Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/ Wiki Loves Folklore 2026 in Rwanda (ID: 23643772)
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Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Philemon Niyomwungeli
- 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 Loves Folklore 2026 in Rwanda
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2026-02-01 - 2026-03-31
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
Rwanda
- 5. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign, project, or event? If so, please select the relevant project or campaign. (required)
Wiki Loves Folklore
- 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 Loves Folklore Rwanda 2026 aims to preserve, document, and share Rwanda’s intangible cultural heritage by making photos, videos, and audio recordings freely available on Wikimedia Commons. Many aspects of Rwanda's folklore, including traditional dances, music, folktales, oral storytelling, seasonal festivals, traditional attire, and cuisine, are currently underrepresented online. Without documentation and community engagement, these cultural expressions risk being forgotten, especially among younger generations who are increasingly disconnected from their heritage. The lack of participation from women, volunteers from rural areas, people with disabilities, and new contributors further limits the diversity and authenticity of content available on Wikimedia platforms.
To address these challenges, the project will focus on three main approaches. First, capacity building will empower new and existing contributors with skills in photography, videography, audio recording, storytelling, and uploading content to Wikimedia Commons. Structured training and mentorship, informed by the success of previous Wikimedia campaigns, ensure that contributors can produce high-quality media and confidently share cultural knowledge. Second, inclusive community engagement will ensure that at least 60% of contributors are women and will actively involve rural volunteers and people with disabilities. Collaboration with local cultural centers, community associations, and youth groups will help identify cultural practices, facilitate access to events, recruit and mentor contributors, and co-host workshops and outreach activities. This ensures that the content documented is authentic, culturally sensitive, and representative of the community. Third, incentivization through a national folklore documentation contest, aligned with the global Wiki Loves Folklore campaign, will recognize outstanding contributions and motivate sustained participation.
The work of each contributor will have a direct impact. By documenting previously underrepresented cultural practices, contributors fill knowledge gaps and make Rwanda’s folklore accessible to a global audience. Their contributions enable cultural education, strengthen community pride, and promote intercultural understanding. By training and mentoring new contributors, the project builds lasting capacity, creating a network of skilled individuals who can continue documenting and sharing cultural heritage beyond the project period. Collaborating with local cultural centers ensures that documentation is authentic and community-driven, while including women, rural volunteers, and people with disabilities strengthens equity and representation. Collectively, these efforts will result in hundreds of freely licensed media files, increased participation from underrepresented groups, and a sustainable foundation for preserving Rwanda’s intangible heritage
- 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 planned activities of Wiki Loves Folklore Rwanda 2026 are directly connected to our main strategies of capacity building, inclusive community engagement, and broad participation in documenting Rwanda’s folk culture. Each activity is designed to ensure that Rwanda’s traditional music, dances, games, festivals, oral storytelling, folk attire, cuisine, and other cultural expressions are well-documented and freely accessible on Wikimedia Commons.
The project will begin with a planning and coordination phase, where we will establish partnerships with local cultural centers, community associations, youth organizations, and local media outlets. During this phase, we will identify regions with active folk traditions and prepare tailored training materials. This foundational step ensures that all activities reach both urban and rural participants while building strong local collaboration. Next, we will conduct training workshops across selected districts to develop participants’ skills in photography, videography, audio recording, and contributing content to Wikimedia Commons. The workshops will cover practical skills such as uploading media, understanding copyright and licensing, and using storytelling techniques to preserve the meaning and context of folk culture. These workshops will also prioritize engaging new contributors, women, rural volunteers, and people with disabilities to ensure broad and inclusive participation.
Following the training, we will organize a National Folk Culture Documentation Contest aligned with the global Wiki Loves Folklore campaign. This contest will encourage participants to capture authentic images, videos, and audio recordings of folk dances, music, games, festivals, traditional attire, and other cultural practices. Recognizing and rewarding the best contributions will motivate creativity, attract new contributors, and promote awareness of Rwanda’s rich cultural diversity.
