Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Wikidata & the Genocide Against the Tutsi (ID: 22988253)/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)
Project summary
Visiting, geotagging, and photographing 60 of the more than 250+ genocide memorials related to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, over a period of 27 days in August 2025 across the entire country.
In parallel, I created around 120 Wikidata entries during the project preparation phase, and have been gradually developing the corresponding Wikipedia pages — with around 40 articles already published in French. The next step involves translating these pages into English and Kinyarwanda, while ensuring that the images hosted on Wikimedia Commons and the Wikidata elements are properly reused and interlinked across the projects.
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
This page serves as a central hub for the work I carried out and includes links to many related contributions developed around this project. The roughly 1,000 pictures, organized into 60 albums, are the result of visits to 60 genocide memorials across all five provinces of Rwanda, completed over 27 days of travel.
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
Tools and resources used
I used ABBYY to convert the few available online sources into readable and structured information in preparation for the trip. Other essential tools included Flickr, Google Photos, Google Maps, and Google Street View for visual verification and contextual imagery. The gps coordinates were used to update the model mapping the memorials : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mod%C3%A8le:Carte/MemorialsRwanda Finally, OpenRefine was used to create and reconcile Wikidata elements for more than a hundred genocide memorials. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Score_Beethoven ; https://xtools.wmcloud.org/ec-yearcounts/www.wikidata.org/Score%20Beethoven)
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilisateur:Score_Beethoven/Rwanda2025/Tableau_de_suivi
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 | Agree |
| B. Create a more inclusive and connected culture in our community | Agree |
| C. Develop content about underrepresented topics/groups | Strongly agree |
| D. Develop content from underrepresented perspectives | Strongly agree |
| E. Encourage the retention of editors | Agree |
| F. Encourage the retention of organizers | Agree |
| G. Increased participants' feelings of belonging and connection to the movement | Agree |
| F. Other (optional) | User W0landdd
(https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sp%C3%A9cial:Contributions/W0landdd) was an exceptionally responsive reviewer and a true cornerstone of the contributions made to this project. Although the topic was sensitive, I also received moral support from Derrick Ndahiro and Clémentine, two key Rwandan Wikimedians — at least in words. |
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: This work allows us to document information about the genocide against the Tutsi that is not yet available on Wikidata. We will publish lists of individuals and elements related to this genocide on the platform to contribute to the construction and dissemination of the collective memory of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Specifically, this will involve:
- Entering data on Wikimedia platforms, including geolocation of historical sites, information on involved individuals, dates, etc. This will cover memorial sites, churches, schools, stadiums, and major events such as massacres.
- Recording information on memory work, including discoveries, preservation efforts, commemorations, and related events.
Lessons learned
I realized that this project deserves stronger institutional and community support — not only to send more people to complete the inventory, but also to enrich the information related to each memorial site, since every location carries its own unique and deeply specific story.
There is also a huge lack of knowledge across Africa when it comes to technical contributions on Wikimedia projects — such as using OpenRefine, managing Commons uploads and categories, creating and maintaining infoboxes, working with Wikidata, maps models, building navboxes, structuring articles and tables, and applying proper sourcing and reference standards at the bottom of pages.
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)
Negative unexpected
No support was received from the official institutions. Our letters requesting support from MINUBUMWE (Ministry of National Unity & Civic Engagement) went unanswered, despite several attempts by email, phone calls, and even in-person visits to the Ministry to request an audience. This lack of response was disappointing, especially considering the valuable communication opportunity it represented — to share with the outside world the impressive work Rwanda has accomplished in preserving the memory of the genocide.
Negative expected
Travel conditions were not easy, particularly when visiting memorials located far from main paved roads. Some of these sites are large, isolated buildings, and reaching them required roughly 400 kilometers on motorbikes, which was physically demanding — a real Paris-Dakar adventure! However, I was determined to visit, geolocate, and photograph as many memorials as possible from my list, so I was prepared to make these sacrifices. It even proved more efficient to leave the rented car on the main road and hire a motorbike and driver to reach remote memorials (for example, Mayunzwe, Mutete, Nyarubuye, etc.). In total, around 35 of the 60 memorials visited were accessed this way.
Very positive unexpected
Rwanda has made massive investments to build state-of-the-art memorials and is clearly aware of the importance of improving access to them. In some cases, new roads are being brought closer to existing memorials (such as Murambi) or new ones are being built next to main roads (like Bigogwe, Nyundo, Songa, and others).
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)
I initiated the project and involved Kano Tchapi from Congo, who when first in the country and could not realize extensive fieldwork (lack of official supports).
I would like to return to Rwanda to help strengthen the skills of local contributors, such as Gilbert, a staff member of Ibuka — an association actively engaged in the management and preservation of genocide memorials. Given his privileged position within the institution, Gilbert could make valuable contributions to online Wikimedia documentation, drawing from reliable institutional sources.
I would also like to support a candidacy such as User Harouna674 to conduct fieldwork and carry the project forward. Looking ahead, I plan to continue this work next year around April, during the commemoration period, when there is better access to the memorials and stronger community engagement.
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 | 25 | 18 | A dedicated “Rwanda” WhatsApp group was created, bringing together 18 members, including Ibuka staff (Gasigwa Gilbert,...), Alain Gauthier (who acted as an advisor and reviewer), Jacob Tatsitsa (a Cameroonian historian known for his work on the war of independence in West Cameroon), W0landdd, and several others.
