Jenga Wikipedia ya Kiswahili/Report 2025— 2026
Jenga Wikipedia ya Kiswahili is a leading, Tanzania-based Wikimedia user group that brings together a vibrant community of contributors. The group has accumulated over a decade of collaborative experience, not just in Tanzania, but in contributing across various countries to advance open knowledge. Its core mission is centered on the comprehensive strengthening of Swahili and related indigenous language content across the entire suite of Wikimedia platforms. This includes, but is not limited to, the flagship Swahili Wikipedia, Swahili Wiktionary, the crucial media repository Wikimedia Commons, and the structured data backbone, Wikidata. Given that Swahili stands as one of the most widely spoken and influential African languages, its corresponding Wikimedia projects hold a unique opportunity—and a profound responsibility—to grow robustly as authoritative, reliable, and accessible open knowledge resources for millions of speakers globally.
First Quarter, July—September 2025
[edit]Capacity Building
[edit]As part of our capacity building efforts, we trained young participants on how to write history and other related topics in Swahili Wikipedia. After the training, we provided them with a list of articles that needed to be created.
Overview
[edit]In this quarter, we organized two events across two Wikimedia projects: Wikipedia and Wiktionary. The events were named as follows:
- Our Africa, Our Culture – focusing on Swahili Wikipedia (dashboard: AfroCrowd Afrika Yetu Utamaduni Wetu).
- Our Africa, Our Dictionary – focusing on Swahili Wiktionary. (dashboard: AfroCrowd - Afrika Yetu, Kamusi Yetu)
Our Africa, Our Culture
[edit]On July 5, 2025, we launched our first AfroCrowd event with the goal of improving Wikipedia articles. This event followed our year-long calendar of events as outlined in our General Support Fund application. We gathered at SeedSpace from 11 AM to 6 PM. At this event, we had no less than 22 participants. Although the number we wanted was only twenty. Nineteen of them had devices, so they were able to register on the dashboard (https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Jenga_Wikipedia_ya_Kiswahili/AfroCrowd_Afrika_Yetu_Utamaduni_Wetu_(July_5,_2025)).
- Article types
To make this exercise a success, we organized the articles into various areas. These areas included:
- History
- Culture
- Politics
- Cuisine and,
- African ethnic groups - (as an addition after completing the work plan on time).
The actual list didn't take long, the trained task force finished improving articles on the history of all of Africa. They continued to the culture side (example: https://sw.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utamaduni_wa_Angola), politics (example article: https://sw.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siasa_ya_Kamerun), cuisine (example article: https://sw.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapishi_ya_Angola) and finally we moved on to ethnic groups. To get the full list of works done, see here: https://sw.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:AfroCrowd_2025/Makala
Statistics
[edit]Wikipedia
[edit]What was done on Swahili Wikipedia is as follows;
| Statistics | Number |
|---|---|
| Articles created | 331 |
| Articles edited | 567 |
| Total edits | 1.58K |
| Bytes added | 852K |
| References added | 1.1K |
Wikidata
[edit]| Group | Action | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Total | All edits | 108 |
| Total | Interwiki links added | 74 |
| Items | Created | 4 |
| Labels | Added | 16 |
| Descriptions | Added | 13 |
| Aliases | Added | 6 |
Event Photos
[edit]
Second Event, Our Africa, Our Dictionary - Wiktionary
[edit]The edit-a-thon took place on August 16, 2025. This event concludes the first quarter of the year-long calendar of events planned to be implemented by Jenga Wikipedia ya Kiswahili for the year 2025-2026. In this event, we moved to the sister project of Wiktionary, which is also a part of the Wikimedia Foundation projects. This project is not as popular (for some people) as Wikipedia.
Additionally, this project has, in one way or another, been somewhat neglected. Now, in our promises, we planned to bring it back to life. First of all, by ensuring we have many activities throughout the year. The opening of its first event since 2025, we have gotten more than 14,300 and something entries.
On the day of the event, the project had approximately 15,926 entries, today the project is at 31,000 and something. Approximately fifteen thousand (15,000) entries within a month. See the dashboard: https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Jenga_Wikipedia_ya_Kiswahili/AfroCrowd_-_Afrika_Yetu,_Kamusi_Yetu
Method
[edit]The method we used to reach that level was to set it up as an informal competition to chase 1,000 entries. Things turned out differently. When we reached 1000, I stopped setting it up as a competition. Instead, I persuaded the participants to work on following the spirit of Wikimedia movement that is volunteering. Among them, I can mention a few who showed a high level of work ethic. The following are the names of the participants who broke the record for creating the most entries.
| No. | Username | Number of entries | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | User:Bycashtz | 10,891 | Still doing |
| 2 | User:Tumaini Mwenda Ruleju | 3,284 | |
| 3 | User:E.Mazwa | 463 |
In that list, many have done great work but Bycashtz has said he has arrived at Wiktionary. The most he asked for from me was to provide him with an internet bundle as needed. He is volunteering to edit enough entries. This is his continuous exercise until he starts college!
