Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Wiki for Minorities Mentorship Program cohort 1 (ID: 23939661)
This is an automatically generated Meta-Wiki page. The page was copied from Fluxx, the web service of Wikimedia Foundation Funds, where the user has submitted their application. Please do not make any changes to this page because all changes will be removed after the next update. Use the discussion page for your feedback. The page was created by CR-FluxxBot.
Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Czeus25 Masele (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 Minorities Mentorship Program cohort 1
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2026-09-01 - 2026-10-01
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
Regional (more than one country in the same continent or region) Based on a review of content gaps across Wikimedia projects and our assessment of underrepresented communities in Africa, the Wiki for Minorities Mentorship Cohort 1 Program will prioritize participants and content development efforts from countries with significant representation gaps on Minority groups. Particular attention will be given to countries such as Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin Republic, Gambia, Niger, Namibia, South Sudan, and Tanzania. Through the mentorship program, participants will receive training in Wikipedia editing, Wikidata contribution, sourcing and referencing, and knowledge equity principles. The cohort will focus on improving the visibility of notable individuals and communities that remain underrepresented online, particularly women, academics, scientists, community leaders, and other marginalized groups
- 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)
Wiki for Minorities Mentorship Cohort 1 Program is a flagship capacity building initiative of the Wiki for Minorities Project, designed to address knowledge gaps and improve the representation of minority communities, marginalized groups, and underrepresented voices across Wikimedia projects. The program builds on the success of Wiki for Minorities' community engagement activities, which have focused on increasing access to knowledge and ensuring that individuals and communities often overlooked in mainstream narratives are accurately documented on Wikipedia, Wikidata, and other Wikimedia platforms.
Over the years, the project has worked to promote digital inclusion, knowledge equity, and community participation by training new editors, organizing awareness campaigns, and creating content that highlights the histories, achievements, cultures, and contributions of underrepresented groups. Through these efforts, Wiki for Minorities has contributed to reducing systemic bias on Wikimedia platforms while empowering young people and community advocates with digital knowledge sharing skills. Despite progress in some regions, significant content gaps remain across Africa regarding minority communities, indigenous populations, women, persons with disabilities, linguistic minorities, and other underrepresented groups. Many notable individuals, organizations, cultural practices, and historical events connected to these communities remain undocumented or poorly represented on Wikimedia projects. These gaps are particularly evident in countries where Wikimedia participation is limited and where local communities lack access to mentorship and technical support.
To address these challenges, the Wiki for Minorities Mentorship Program has been designed as a five-month regional mentorship initiative targeting emerging Wikimedia contributors from underserved and underrepresented communities across Africa. The program aims to recruit and mentor 30 participants, equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and leadership capacity required to contribute effectively to Wikimedia projects, organize local knowledge sharing activities, and advocate for greater representation of minority voices in the digital knowledge ecosystem.
Program Objectives
- Increase the representation of minority and underrepresented communities on Wikimedia platforms.
- Build the capacity of new and emerging Wikimedia contributors across Africa.
- Promote inclusive participation in open knowledge initiatives.
- Develop future community leaders capable of organizing Wikimedia projects and campaigns.
- Strengthen regional collaboration among contributors working on knowledge equity and diversity.
Approach
1. Call for Applications: An open call for applications will be disseminated through Wikimedia community channels, Wiki for Minorities social media platforms, educational networks, civil society organizations, and partner communities. The call will encourage applications from individuals committed to improving the representation of minority and marginalized groups within Wikimedia projects.
2. Participant Selection and Onboarding: Thirty (3) participants will be selected through a competitive process, with priority given to applicants from underrepresented communities and countries with limited Wikimedia participation. Selected participants will be on boarded through orientation sessions introducing Wikimedia platforms, community policies, the goals of the mentorship program, and expectations for participation.
3. Structured Mentorship Phase: Participants will engage in a structured mentorship program led by experienced Wikimedia contributors and community organizers. Mentors will provide hands on guidance in Wikipedia editing, Wikidata contributions, sourcing and referencing, community engagement, leadership development, and project management. Participants will rotate among mentors to benefit from diverse expertise and learning experiences.
4. Capacity Building and Leadership Training: Dedicated training sessions will focus on community organizing, project design, partnership development, grant opportunities, resource mobilization, and sustainable movement building. These sessions will equip participants with practical skills to initiate and sustain Wikimedia activities within their local communities.
5. Guided Editing Campaign: Participants will take part in a multi-month guided editing campaign focused on documenting minority communities, notable individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, indigenous knowledge, local histories, cultural heritage, and social inclusion topics. The campaign will emphasize the creation and improvement of high-quality content on Wikipedia and Wikidata using reliable sources and Wikimedia best practices.
6. Final Presentation and Community Showcase: In the final month, participants will present their achievements, lessons learned, and proposed follow up initiatives. The showcase will provide an opportunity to celebrate contributions, encourage peer learning, and identify pathways for continued engagement within the Wikimedia movement. Participants will also develop action plans for future community based projects aimed at advancing knowledge equity and minority representation.
Expected Outcomes
By the end of the program, participants will have developed practical Wikimedia editing skills, contributed substantial content addressing representation gaps, strengthened their leadership capacities, and become active advocates for knowledge equity. The program will establish a network of emerging Wikimedia contributors committed to ensuring that minority communities across Africa are more accurately and inclusively represented within the world's largest free knowledge platforms.