The group served as a coordination and discussion platform throughout the project and will be dismantled at the end of October 2025. |
| Number of editors | 10 | 4 | 4 actives contributors to my work :
|
| Number of organizers | 3 | 3 | Harouna674; Kani Beat; Score Beethoven |
| Wikimedia project | Target | Result - Number of created pages | Result - Number of improved pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 50 | 45 | 80 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 300 | 800 | 30 |
| Wikidata | 15000 | 120 | 160 |
| Wiktionary | |||
| Wikisource | |||
| Wikimedia Incubator | |||
| Translatewiki | |||
| MediaWiki | |||
| Wikiquote | 50 | 2 | 0 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 650 | Approx global contributions during the trip and after :
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:CentralAuth/Score_Beethoven https://xtools.wmcloud.org/ec-monthcounts/www.wikidata.org/Score%20Beethoven Personal Dashboard (ongoing) : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilisateur:Score_Beethoven/Rwanda2025/Tableau_de_suivi | |||
| 30 | Ongoing attempt to create and improve the navbox in other languages.
The French navbox (palette) was immensely upgraded by me during the preparation and implementation of this project. You can clearly see the difference in the number of listed memorials, many of which will soon become fully developed Wikipedia articles. : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mod%C3%A8le:Palette_G%C3%A9nocide_au_Rwanda https://rw.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test01 (ongoing work) https://rw.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibidasanzwe:Contributions/Score_Beethoven https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Rwandan_genocide_footer (ongoing work) | |||
| 3200 | Images documentation and processing
Close to one thousand photographs were taken during the fieldwork, each of them being individually reviewed, selected, and post-processed before upload. https://xtools.wmcloud.org/ec/commons.wikimedia/Score%20Beethoven https://xtools.wmcloud.org/ec-monthcounts/commons.wikimedia.org/Score%20Beethoven The post-treatment workflow included color correction, contrast balancing, cropping, and noise reduction, using tools integrated into smartphone cameras as well as Flickr’s online editing suite and mobile apps such as Snapseed and Lightroom Mobile. The objective was to ensure visual clarity and documentary consistency across all media. Approximately 50 to 60 curated albums were created and uploaded under the appropriate Wikimedia Commons categories, each representing a distinct genocide memorial site. Every image was carefully captioned and categorized, following Wikimedia Commons standards, to facilitate reuse in Wikipedia articles and Wikidata items. | |||
| 60 | Pictures and travel documentation
The photo categories related to the genocide memorials document a long field journey covering 60 memorials visited over 27 days across Rwanda. The travels spanned the entire country — from the north and southeast, through the southern and southwestern regions, up to the northwest, and finally back to Kigali — using a combination of rented car and extensive travel by motorbike, often in challenging conditions. This collection provides a visual record of the memorial sites and surrounding landscapes, offering valuable context for Wikimedia Commons users and future Wikipedia documentation. A draft preparation phase was conducted before the trip, based on data gathered online and from public sources. Unfortunately, this work was carried out without official support from Rwandan authorities, despite a formal request sent in advance to the relevant institutions. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilisateur:Score_Beethoven/Rwanda2025Tableau Counts : https://xtools.wmcloud.org/ec/fr.wikipedia.org/Score%20Beethoven?uselang=fr https://xtools.wmcloud.org/ec-monthcounts/fr.wikipedia.org/Score%20Beethoven https://fr.wikiscan.org/utilisateur/Score%20Beethoven
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1bdWDr5UCS-dUShOf_yA4F0Ya-Bf_dAE | |||
| 1 | Navbox creation and improvement
An attempt was made to create and improve a navbox (known as a palette in French) to aggregate all the articles related to the genocide memorials in Rwanda. The goal is to provide a central navigation tool linking existing and upcoming pages, and to facilitate translations of these articles into English and Kinyarwanda. This navbox is intended to ensure coherence and visibility across Wikimedia projects, allowing users to easily access all related content about the Genocide Memorials in Rwanda. https://rw.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test01 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Rwandan_genocide_footer |
9. Did you have any difficulties collecting data to measure your results? (required)
Yes
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)
The subject is very sensitive in the country and i did not get the official and full support from the authorities.
I had to take risk, 'hide' my objectives from time to time and just visit like tourist and collect only public infos (location/gps, date of the events/memorials,...) and public pictures.
So, when in the country, facing the non endorsment of the autorithies, i had to switch the objective from the lists victimes of names for wikidata, into "inventory and mapping of genocide memorials" and i travelled closed to 1200 km to take pictures of 60 memorials. I did not succeed to get into all memorials as many of them have no permanent personnel; but all of the 60 memorials, pictures in the albums / categories in wiki Commons were worth for a visit and to get a documented entry in wikidata/commons, etc
Part 4: Financial reporting
[edit]10. Please state the total amount spent in your local currency. (required)
6495.58
11. Please state the total amount spent in US dollars. (required)
7527.08
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/1u0iWDw3xbIEU2wvTTTTUegHI3H5DBryTChC5wcgL2bo/edit?usp=sharing
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)
No change in the budget, just that i had to add more from my own funds to complete some tasks, but i was expecting this.
13. Do you have any unspent funds from the Fund?
No
13.1. Please list the amount and currency you did not use and explain why.
N/A
13.2. What are you planning to do with the underspent funds?
N/A
13.3. Please provide details of hope to spend these funds.
N/A
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)
The project is a large-scale initiative with tremendous potential, and it requires additional support to ensure its continued progress and completion.
Review notes
[edit]Review notes from Program Officer:
N/A
Applicant's response to the review feedback.
N/A