Statistics
[edit]Since the theme of this time would not be enough to reach the initial goals of 1000 entries, we had to let the participants be free to enter what they felt they could do. The following is the complete statistics.
| Statistics | Number |
|---|---|
| Pages created | 14.3K |
| Pages edited | 14.7K |
| Total edits | 15K |
| Editors | 28 |
| Bytes added | 3.77M |
| References added | 0 |
Event Photos
[edit]
Second Quarter, October—December 2025
[edit]Theme: Wiki Loves Sports — WIKIPEDIA
[edit]The Second Quarter Report: Wiki Loves Sports 2025 Campaign
The second quarter of our operations, spanning from October to December, was marked by the launch and execution of the inaugural activities for the Wiki Loves Sports 2025 campaign. Our engagement commenced in the middle of October, specifically on October 14, 2025. On this pivotal date, a core group of contributors convened in Room 221 of the new University of Dar es Salaam library. This session was designed to fulfill the foundational objectives of the Wiki Loves Sports 2025 initiative on Wikipedia.
The Training and Capacity Building Session
The session followed our standard operational procedure: beginning with Wikipedia and concluding with Wiktionary. The work began early, around 4 a.m., with a comprehensive capacity-building segment tailored for our enthusiastic group of young contributors. This particular session strategically allocated a substantial amount of time to an intensive Questions and Answers (Q&A) segment.
The paramount task of the day was to provide detailed, step-by-step explanations to our newest contributors. We maintained a firm commitment to ensuring that no participant's query remained unanswered. This meticulous approach was crucial to guarantee that everyone was fully prepared before the hands-on phase of contributing knowledge freely online commenced. The seminar proved to be an impressive success, yielding significant outputs for the Swahili Wikimedia projects.
Key Achievements: Wikipedia and Wiktionary
In the realm of Wikipedia, the collaborative effort resulted in the creation of 100 new articles. These articles are collectively cataloged and accessible via the dedicated category: https://sw.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamii:Wiki_Loves_Sports_2025.
Simultaneously, on Wiktionary, the contributions soared into the thousands of entries. This significant difference in contribution numbers between the two projects is attributed to the exceptional performance of one of our dedicated contributors, User:Bycashtz. Despite attending the Wikipedia seminar for the first time, this contributor opted not to continue his focus there. Recognizing the need for additional, perhaps more advanced, seminars to achieve a satisfactory level of quality article writing on Wikipedia, he leveraged his existing expertise. Instead, he channeled his efforts into Wiktionary, which he considers his "home wiki," and created an astonishing over 5,600+ entries. View his overall edits here: Bycashtz - Wiktionary (sw.wiktionary.org) - Edit Counter - XTools and and to see his total entries created are here: Bycashtz - Pages Created - XTools
The overall progress and contributor statistics for the campaign can be comprehensively reviewed on the dedicated outreach dashboard: https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Jenga_Wikipedia_ya_Kiswahili/Wiki_Loves_Sports_2025.
Campaign Statistics Overview
[edit]The following data reflects the key performance indicators (KPIs) of the campaign as tracked by the outreach dashboard:
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Articles Created | 100 | Total new Wikipedia articles |
| Articles Created | 5,710 | Total new Wiktionary entries |
| Articles Edited | 20,700 | Total articles modified |
| Total Edits | 23,100 | Cumulative edits made |
| Editors | 17 | Editors up-to-date with training |
| Bytes Added | 1,450,000 | Total content added |
| References Added | 566 | Number of reference tags and shortened footnotes; can include multiple references to the same source |
| Article Views | 17,500 | Estimated 30-day average views per article |
| Commons Uploads | 1 | Files uploaded to Wikimedia Commons |
Event Photos
[edit]
Second Quarter, OCTOBER — December 2025
[edit]Theme: Wiki Loves Sports — WIKTIONARY
[edit]Date of Workshop: November 20, 2025
Campaign Focus: Kiswahili Wiktionary (Wikamusi) Project
Organizers: Jenga Wikipedia ya Kiswahili and Wikimedia Tanzania
On Thursday, November 20, 2025, the Wiki Loves Sports 2025 campaign successfully held its second major community workshop. Following our established annual cadence—a strategy alternating focus between the Kiswahili Wikipedia and Kiswahili Wiktionary—this session was dedicated entirely to bolstering the content of Wikamusi. The overarching goal remains the same: to significantly enrich the Kiswahili Wikimedia projects with high-quality, sports-related terminology.Unique Preparations and Outreach
Recognizing the distinct nature of the Wiktionary project, which does not currently support its own structured event pages, the preparation phase was tailored for maximum reach and clarity. The initial outreach began with an announcement through our dedicated WhatsApp community group, ensuring direct engagement with our most active contributors. This was swiftly followed by a comprehensive social media campaign across various platforms to attract a wider public audience. Final registration was streamlined using a dedicated Google Form. To provide a central point of reference and a structured schedule, an event page was strategically built within the more established Kiswahili Wikipedia platform: Event: Wiki Loves Sports 2025 — Wikamusi. This innovative approach ensured all participants had access to essential logistical information and preparation materials.The Workshop Flow and Immediate Impact
The workshop commenced precisely at 10:00 a.m. and was expertly facilitated by Dr. Aneth David. The session began with a warm welcome and essential housekeeping announcements, including accommodating a few late registrants. Dr. Aneth then led a focused instructional segment, sharing practical editing tips and best practices specifically for creating and enhancing entries on Wiktionary. The core activity involved participants collaboratively selecting specific sports-related terms for entry, ensuring a diverse range of vocabulary was covered.