In addition, we will hold community follow-up and engagement sessions to support participants in uploading their media, sharing experiences, and improving the quality of their documentation. These sessions will strengthen collaboration among contributors, cultural experts, and Wikimedia volunteers, fostering a sustainable network of cultural preservation advocates. The final phase will focus on evaluation, documentation, and reporting to measure the project’s impact and share lessons learned with the wider Wikimedia community. All outcomes, including photos, videos, and audio files, will be published on Wikimedia Commons and a public project page to ensure transparency, visibility, and continued community engagement. These activities were chosen because they combine education, hands-on creativity, inclusive participation, and recognition, which have proven effective in previous Wikimedia campaigns such as Wiki Loves Africa and earlier Wiki Loves Folklore events. By linking capacity.
- 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.
Project Lead /Organizer Wikimedia Username: Philemon Niyomwungeli Philemon leads the project and oversees its overall coordination. He is responsible for planning activities, managing the budget, preparing reports, and building partnerships. His role ensures that every part of the project stays aligned with the goals of the Wikimedia Foundation and the Wiki Loves Folklore campaign.
Wikimedia Community User Group Rwanda Status: Volunteer Organizer
Project Advisor Wikimedia Username: Ndahiro Derrick Derrick serves as an advisor to the project team. He offers guidance on cultural engagement, project design, and community standards. His experience within the Wikimedia movement helps the team design activities that reflect the values and goals of Wiki Loves Folklore. Wikimedia Community User Group Rwanda
Status: Volunteer Organizer
Event Organizer / Trainer Wikimedia Username: Peace Batuma Peace plays a key role in organizing and coordinating project events. She manages communication with participants, oversees logistics for photowalks and documentation sessions, and helps facilitate community trainings. Her work ensures that every activity runs smoothly and participants feel supported. Wikimedia Community User Group Rwanda
Status: Volunteer Organizer
Jury Coordinator & Technical Organizer Wikimedia Username: Adygrafix250
Adygrafix250 provides both technical and coordination support for the project. He helps with the judging process, assists participants during Wikimedia Commons uploads, and ensures that all submissions meet quality and copyright requirements. His technical knowledge is essential for the smooth flow of the contest.
Affiliation: Wikimedia Community User Group Rwanda
Status: Volunteer Organizer
Communications & Outreach Organizer Wikimedia Username: Umutaramyi Umutaramyi leads the project’s communications and outreach work. They connect the team with local communities, partners, and cultural groups, helping to promote the contest and encourage participation. Their outreach efforts help make the project inclusive and widely known. Affiliation: Wikimedia Community User Group Rwanda Status: Volunteer Organizer
- 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)
This project will bring together youth, women, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, elders , and cultural experts from Rwandan communities. Most of the work will take place in Gasabo, Nyanza, Huye, and Musanze, where local traditions and cultural expressions are still strong. Before the project activities, we will organize training and orientation sessions in partnership with local cultural experts, community leaders, and Wikimedia groups. These sessions will explain the project’s goals, highlight the importance of preserving cultural knowledge for future generations, and teach participants how to upload, caption, and edit content on Wikimedia Commons, so their work can be shared widely. During the project, participants will document and share Rwandan cultural practices and traditions under the guidance of elders, museum experts, and cultural custodians. They will also receive data support to stay connected and continue contributing their content online throughout the project. After the activities, we will hold review meetings, exhibitions, and mentorship sessions, working closely with local communities and Wikimedia groups. This ongoing support will help participants continue contributing to Wikimedia Commons, ensuring their work preserves Rwanda’s cultural heritage while also sharing it with the world
- 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 Wiki Loves Folklore project is committed to providing a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all participants, including young people aged 15 - 24. We follow the Wikimedia Foundation Friendly Space and Youth Safety Policy (link) and comply with all relevant local laws for the protection of children and youth. In rwanda Key Safety are to tackle on : Supervision: Participants under 18 will always be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or responsible adult during all project activities.
Content Management: Sensitive or mature content will not be displayed in areas accessible to youth.
Safety Plan: Organizers will provide clear ways to report any safety concerns and ensure young participants are supervised at all times.
Consent: No personal information or images of minors will be collected or shared without explicit consent from a parent or guardian.
Volunteer Compliance: All project volunteers will be briefed on youth safety guidelines and are expected to follow ethical and legal standards when working with young participants.
