this year’s celebration, we plan to introduce the students and the young people in the refugee camp to the power of Wikipedia and wiki-related platforms and expose them to information literacy activities like Wikipedia content creation, article improvement, and overall online information generation so that they can be updated on the events in the country and also tell their stories better using reliable citations. Wikimedia projects can be a viable tool towards reducing poor digital literacy skills through campaigns aimed at training young people on how to contribute to local content on Wikipedia and add verifiable references. This is where the theme of the project, being summarized as digital literacy, comes into play. Creating awareness about the plight of the refugees and poor education level through the creation of articles on Wikipedia and its sister projects will not just expose the young people and the students to Wikimedia projects, but will also help them to be updated on the happenings in their society and information on the internet. This project intends to expose the students and young people in the Bidibidi Refugee settlement to Wikimedia projects and the act of using them as a tool to curb poor digital literacy and information literacy deficiencies.
- 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.
We will be embarking on the following activities: 1. To achieve the aim of the project, which is to combat the menace of poor digital literacy skills among youths and students in the Bidibidi Refugee Settlement, we will organize awareness and sensitization campaigns about Wikimedia projects in the refugee camp among youths in the camp. We will also carry out an awareness campaign on the Wikipedia project editing among the students in the Refugee camp, in Yumbe District, Uganda.
2. We will be partnering with the Refugee Welfare Council (RWC) at the clusters to select and organize these students for the physical and online training. The Refugee Welfare Council is the administrative body of the Refugee camp in Yumbe District, Uganda.
3. We will organize two in-person events for the students in the Yumbe District Camp, followed by virtual sessions on Zoom. These events will consist of Wikipedia Training and an Edit-a-thon on the theme of the campaign. A total of 50 students in the refugee camp will be trained, and they will be expected to educate and create awareness about Wikimedia projects by improving and creating content about the theme of the campaign on Wikipedia and its sister projects.
4. We will create an event campaign platform and an outreach dashboard where we will assign already curated articles on local content in Uganda to participants, monitor their activities, and create a separate WhatsApp group where participants will be mentored after the events. This initiative will help participants to solidify their knowledge through knowledge sharing and collaboration. Also, interested participants will be added to the Wikimedia Uganda User group and other theme-related groups for continual contribution and follow-up of Wikimedia activities.
- 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.
User: Adige malona (Project Lead): He is a Wikimedian and a librarian living in the Bidibidi Refugee camp settlement. He is also an active member of the Wikipedia User Group South Sudan and has contributed to Wikipedia for Refugees 2024 and is a scholar of Wiki Afrodemics 2026. He is passionate about advancing knowledge equity, digital literacy, and community empowerment across the refugee community. User: Jerry Minor (Facilitator): He is the Head of Special Resources Collection and the Circulation Librarian at the University of Port Harcourt and a Wikimedian who has organized and facilitated Wikimedia programs and training within and outside Rivers State, Nigeria. He was the AfLIA's consultant for the Wikibase project 2025 and facilitated the first Wikipedia Training for AfLIA in preparation for the 2026 AfLibWk. He is the co-founder of the Port Harcourt Wikimedia Hub, an informal Wikimedia group that brings together students and staff from higher institutions in Rivers State and Nearby states who have been trained in Wikimedia projects by the Team. He is also a member of the Wikimedia Rivers Network and was a participant in the Wiki Education’s Scholars and Scientists program. User: LikamboisaacK (Co-facilitator): Digital Refugee Storyteller, Open Knowledge Advocate, and Wikimedian actively involved in coordinating the Wikimedia Refugee Youths user group as Part of the Wikimedia Community User Group South Sudan. He was the Top English Contributor in Africa for the African Youth month and also a trainer for the Wikimedia in Refugee campaign, where he trained over 50 youths on Wikimedia projects contributions. User: Asikironalio (Outreach and Advocacy officer for the project): He is a Wikimedian and the Co-founder of the Reliable Refugees Storytellers Association. He is an active contributor to Wikipedia projects under the Wikipedia User Group Uganda and to the Wiki for Refugees campaign. He also won the 2026 Wiki Loves Folklore campaign in Uganda.
- 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)
Our primary target participants are students and young individuals in the Bidibidi refugee camp, Yumbe District in Uganda, who are either new to Wikimedia or existing contributors. The target participants are students who have been identified as refugees living in the Bidibidi refugee camp. At least 50 of them will be trained on Wikimedia projects. Most of the participants will be newbies, and this will provide an avenue to recruit new Wikimedians for the Wikimedia Community Usergroup Uganda and other wiki-related groups. The participants will be added to a WhatsApp group where onboarding information will be shared. The participants will be mentored on WhatsApp and in Zoom meetings in addition to the in-person training and edit-a-thon. After the events, interested participants will be added to the Wikimedia Community User Group Uganda and other Wikimedia-related groups, where they will participate in other Wikimedia events and campaigns.
- 10. Does your project involve work with children or youth? (required)
Yes
- 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.
We will adopt the Wikimedia Foundation Youth Safety Policy in all our meetings and ensure everyone is welcome and allowed to contribute to the good of the Movement. At the beginning of each event, we will summarize and read the Wikimedia Youth Safety Policy to all participants, ensuring everyone is informed of its guidelines. https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Friendly_space_policy#Youth_Safety
- 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 Wikimedia Community User group Uganda have been informed about this project and the expected outcomes. The project captures a very important group in the community who have been neglected due to location and other social vices. The project alings with the Wikimedia foundation goal of free knowledge and information sharing irrespective of geographical, cultural, tribal, and communual difference.
- 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)
Advocacy
- 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)
Identify Topics for Impact
Learning and metrics
[edit]- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
1. We hope to learn how engagement with youths and undergraduate students can be used in contributing to Wikimedia projects aimed at reducing digital literacy deficiencies among people in society. 2. We hope to create awareness about the role of Wikimedia projects in information literacy advancement and how this can be used for educational purposes. We hope to understand how students can meaningfully contribute to sustainably support Wikimedia movement goals. Once introduced, will students use Wikipedia to develop/improve more content within their local communities? 3. We hope to gain insights into how underrepresented groups in Wikimedia appreciate Wikimedia trainings and how they contribute to Wikimedia projects. Also, we hope to learn how to ensure continuous performance from participants and active contribution to Wikimedia projects from their various language and fan club groups. 4. We hope to understand the role of digital literacy in ensuring an information-literate society among refugees in the society.
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 50 | This is the total number of participants including new editors expected for the campaign |
| Number of editors | 54 | We expect to have 50 newly registered editors from the students and also 4 returning editors who are organizers for the campaign. |
| Number of organizers | 4 |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 150 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 80 |
| Wikidata | 120 |
| 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)
I will use the outreach dashboard to measure each of the metrics and the event registration tool to monitor registrations, and coordinate training dates and general information to participants.
Financial proposal
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LTyYM58k_fqb8UaGHlaUyt1WgpWdJcakKng9V2_WCsM/edit?gid=0#gid=0
- 22. and 22.1. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in your local currency. (required)
16206225 UGX
- 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.
4391.07 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).