Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Wiki for Minorities:Growing the Mandinka Wikipedia in the Gambia (ID: 23759573)
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Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Lfatty22
- 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)
I am the leading member of the Mandinka Wikipedians in the Gambia and the project lead and local coordinator, responsible for overall planning and implementation of the project.
This includes community outreach and participant recruitment, coordination of trainers and language experts, facilitation of activities, monitoring progress, and reporting outcomes to the Wiki for Minorities program.
Main Proposal
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
Wiki for Minorities: Growing the Mandinka Wikipedia in the Gambia
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2026-04-24 - 2026-06-24
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
The Gambia
- 5. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign, project, or event? If so, please select the relevant project or campaign. (required)
Other (please specify) Wiki for Minorities
- 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)
This project addresses the underrepresentation of minority Gambian languages on Wikimedia platforms, with a focus on Mandinka, one of the most widely spoken yet digitally marginalized languages in The Gambia. Although the Mandinka Wikipedia is currently hosted on the Wikimedia Incubator and selected for the 1-Year Language Diversity Hub Mentorship Program, activity levels and content growth remain very low, limiting access to knowledge in the language.
The main barriers include low awareness of Wikimedia projects among Mandinka speakers, limited capacity in digital knowledge production, insufficient standardized language resources, and a small, unsustained editor community. These challenges contribute to the continued exclusion of Mandinka from global open knowledge spaces.
Through community-based recruitment, hands-on training, and mentorship led by experienced Wikipedians and Mandinka language experts, the project will build local capacity for content creation and governance of the Mandinka Wikipedia. Structured content creation sprints and follow-up support will help establish regular contribution practices and strengthen language use in digital contexts.
The intended change is the development of a confident, locally driven community of Mandinka-language contributors, increased volume and quality of Mandinka content on Wikimedia, and a clear pathway toward the long-term sustainability and growth of the Mandinka Wikipedia.
- 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 project will start with a three-day, in-person, hands-on training workshop aimed at empowering volunteers to contribute to Wikimedia projects, with a strong focus on Mandinka-language content creation. Participants will be introduced to Wikipedia editing basics, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and the Wikimedia Incubator, with practical sessions dedicated to developing content for the Mandinka Wikipedia currently hosted on Incubator.
A key feature of the workshop is the collaboration between experienced Wikimedia editors and Mandinka language experts, who will work side by side to support volunteers in creating accurate, culturally relevant, and high-quality articles in Mandinka. This approach will help strengthen the quality and quantity of content, with the long-term goal of advancing the Mandinka Wikipedia toward eligibility for approval as a full Wikimedia project.
The training will be facilitated by experienced trainers, comprising seasoned Wikipedians and Mandinka language experts, with one local facilitator serving as the project lead. Their combined expertise in Wikimedia editing, community engagement, and Mandinka language and culture will ensure a practical, inclusive, and hands-on learning experience for all participants.
The workshop will be conducted as a three-day fully offline, in-person session, allowing participants to receive direct guidance, real-time feedback, and close mentorship during content creation 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.
1. Lamin B. Fatt (Wikimedia username: Lfatty22) – Project Lead
Role: Overall project coordination, training in Wikipedia editing and content creation.
2. Kabiro Janneh (Wikimedia username: Kjanneh3) – Team Member
Role: Support in training sessions, content review, and volunteer coordination.
3. Mansata Sanyang (Wikimedia username: Mansatajah) – Team Member
Role: Facilitate workshops, assist participants in practical exercises, content curation.
4. Gayo Bah (Wikimedia username: Gayobah13) – Trainer
Role: Provide Wikipedia training, mentor new editors, develop training materials.
4. Lamin Sanneh – Procurement and Finance Officer
Role: Manage project funds, procurement of materials and services, financial reporting.
All team members are aware of their involvement in this project, and their roles are designed to ensure effective delivery of Wikimedia-related training and community engagement in The Gambia.
- 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 project will engage Mandinka speakers, including students, educators, and language enthusiasts, with a strong interest in language preservation, knowledge sharing, and digital participation.
Prior to the activities, participants will be recruited through targeted outreach on social media, university channels, and existing community and language networks to ensure inclusive and diverse participation.
During the project, engagement will be maintained through interactive, hands-on workshops, structured mentorship, collaborative editing sprints, and facilitated discussions focused on Mandinka-language content creation.
After the activities, participants will receive continued support through online communication groups, follow-up mentorship sessions, and recognition of contributions through certificates and digital badges, encouraging long-term engagement and community sustainability.
- 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 project idea was discussed informally with Mandinka language volunteers, experienced Wikipedians, and community members through WhatsApp groups, social media conversations, and in-person discussions. Feedback from these discussions helped shape the project focus on offline training, mentorship, and content creation for the Mandinka Wikipedia.
- 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)
Linguistic / Language
- 15. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select one that most applies. (required)
Invest in Skills and Leadership Development
Learning and metrics
[edit]- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
Through this project, we aim to learn how community-led training and mentorship can strengthen participation in minority-language Wikimedia projects, particularly within the context of the Mandinka Wikipedia.
Key learning questions include:
1. How effective are offline, hands-on training sessions in building sustainable editing skills among first-time contributors from minority-language communities? 2. What types of mentorship and follow-up support most successfully encourage continued participation after initial training? 3. Which content creation approaches (such as editing sprints or collaborative article development) are most effective in increasing both the quantity and quality of Mandinka-language content?
We also seek to understand how collaboration between experienced Wikipedians and Mandinka language experts can improve language consistency, cultural accuracy, and contributor confidence.
The data collected such as participant retention, volume and quality of contributions, and feedback from contributors will help us assess impact, refine future activities, and develop replicable models for supporting other minority-language Wikimedia communities in The Gambia.
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 45 | including organisers |
| Number of editors | 40 | including 15 returning editors and 25 new editors |
| Number of organizers | 5 |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | |
| Wikimedia Commons | 200 |
| Wikidata | |
| Wiktionary | |
| Wikisource | 75 |
| Wikimedia Incubator | 50 |
| 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)
We will use Wikimedia tools such as the Programs & Events Dashboard to track participant engagement, edits, and content created, and Pageviews Analysis to monitor readership of Mandinka Wikipedia articles.
Participant learning and experience will be assessed through pre- and post-activity surveys and feedback forms. Where tracking on the Wikimedia Incubator requires additional support, we will seek guidance from Wiki for Minorities and Wikimedia support teams to ensure accurate reporting.
Financial proposal
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qveOVO8rKwRrc3YeLHEnSu3sUOXQl-cQCACHY3cv6Vk/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)
204750 GMD
- 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.
2733.64 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).