The energy and commitment from the 23 participants were immediately palpable. They meticulously documented their chosen terms in a shared collaborative document: Word List Document. Within just a few hours of dedicated work, the tangible impact of the community’s efforts was reflected in the campaign's metrics. A real-time overview of the contributions and participation statistics can be reviewed on the official campaign dashboard: Outreach Dashboard.
A Surprise Moment of Pan-African Inspiration
The day's productive energy was amplified by an unexpected and delightful visit from two prominent figures in the African Wikimedia community. Ruby D-Brown and Anita Ofori of Africa Wiki Women arrived as surprise guests from Ghana. Their presence underscored the powerful, collaborative spirit of the Wikimedia Movement across the continent.
Ruby shared a particularly moving story of her dedication, revealing she had personally funded her travel to Tanzania for the cancelled WikiIndaba conference, highlighting her unwavering commitment to the Tanzanian and African youth movements. Both Ruby and Anita delivered short, highly motivational sessions to the participants. They shared their personal journeys, the challenges and triumphs of contributing to Wikimedia projects, and the profound importance of youth leadership in the movement. This spontaneous segment sparked a vibrant question-and-answer session, filling the room with curiosity and joy. Following the formal session, the entire group shared lunch together and commemorated the inspiring moment with a group photograph taken outside the landmark University of Dar es Salaam.
Library.Looking Ahead: Strategic Reflection
After the successful conclusion of the workshop and the departure of the enthusiastic participants, the core organizing teams remained for a strategic reflection. Jenga Wikipedia ya Kiswahili was represented by Dr. Aneth David and Mohamed Lupinga (Muddyb), and Wikimedia Tanzania by Antoni Mtavangu and Otto Nyongole. They were joined by Ruby D-Brown and Anita Ofori. The discussion was centered on the future of Wikimedia collaboration across the African continent, focusing on sharing best practices, establishing collaborative campaigns, and nurturing a more interconnected community network.
The day was a resounding success, filled not only with significant content creation and learning but also with laughter, profound connection, and community love. It served as a powerful reminder that the Wikimedia Movement is fundamentally about more than just editing pages—it is about building enduring connections and nurturing a vibrant, collaborative community dedicated to the shared goal of free knowledge.
Statistics
[edit]It is important to note a discrepancy between the dashboard statistics and the actual event records. While the dashboard currently lists 16 participants, the event actually had nearly 30 participants, of whom 23 were successfully registered, and 7 encountered challenges during the registration process. This difference likely reflects limitations in the system’s data capture, but the full and accurate participant records are preserved on the official event page: Wiki Loves Sports 2025 — Wikamusi.
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Entries Created | 6,810 | Total new Wiktionary entries |
| Entries Edited | 13,000 | Total entries modified |
| Total Edits | 13,500 | Cumulative edits made |
| Editors | 16 | Editors up-to-date with training |
| Bytes Added | 1,330,000 | Total content added |
| References Added | 8 | Number of reference tags and shortened footnotes; can include multiple references to the same source |
| Entry Views | 3,680 | Estimated 30-day average views per entry |
Event Photos
[edit]All images are available here: Category:Wiki Loves Sports 2025 Kamusi - Wikimedia Commons
Third Quarter : January — May 2026
[edit]Theme: WikiGap
[edit]- Campaign Period: January 6 to May 2, 2026
- Campaign Focus: Swahili Wikipedia & Wiktionary Project
- Organizers: Jenga Wikipedia ya Kiswahili (JWK)
WikiGap 2026 Phase I
[edit]The third quarter originally spanned from January to March, but the timeline was extended to May 2, 2026, to meet the ambitious goal of reaching 80,000 entries on the Swahili Wiktionary. Phase I of the campaign was tracked via the Outreach Dashboard.
Below are the overall statistics recorded between January 6 and March 31, 2026:
| Metric | Total Count |
|---|---|
| Articles Created | 17,000 |
| Articles Edited | 19,900 |
| Total Edits | 23,400 |
| