Grants talk:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Wiki Loves Africa 2025 Campaign in Burundi (ID: 22971758)

Duplication of efforts

Hello DSaroyan (WMF) and Grant Team,

The Wikimedia Community User Group Burundi submitted the request for a rapid grant to organize the Wiki Loves Africa 2025, this will be a duplication of efforts, and this activities of wikijambo will jeopardize the progress being made by Wikimedia Community User Group Burundi, we've orgnized wiki Loves Africa since 2022 and other projects like wikiloves Earth, wikiloves women she said, WikiForHumanrights, WPWP, Africa wikichallenge, and other activities were we collaborated and continue to collaborate with other communities in our region like Movement Strategy in Africa Great Lakes and the EA Regional and Thematic Hub (EARTH) you can see more details on our metapage. Ferdinand IF99 (talk) 15:13, 14 February 2025 (UTC)

I also remark a duplication of effort. My suggestion is that they can join us to put our efforts together. Gilbert Ndihokubwayo (talk) 14:45, 17 February 2025 (UTC)

Hello DSaroyan (WMF) and the Grant Team,

Thank you for your attention to this discussion regarding the Wiki Loves Africa 2025 contest. I would like to clarify some important points to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding between the groups and communities participating in this collaborative project.

1. WikiJambo and Wikimedia Burundi:

Two distinct entities with unique missions

Firstly, it is essential to point out that WikiJambo is an independent community and not simply a user group as mentioned in the previous message. Unlike what was stated, the WikiJambo Community (Wikimedia for the minority languages of Sub-Saharan Africa) has a very specific mission: to promote Wikimedia content in languages such as Swahili, Kifuliru, Mashi, Kibembe, Kirundi, and French, while highlighting the heritage of local communities in the Great Lakes region.

Moreover, the name WikiJambo should not be conflated with the Wikimedia Burundi group, as our goals and activities differ. Therefore, any attempt to reduce WikiJambo to a duplication of the Wikimedia Burundi group reflects a lack of understanding of the specific roles and contributions of each entity.

2. Wiki Loves Africa: An inclusive project for the entire Wikimedia community

It is important to emphasize that Wiki Loves Africa is not limited to a single user group or community. According to the principles and policy of the Wiki Loves Africa project, this contest is open to all Wikimedia communities, user groups, and volunteers willing to contribute.

As such, organizing Wiki Loves Africa Burundi is not an activity exclusive to the Wikimedia Burundi group. Any community or group willing to actively participate is welcome to do so in a spirit of collaboration and openness.

3. WikiJambo and Wiki Loves Africa Burundi: A legitimate and distinct initiative

Our efforts to organize Wiki Loves Africa within our community in no way compromise the progress made by the Wikimedia Burundi group. On the contrary, they enrich the diversity and impact of the project by offering a different perspective aligned with the specific missions of our community.

I also wish to emphasize that WikiJambo has always acted in accordance with the values and collaborative rules defined by Wikimedia, taking into account the importance of including all stakeholders equitably.

4. Call for collaboration rather than division :

Rather than creating unnecessary tensions, we believe it is more constructive to recognize the value of our respective contributions. Contests like Wiki Loves Africa benefit more from the synergy between different groups and communities than from centralized exclusivity. We remain open to working with any individual, group, or other interested parties to ensure the success of this project.

In conclusion, I reaffirm that WikiJambo respects the fundamental principles of Wikimedia and actively contributes to the development of inclusive collaborative projects. We hope this response clarifies our intentions and encourages dialogue based on understanding and cooperation.

If you have additional questions or concerns, we will be happy to address them.

Thank you for your attention and your commitment to the Wikimedia movement.

Ferdinand IF99

Gilbert Ndihokubwayo DSaroyan (WMF) and the Grant Team PatrickFound (talk) 21:51, 10 March 2025 (UTC)

Not Funded

Hello PatrickFound, thank you for submitting your Rapid Fund request. We appreciate your commitment to contributing to the Wikimedia Movement.

After reviewing your application, we have decided not to fund it. This decision was made based on the following reason:

• The timeline for your Wiki Loves Africa local campaign does not align with the global Wiki Loves Africa timeline. Since your application was submitted beyond the expected timeframe and the review process for Wiki Loves Africa campaign grants has already concluded, we are unable to consider it for funding. We kindly encourage you to take the campaign timeline into account when applying for Wiki Loves Africa grants in the future.
• Please coordinate any future efforts and projects with the Wikimedia Community User Group Burundi before submitting a new grant request.

On behalf of the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Review Team. DSaroyan (WMF) (talk) 09:26, 18 March 2025 (UTC)