- 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.
Planned Activities:
1. Call for Applications:
a. Public announcement of the mentorship program through Wiki for Minorities Meta Page, social media platforms, and partner networks.
b. Selection of qualified applicants from underrepresented African countries with low minority groups content on Wikimedia platforms.
2. Participant Onboarding and Orientation:
a. Introduction of 30 selected participants to Wikimedia projects, mentorship structure, and project goals.
3. Mentorship Program:
a. Pairing of participants with experienced facilitators for a three-month rotational mentorship.
b. Hands-on guidance on editing skills, community engagement, and leadership within the Wikimedia ecosystem.
c. A dedicated month on resource mobilization and project sustainability training for the participants.
4. Guided Edit-a-thons:
a. Conduct of a three-month edit-a-thon focused on creating and improving articles and items about Minority groups.
b. Continuous supervision and quality review by facilitators to ensure accuracy and compliance with Wikimedia standards.
5. Peer Learning and Knowledge Exchange Sessions:
a. Monthly virtual check-in involving all the participants to share progress, challenges, and success stories.
b. Cross-country collaboration among participants to enhance regional representation. 6. Final Presentation and Showcase:
a. Participants present their learning outcomes, contributions, and proposed future community projects.
b. Recognition of outstanding participants and facilitators.
7. Documentation and Reporting:
a. Compilation of project outcomes, participant feedback, and impact metrics.
b. Publication of a final report on the diff blog for transparency and community engagement.
- 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.
Czeus25 Masele is an experienced Wikimedian and administrator, and a member of the WikiIndaba organizing team. Clement provides strategic leadership, oversees project execution, ensure alignment with Wikimedia movement values, and coordinates reporting and documentation of the Wiki for Minorities Mentorship Program.
Role: Project Lead
Igallards7 Is a Chilean Wikimedian volunteer since 2008 with versatile experience that is always willing to collaborate with local Wikipedia User Group, advocate for linguistic Minority across Africa. Igallads7 is a founder of wiki for Minority, he participate in so many Wikimedia training both at National and International level. He also take part in the administration part of Chile Wikimedia User Group he held the Title of Director.
Role: Igallards7 will serve as the Wikipedia mentor and he will train the participants on presentation skills Fulani215 is a long-term volunteer Wikimedian editor, language advocate, content creator, and administrator at Fulfulde Wikipedia. He has organized numerous Wikimedia campaigns that support indigenous language across Nigeria. Role: Fulani215 will serve as the project coordinator and communication officer, he will also train the participants on resource mobilization.
- 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)
We are focusing on participants from across Africa, with priority given to applicants from Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin Republic, Gambia, Niger, Namibia, South Sudan, and Tanzania. These countries have been identified due to significant content gaps relating to minority communities, marginalized groups, indigenous knowledge, local cultures, notable individuals, and other underrepresented topics across Wikimedia platforms.
The Wiki for Minorities Mentorship Program seeks to empower contributors from these underserved communities with the skills and knowledge needed to document and preserve their histories, cultures, achievements, and lived experiences on Wikipedia, Wikidata, and related Wikimedia projects. Prioritization of participants from regions with limited Wikimedia representation, the program aims to advance knowledge equity and ensure that diverse voices are more accurately reflected in the global knowledge ecosystem. Upon completion of the program, participants will become members of the Wiki for Minorities, where they will continue to receive peer support, collaboration opportunities, and guidance from experienced Wikimedia contributors. They will also receive training on community leadership, partnership building, resource mobilization, and project development, enabling them to organize local Wikimedia initiatives and sustain efforts to improve the representation of minority and underrepresented communities within their respective countries.
- 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.
The Youth Safety Policy https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Friendly_space_policy#Youth_Safety] would be summarized and read at the beginning of each event
- 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 extensively discussed this project idea with the Wiki for Minorities leadership team and our country representatives across the targeted countries. Feedback from these consultations has been overwhelmingly positive, with representatives expressing strong support for the program and confirming the interest of potential participants within their respective communities. The proposed mentorship program has been widely welcomed as a timely opportunity to strengthen Wikimedia capacity, expand community engagement, and address persistent knowledge gaps affecting underrepresented groups across Africa. By bringing together emerging contributors from multiple countries, the initiative will foster cross-border collaboration, build a sustainable network of skilled editors and community leaders, and further advance Wiki for Minorities' mission of promoting knowledge equity and inclusive representation.
- 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)
Education
- 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)
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)
Did the project Onboard 30 participants? Did the project provide mentorships for the participants on Wikipedia?
Did the project provide mentorships for the participants on resource mobilization and sustainability?
Did the project provide supervised edit-a-thons for participants to confidently edit?
Did the participants showcased their proposed community project?
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 30 | |
| Number of editors | 30 | |
| Number of organizers | 3 |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 150 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 100 |
| 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 | 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 Dashboard tools and Hashtag tool to track contributions
Financial proposal
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17eVVwajrDCDUGG0Azo-GCHcHl_DQPaOJwJgWFjOXxVI/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)
12933813.4 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.
4933.98 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).