Grants:Project/MSIG/Africa Great Lakes communities / Movement strategy implementation phase 2/Report

Movement Strategy Implementation Grant Report
Accepted

Outcomes

MSIG 2 onsite launch workshop

This report outline the Movement strategy implementation project https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Movement_Strategy_in_Africa_Great_Lakes outcome , results and lessons learnt , from a series of workshops and trainings organised to the various products developed with a goal to make the Africa great lakes region a hub to the global movement with right skills in wikimedia and with a leadership towards a global contribution from the background of a region full of young talents and with great potential to contribute beyond daily editing tasks.

Project outcome

What was the outputs of your project and how will those outputs contribute to advancing a specific Movement Strategy Initiative

We aimed to contribute to the movement strategy recommendation 6: Invest in leadership and skills development

What specific Movement Strategy Initiative did your project focus on and why? Please select one of the initiatives described here

To implement the movement core principles and skills development in the communities in the Africa great lakes.
To contribute in structural governance and learn from best practices in the region for sustainability.
To empower the communities to contribute in more diverse Wikimedia projects

The phase 2 of the movement strategy in Africa great lakes focused on the leadership and skills development where adapted trainings and workshops have been organised beyond the existing platforms and in doing so approaches were intentionally making sure the future audiences are interested and participated to the fullest to catch the youthful potential contributors , the organised workshops are reported on the meta page https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Movement_Strategy_in_Africa_Great_Lakes/phase2

One of the outcome of the project was the survey https://wikibuntu.limesurvey.net/238549?lang=en conducted in the region in the four different languages used in the region namely kinyarwanda ,swahili , english and french and reached about 1000 respondents , the survey revealed a high aware (450 respondents ), young (250 of respondents are aged between 18-24 and over 200 respondents are of age 25-30) and educated audience(300 respondents hold bachelors degree) with strong interest in training and relevant content (more than 80% expressed interest)

Based on the results and other engaging workshops , a strategic plan 2025-2030 for the region have been drafted reflecting the priorities for the movement in the Africa great lakes

An app have been developed with a brand wikibuntu http://wikibuntu.devslab.io/ with aim to share knowledge and bring more engagement to the youthful community of our movement in the great lakes it's features and use are presented

Project Activities

What specific activities have been carried out during this project? Please describe the specific activities that have been carried out during this project.

The project launch were organised in March 2024 in Kigali , with the participation of the all communities representatives of Burundi , Rwanda and the DRC. The project detailed planning was done with a calendar of activities , this was followed by an online workshop where participants were briefed about the project
We followed the Global approach for local skill development - gathering data (survey conducted ), matching peers, mentorship (workshops organised ), and recognition. Skill development as a priority for our communities.

We partnered with Africa growth initiativeWiki Africa Growth in their programs to empower more than 80 African wikimedians by mobilizing more members ,
coaching and empower the communities in the 3 countries to make maximum profit from the trainings we conducted from module 1 to module 4 depending on the level of each member needs

we conducted wiki data trainings wiki data in Rwanda on 6th to 11th november 2024 and in Burundi on 8th to 14th December 2024 and in Goma from 29th to 30th November
We made a follow up to more than 300 potential wikimedians who showed interest in joining the movement and this number has been extended as during the survey more people expressed interest in joining the movement.
A mid term conversation was held physically in Rwanda in February 2025 , where the community in DRC participated and the community in Burundi participated virtually , the project was adapted and adjustments were made to fit the calendar of activities
We organised leadership and event management workshops in Rwanda in February 2025 with aim to discuss how to become a wikimedia administrator , the participants were equipped with expertise to drive the growth , development and sustainability within the movement particularly in Africa great lakes.

