Grants:Project/Rapid/GastelEtzwane/SnailMail Kiwix

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statusFunded
GastelEtzwane/SnailMail Kiwix
Kiwix is the offline wikipedia reader promoted by Wikimedia CH. I have been running seminars as well as individual demonstrations in West Africa and in Switzerland presenting Kiwix to schools, educators, education departments and NGOs active in the education field. It is essential that the participants be able to continue experimenting and exploring the Kiwix program, and they need the physical means to share Kiwix further within their own network of contacts. I hand out a lot USB flash drives as this is often the only way to share large quantities of data especially in locations with no internet access.
targetOffline Wikipedia in French
start dateJuly 30
end dateJune 30
budget (local currency)1878 CHF
budget (USD)$1947
grant typeindividual
grantee• GastelEtzwane
contact(s)• gabriel(_AT_)thullen.com


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Project Goal[edit]

  1. The USB keys can be given to partner organizations who will then be able to replicate them and use Kiwix within their own programs.
  2. Attendees at seminars or presentations will be able to “take Wikipedia home” with them so that they can share the contents of the USB key with their network of colleagues and friends.
  3. Mail or send updated versions of Kiwix to active individuals who received a Kiwix key two or three years ago.

Project Plan[edit]

Activities[edit]

1. What content gaps will you be filling with the equipment?

  • After presenting Kiwix to potential partner organizations, it is best to provide them with an actual USB key with Kiwix. The NGOs can then determine its usefulness by testing the Kiwix program following their own protocols.
  • Attendees at seminars and training workshops usually receive one USB key per 2-3 participants. This ensures that they install Kiwix away on their personal device and that the start straight away sharing the contents of the USB key.
  • Sneakernet has proven to be the best way to transfer large quantities of data in areas where there is little or no internet access. The individuals who have remained in contact are likely to be active Kiwix users, and the updated USB keys will encourage them feel that they are part of a global community.

2. What activities will you organize in the next 6 months to create content and use it on Wikimedia projects?

  • Contacts are being made every two or three weeks with NGOs who are active in education. After demonstrating and explaining how Kiwix works, I leave them the actual USB key that was used to present Kiwix. I estimate that I will reach out to 20 NGOs over the next 6 months.
  • Two workshops are planned in 2017, but they will only open if a sufficient number of people are interested in taking part.
  • I am contacting the different individuals and schools I have visited in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and asking them to describe how they use Kiwix by filling out a form. This will enable me to make a list of those who still actively use Kiwix.

3. How will the equipment be shared/tracked/cared for by members of your community?

The USB key will actually be leaving our current wikimedian community. I am keeping track of the individuals and schools who have received Kiwix on USB keys or external hard drives. The recipients are expected to provide me with a report detailing how the equipment was used. Part of this follow-up reporting will be done by the person who has been assisting me in Senegal these past three years, especially for the remote regions that are still off the grid.

4. How long will the equipment be used, and by whom?

The different USB keys will be made available to individuals or schools in West Africa. They will be mailed to a contact person who will then make sure that the final destine receives the key. I plan to send out an update on a new USB key every two or three years, but some of my correspondents have reported faulty keys after less than two years use. The heat and fine dust issues may mean that I need to replace the USB keys sooner than planned.

5. Is there anything else you want to tell us about this project?

It is difficult to predict how long the requested USB keys will last over the coming year (for example, three of my keys stolen today at school). I basically need a stock of USB keys readily available so that I can send them straight away with the latest Kiwix version. There will be a detailed accounting of all USB keys used.

Impact[edit]

How will you know if the project is successful and you've met your goals? Please include the following targets and feel free to add more specific to your project:

  1. Number of total participants
  1. 5/20 organizations will start including the distribution of Kiwix in their own projects.
  2. I aim to reach 450 Wikipedia users at the end of the distribution of 150 USB keys.
  3. 20 Kiwix users will have requested an updated USB thumb drive.
  1. Number of articles created or improved (if applicable)
  2. Number of photos uploaded to Wikimedia Commons (if applicable)
  3. Number of photos used on Wikimedia projects (if applicable)

Resources[edit]

What resources do you have? Include information on who is the organizing the project, what they will do, and if you will receive support from anywhere else (in-kind donations or additional funding).

I will keep track of how the USB thumb drives are used, as well detailed accounts of postal and shipping costs.
This rapid grant request will have to remain open as to the support received from sister organizations who pursue the same goals (free sharing of knowledge and educational resources). A few Kiwix thumb drives will be shared with these organizations and they will then replicate them to meet their own needs.

What resources do you need? For your funding request, list bullet points for each expense:

  • 100 32 Gb USB thumb drive with data pre-loaded and shipping to US - $1467
  • Packing and shipping to end users - $500 USD
  • Total - $1967

Endorsements[edit]

  • This looks like a reasonable project for me. Moumou82 (talk) 21:21, 14 July 2017 (UTC)
  • * Support Support This is a great grant proposal for a great project and this guy does it on a voluntary basis. The asking price for this smart goal: reaching 20 NGOs over the next 6 months is very reasonable. LaMèreVeille, 20 July 2017 (UTC)
  • VMasrour (WMF) (talk) 17:29, 20 July 2017 (UTC) This looks like a very interesting experiment, i hope we can learn a lot from it. I wonder what learning processes will enable feedback from the schools/educators that receive the devices?
    @VMasrour (WMF):, I have just made some USB thumb drives with different Spanish ZIM files for two (teacher) friends of mine, one going to visit family in Columbia and one to Cuba. Would you be interested in one as well? GastelEtzwane (talk) 21:53, 20 July 2017 (UTC)
    @GastelEtzwane: thank you for your generous offer, but right now (2017) is not the right time for me to get into the distribution of these. However, i am keenly interested in the learning that will go with the distribution and use of these devices.
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