Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Wikimedia projects Awareness and Edit-a-thon in The Gambia (ID: 22971225)/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)
The project was focused on building the first sustainable Wikimedia community in the Gambia. we began with a 2-day introductory training that introduced participants to the fundamentals of Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wiki commons and Wikisource editing. The sessions were designed to be practical and hands-on, ensuring that each participant left with the ability to make their first contributions. After the training, we organized two-month edit-a-thon: the Wikimedia Projects Awareness & Edit-a-thon in The Gambia. This gives participants the opportunity to put their new skills into practice. Community building was another important achievement. We established a Meta page a Facebook page and created WhatsApp and Telegram groups to sustain interaction beyond the events. This consistent follow-up allowed us to support new editors, answer questions quickly, and build a sense of belonging.
The impact of these efforts reached beyond Wikimedia spaces. Our awareness campaign was covered in the Gambia Daily Newspaper, Besel Media (Facebook and YouTube), Fulbe TV (Youtube), and king FM Mandinka news (Radio and online) with lot of audiences.
For the first time in history, The Gambia now has a sizeable and active Wikimedia community. Participants improved multiple Gambian-related articles, contributed to Wikidata items. The most effective approaches were the combination of hands-on training, ongoing online support, and strategic use of media to raise awareness.
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
1. Wikimedia Projects Awareness and Edit-a-thon in the Gambia: https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Wikimedia_volunteers_The_Gambia/Wikimedia_projects_Awareness_and_Edit-a-thon_in_The_Gambia/home 2. Local language report by Besel media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_UEfYtwK_A&t=6s 3. Report on Fulbe TV: youtube.com/watch?si=Nbm3qENk-E4BQowN&v=edrNMXe069g&feature=youtu.be 4. Documented in Gambia Daily: https://gambiadaily.gov.gm/index.php/wikimedia-user-group-gambia-embarks-awareness-raising-campaign
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
Wikimedia Projects awareness training notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Suql-truXTEp9TvrfcTypgdfcoSMEDJh?usp=drive_link
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 | Strongly agree |
| C. Develop content about underrepresented topics/groups | Strongly agree |
| D. Develop content from underrepresented perspectives | Agree |
| E. Encourage the retention of editors | Strongly agree |
| F. Encourage the retention of organizers | Agree |
| G. Increased participants' feelings of belonging and connection to the movement | Strongly agree |
| F. Other (optional) |
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: We hope to gain valuable insights from this project including:
- Understanding the specific needs and expectations of Wikimedia volunteers in the Gambia.
- Assessing Gambians’ perceptions of Wikimedia projects and the broader concept of open knowledge.
- Identifying skill gaps and training needs among volunteers to enhance their contributions.
- Exploring the most effective strategies to motivate and sustain participant engagement in Wikimedia activities.
From our learning questions, several insights emerged during the implementation of this project.
1. We discovered that awareness of Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects in The Gambia remains very low. Most participants were only familiar with Wikipedia as a platform for information consumption, but had little or no knowledge of the wider Wikimedia ecosystem, such as Wikisource or Wikidata. This highlighted the importance of more awareness-raising campaigns before and alongside training.
2. We learned that there is strong interest in contributing in Gambian languages. When we introduced the idea of Wolof and Fulfulde Wikipedias, many participants expressed motivation to prioritize editing and creating content in their own languages. This demonstrates that language and cultural identity can be powerful motivators for volunteer engagement.
3. We also realized that institutional collaboration is key. Some target participants were unable to fully engage due to work obligations. We learned that building relationships with heads of institutions and securing their support will allow staff to attend trainings, and importantly, to continue editing afterward without fear of conflict with their official duties.
We also identified skill gaps especially around technical editing skills and sourcing reliable references that need more structured follow-up training and mentoring. This will help volunteers feel more confident in making sustained contributions.
Looking forward, these learnings will guide our approach in three main ways:
1. Awareness first: increasing outreach activities to raise general knowledge about Wikimedia projects in The Gambia. 2. Language focus: placing greater emphasis on supporting contributions in Gambian languages, connecting this to our long-term goal of preserving and promoting local knowledge. 3. Institutional partnerships: engaging directly with organizations and leaders to create an enabling environment for volunteers to participate actively and sustainably.
Overall, these lessons will help us design more inclusive, relevant, and sustainable Wikimedia programs in the future.
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)
There were a few unexpected developments during the project. One surprise was the high level of enthusiasm for editing in Gambian languages. While we expected some interest, the strong response from participants toward Wolof and Fulfulde exceeded our expectations and highlighted the importance of linking Wikimedia projects to cultural and linguistic identity. This showed us that local language content is a powerful entry point for engagement.
Challenges. The number of articles created and improved (65) fell short of the 400 originally projected. This was partly because many participants were new and required more time for training and practice than anticipated. Additionally, a significant portion of contributions went into Wikisource, which was not fully reflected on the Outreach Dashboard we used for tracking. This taught us the importance of setting realistic targets for first-time contributors and ensuring that tracking tools align with the specific projects being worked on.
From these experiences, we learned that building a strong foundation through patient mentorship, follow-up sessions, and better data tracking is more impactful than chasing high numbers.
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)
We have already started sharing results through: 1. Diff blogs about our Wikimedia awareness work and experiences at Wikimania 2. Social media updates on our Wikimedia User Group The Gambia Facebook page. 3. Presentations at events such as Wikimania and upcoming GLAM Wiki, where I highlight our local experiences and challenges. 4. Community groups (WhatsApp and Telegram) where participants continue to exchange ideas and resources.
Going forward, we plan to produce a detailed summary on Meta-Wiki, continue posting updates on social media, and hold online sharing sessions to engage new volunteers. We also aim to share our experiences with other emerging Wikimedia communities in West Africa, so that they can adapt what we learned in their own contexts.
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 | 35 | 35 | Programs & Events Dashboard |
| Number of editors | 35 | 35 | Programs & Events Dashboard |
| Number of organizers | 5 | 5 | Programs & Events Dashboard |
| Wikimedia project | Target | Result - Number of created pages | Result - Number of improved pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 400 | 14 | 62 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 20 | 112 | 112 |
| Wikidata | 100 | 10 | 32 |
| Wiktionary | |||
| Wikisource | 4 | 200 | 250 |
| Wikimedia Incubator | 8 | 11 | |
| Translatewiki | |||
| MediaWiki | |||
| Wikiquote | |||
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Programs & Events Dashboard. Articles created and improve in Wikipedia Fulfulde | |||
9. Did you have any difficulties collecting data to measure your results? (required)
No
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)
Part 4: Financial reporting
[edit]10. Please state the total amount spent in your local currency. (required)
145434.3
11. Please state the total amount spent in US dollars. (required)
2000
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/1Nl9-Yuk_U7bgqgrYhT_W0Iwlp2Kq5ddEH1BERszlRz8/edit?usp=sharing.
Note: I use the current exchange rate which is bit different from the rate in July.
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)
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 main lesson is that numerical targets do not always reflect true impact. While article numbers were lower than expected, the project successfully built awareness, trained new editors, and sparked strong interest in contributing in Gambian languages.
I recommend more mentorship support for first-time grantees, especially with tools like Wikisource tracking and community retention. We also learned the value of institutional partnerships, as staff supported by their institutions engaged more consistently.
Overall, the project laid a strong foundation for a sustainable Wikimedia community in The Gambia, and with continued support we can grow this momentum further.
Review notes
[edit]Review notes from Program Officer:
N/A
Applicant's response to the review feedback.
N/A