We organised photography workshops to benefit 80 members in our region to professionally contribute to wiki commons.
Movement Strategy in the Africa Great Lakes Region – Phase 2 Implementation marks the second stage of a strategic project that began with a first phase focused on surveying and gathering the needs of Wikimedia community members in the Africa Great Lakes region. This initial phase helped identify several key priorities, including closing the gender gap, capacity building, and providing internet support to volunteers.
Phase 2 focused on leadership and skills development , based on the local communities feedback through the surveys conducted . Several training workshops were organized in Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In the DRC, activities were carried out in two major cities in the eastern part of the country, Goma and Bukavu, with overall goal to gain insights in to wikimedia ecosystem , to develop and strengthen participants’ leadership skills, specifically in the following areas through the following workshops:
Wikidata with objective to develop a deeper understanding of the Wikidata platform, particularly querying using SPARQL. Workshop (29–30 November 2024, Goma): A two-day advanced training on Wikidata and SPARQL was organised, bringing together over 20 participants.
Africa Growth Initiative Workshops (1 March 2025 in Goma, 8 March 2025 in Bukavu): Two sessions aimed at supporting new Wikimedians in understanding the Wikimedia movement. A total of 30 participants took part (15 in each city).

Photography and Wikimedia Commons Workshops with objective to enhance technical skills for producing high-quality photos, were organised (21 March 2025 in Goma, 29 March 2025 in Bukavu): Two sessions focused on building members’ skills in photography, free licenses, and the process of uploading images to Wikimedia Commons. 30 participants took part (15 per city).

As a challenge , The initial project timeline was disrupted by the ongoing security situation in Eastern DRC.
Analysis, lessons learnt
These workshops significantly enhanced participants’ skills in key areas such as leadership, the Wikimedia movement, Wikidata, photography, and Wikimedia Commons. We exceeded our target in terms of participant numbers, thanks to: A rigorous selection process focusing on contributors with prior experience. Efficient budget management, made possible through collaboration with a reliable local partner.
In short, this project demonstrates that thorough preparation and strong local coordination are essential to the successful implementation of regional programs.
the wikidata workshop https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_Rwanda was conducted https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:Wikidata_Workshop_in_Rwanda from 6th to 11th November 2024 in Kigali, the days workshop had an objective to empower the Rwandan Wikimedia community to actively contribute to and benefit from Wikidata. Participants gained a comprehensive understanding of Wikidata's core concepts, tools, and best practices, enabling them to confidently create, edit, and query data. The training fostered a collaborative learning environment where participants could share their knowledge, learn from experienced Wikidata editors, and contribute to building a vibrant and knowledgeable community in Rwanda.
We organized trainings in communication to increase the level of participation and writing skills in order to actively and sustainability contribute in different high level responsibilities in the movement.
We conducted The governance workshops to mobilize our members in the 3 countries to participate in the global council , and other worldwide governance programs with strengthening the local structures and making peer to peers programs for accountability.

Movement strategy in Africa great lakes leadership workshop , Rwanda community

How do you intend to keep communities updated on the progress and outcomes of the project? Please add the names or usernames of these individuals responsible for updating the community

We used the 3 communities's Social media and other existing platforms such as webistes https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Movement_Strategy_in_Africa_Great_Lakes,whatsapp, the diff article to share the outcomes with other communities and presentations progress through wikimedia conferences such as WikiIndaba,Wikimania,Wikiconvention.

Who was responsible for delivering on this project and what have been their roles and responsibilities?

On the management of the project we acted as a team of 7 people from Burundi , DRC and Rwanda
- Project coordinator: Nyinawumuntu Jeannette, RebeccaRwanda , Rwanda
as project coordinator , Rebecca was responsible for overall planning , coordinating activities in the 3 countries and following up on the implementation of activities - Capacity building coordinator: Ndahiro Derrick, Ndahiro derrick , Rwanda
Derrick were responsible of the coordination of training activities including the mentorship programs and coordinating with each country coordinator - Country coordinator: Valentin Nasibu Jonas , VALENTIN NVJ, DRC
As coordinator for the DRC, Valentin have been responsible for carrying out face-to-face and/or online activities in: Set up a local team (with 5 WMDRC volunteers);Select participants;Select mentors;Facilitate capacity-building workshops;Coordinate application testing in the DRC; Centralize feedback and pass it on to the development team; Report on all these activities to the project coordinator;

- Country coordinator: Ferdinand Irankunda , Ferdinand IF99 , Burundi
As coordinator for Burundi, Ferdinand have been responsible for organising on site and online activities in: Set up a local team (with 3 volunteers from the community);Select participants;Select mentors;Facilitate capacity-building workshops; and supervise the application testing ; Centralize feedback and pass it on to the development team; Report on all these activities to the project coordinator;

- Secretary and communication officer: Nyirahabihirwe Clementine, Cnyirahabihirwe123, Rwanda
Clementine have been responsible for the over all secretariat and book keeping tasks and financial reporting

Stakeholders contacts : Felix Naty, Wiki Africa Growth
advised on the integration of the modules for wiki growth we will develop to be in line with the over all best practices as set by the global movement.

Additional information

The implementation of the project coincide with a cross cutting time where we will be hosting wikimania 2025 in East Africa region , we want to capitalise on this to have at that time an empowered community contributing not only as host but as a remarkable contributors in the articles writing and technically contributing in wikidata as an example

In all the projects phases and in all activities we have been guided by the friendly space policy https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Friendly_space_policy

We used 4 different languages used in our region in order to communicate efficiently namely Kinyarwanda , Swahili , English and French

Outcomes

The following are logical phases activities as well as output and outcome reached from the project

Quarter	Specific activities	Baseline	target beneficiaries/ involved	Output	Outcome	Comment
Quarter 1	Project launch workshop	Communities in the region have been collaborating online to prepare the logic flow of the project	12 people onsite , 100 people online	Potential Beneficiaries and stakeholders informed in a kick of workshop for the communities leaders and an online session was organised for the community awareness and involvement	Enhanced understanding , Awareness and ownership All communities	partners involvement , on boarding project beneficiaries online and onsite BR, RW, DRC
	Reaching out to more than 300 potential Wikimedians	More 500 members are so far registered	40 community members to be involved BR, RW, DRC	300 new members in the region join the movement	regional community growth	These were identified from the survey , MSIG 2 through the survey activities brought more interest in community , young people who showed interest to join were more than 500 people
	Organizing workshops trainings with Africa growth initiatives building on existing international standards	20 members have benefitted and certified	40 beneficiaries have been trained in this program	40 certified members and well equipped by trusted modules	Improved performance in creating articles on Wikipedia	For the 2 first modules we engaged the communities in the 3 countries to participate and they have been refunded on internet fees DRC, BR, RW
	Wiki data workshops	12 members have been trained From global community	will have at least 10 regional community members who can become Administrators	Community members trained and involved in advanced technical support	We have 200 regional community members we can relay on retention in the movement	This increased the engagement with our partners in empowerment of members on wiki data in the 3 countries
	Empowerment of photographers to contribute to wiki commons	We based on existing partnership with local experienced photographers	20 experienced photographers trained as Regional partners outside movement	40 have been trained regionally with gender equity in consideration	Increased Number of Uploaded quality Images on o Wiki Commons	Community engagement

Quarter 2	An App have been developed , educational and engagement app have been developed to integrate the existing wikimedia apps	existing partnership	DRC ,RW Girls with no access to internet	Tool to offline access on remotely communities without internet	Flexible learning opportunities and community empowerment	This app will serve to bridge the gap in under served communities and increase community engagement in the region
	Organizing workshops trainings with Africa growth initiative	on going collaboration, Contact person Felix Natey	15 people in RW 15 people in DRC and 10 in BR	50 Regional community member were trained	will be heightened community engagement ,skill development, and increased content contribution, fostering a more vibrant and empowered Wikimedia ecosystem in the region.	For the rest of 2 other modules we engaged the communities in the 3 countries to participate and they have been refunded on internet fees, this increased their confidence to contribute in wikimedia platforms
	Coordination and Logistics	DRC, Rwanda Burundi Leads	Regional Community Larders 2 BR, 4 RW, 2 DRC	well organized work flow	Good experience to utilize in future events and conferences	the region of EAC to host Regional Wikimania this will provide good experience , the coordination was key for project implementation as we were operating in difficult times of insecurity in the region