This policy ensures that youth involvement is safe, ethical, and empowering, while allowing meaningful participation in documenting Rwanda’s cultural heritage https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Friendly_Space_Policy_for_Wikimedia_Foundation_Events#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.
To discuss the idea of the Wiki Loves Folklore in Rwanda 2026 project, I first shared the concept with my team and other active Wikimedia volunteers across Rwanda. I explained the goal of documenting Rwandan cultural heritage and outlined the planned activities, including photo documentation, community trainings, and contest participation. I invited feedback on the project plan, contest rules, and participant involvement making sure to include voices from diverse groups, such as youth, women, people with disabilities, elders and local cultural experts. This ensured that all perspectives were considered and the project could be inclusive and accessible to everyone.
Following the initial discussions, we held planning sessions with volunteers and community representatives to review suggestions and refine the project design. Input from these sessions helped improve the activities to ensure they are culturally respectful, collaborative, and aligned with other Wikimedia initiatives in the region. By involving the community in planning, we strengthened coordination, engagement, and participation.
The planning process and volunteer feedback will be shared on the Meta-Wiki page of the Wikimedia Community User Group Rwanda, providing transparency and allowing the broader community to follow and contribute to the project. Links to relevant on wiki discussions: Wikimedia Community User Group Rwanda Meta page:https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Community_User_Group_Rwanda
- 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)
Culture, heritage or GLAM
- 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)
Increase the Sustainability of Our Movement
Learning and metrics
[edit]- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
Through this project we hope to learn how to engage diverse groups of people in documenting and sharing Rwanda’s cultural heritage, including youth, women, people with disabilities, elders, LGBTQ+ individuals and cultural experts. We want to understand what motivates participants to get involved and continue contributing and how training, mentorship and guidance can improve their confidence and skills in using Wikimedia Commons We also want to learn how to balance quality and quantity in cultural documentation, supporting participants to produce high-quality, accurate and culturally respectful content while encouraging broad participation to capture a wide variety of cultural materials Another important lesson is about collaboration and transparency, learning how to work with local communities, cultural experts and volunteers in ways that are inclusive, open and build trust. We hope to find approaches that encourage teamwork, community ownership and long-term engagement Finally we hope to learn how to make the documentation process sustainable, creating systems that allow participants to continue sharing Rwanda’s cultural heritage after the project ends. Overall the project will give us practical insights into preserving culture in ways that are inclusive, accurate, collaborative and accessible to everyone
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 40 | The project will actively engage a diverse group of participants who will contribute directly to documenting and sharing Rwanda’s cultural heritage. Participants will take part in-person at community trainings, documentation sessions, and exhibitions, as well as online through uploading, captioning, and editing content on Wikimedia Commons.
New participants Around 25 individuals participating in Wikimedia projects for the first time. This group includes youth, women, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other community members who have not previously contributed to Wikimedia projects. Returning participants Around 15 individuals who have previously participated in Wikimedia events or activities. This includes experienced volunteers from the Wikimedia Community User Group Rwanda, who will also support training, mentorship, and coordination during the project. All participants will be actively engaged in hands on activities, guided by cultural experts and project volunteers, ensuring that their contributions are meaningful, accurate, and inclusive |
| Number of editors | 40 | |
| Number of organizers | 5 |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 300 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 1200 |
| Wikidata | 100 |
| Wiktionary | |
| Wikisource | |
| Wikimedia Incubator | |
| Translatewiki | 1000 |
| MediaWiki | |
| Wikiquote | 200 |
| Wikivoyage | 100 |
| 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 measure the success of the Rite and Ritual project using three main tools By
Wikimedia Commons statistics to see how many photos, videos, and other media are uploaded.
Surveys and feedback forms to hear from participants, volunteers, and community members about their experience.
Expert review by cultural advisors and jury members to check that the content is accurate, high quality, and culturally respectful.
These tools will help us track participation, engagement, and the quality of the project’s outputs
Financial proposal
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11rOkVSd54BSus6uyumK54WkQ5lWdAvA_MDCWGB-PH40/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)
7197500 RWF
- 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.
4963.79 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).