Quarter 3	Workshops on governance in the movement	MCDC initiatives Ambassadors	MC Awareness discussions in Regional community will identified 10 individual	Great Lakes com leaders have been equipped about Governance in the movement	Hubs initiates , UCoC	Great Lakes leaders have been equipped about Governance in the movement for the sustainable leadership
	5 year strategic plan developed	the survey conducted served as baseline to make 5 year planning	Africa Great Lakes	detailed Document Stakeholder Engagement Framework., Implementation Roadmap	A unified vision for the Wikimedia movement, Measurable Impact and Adaptability and Resilience	Comprehensive Strategic Plan Document: Development of a detailed and well-structured 5-year strategic plan outlining key objectives, initiatives, and timelines have been developped.
	Coordination and Logistics	Logistics Team	Community	Development of a comprehensive project plan outlining tasks, timelines, and resource requirements	Smooth Execution, Stakeholder Collaboration, Cost and Time Efficiency	The team worked hard to Establishment of an efficient logistics framework covering procurement, transportation, and resource allocation.
	SWAGS , project promotional materials		For impact	T shirst and banners were used to Facilitate the activities promotion	For impact

Quarter 4	Project workshop final presentation		community consultations	Validation	Regional consultations and validation	partners involvement , involving project beneficiaries online and onsite
	5 year strategic plan final products		Well designed and presentation for final documentation	Final documentation	For impact in the movement strategy
	SWAGS , T-shirts and banners for project promotional materials

Grant funds spent

Spent funds Africa great lakes communities/Movement strategy implementation grant	Item

Expense type	Expense details	Number of Units	Unit Price (Local)	Unit Price (USD)	Expense Total (Local)	Expense Total (USD)
Quarter 1	Project launch , on site workshop	1	595,300	484	595,300	484
	Project launch , online workshop	1	269,500	219	269,500	219
	Reaching out to more than 300 potential wikimedians and survey data collection	40	32,500	25	1,300,000	1,059
	Organising workshops trainings with Africa growth initiatve	40	76,650	50	3,066,000	2,497
	Wiki data workshops	10	195,000	158	1,950,000	1,588
	Empowerment of photographers to contribute to wiki commons	40	60,000	48	2,400,000	1,954
Sub total Quarter 1					9,580,000	7,802
Quarter 2	Consultancy services App development , offline educational app integrating existing wikimedia apps	1	2,530,000	2,060	2,530,000	2,060
	Event organisation and project management coaching	10	122,800	100	1,228,000	1,000
	English and french mentorship programs	10	184,200	150	1,842,000	1,500
	Organising workshops trainings with Africa growth initiatve part 2	40	61,400	50	2,456,000	2,000
	Coordination and logistics	1	982,400	800	982,400	800
Sub total Quarter 2					9,038,400	7,360
Quarter 3	Workshops on governance in the movement	2	600,000	488	1,200,000	977
	Consultancy services , 5 year strategic plan , including the data collection and validation process	1	2,200,000	1,792	2,200,000	1,792
	Coordination and logistics	1	1,175,440	957	1,175,440	957
	SWAGS , project promotional materials , T-shirts and awareness brochures used	1	1,814,960	1,478	1,814,960	1,478
Sub total quartier 3					6,390,400	5,204
Quarter 4	Project workshop final presentation the printouts , the internet and transports	1	1,432,000	1,166	1,432,000	1,166
	Consultancy services , 5 year strategic plan final products final	1	2,000,000	1,629	2,000,000	1,629
	Coordination and logistics	1	1,140,000	928	1,140,000	928
	SWAGS , project promotional materials	1	856,000	697	856,000	697
Sub total quarter 4					5,428,000	4,420
Total Quarter 1- Quarter 4					30,437,600	24,786
Total spent					30,437,600	24,786

TOTAL AMOUNT SPENT USD: 24,786 USD

Remaining funds

Do you have any remaining grant funds?

No remaining funds on this project.

Anything else

Anything else you want to share about your project?
This project has been very impactful in Africa great lakes region as it contributed to the resilience of our communities and improved significantly the skills of our communities members.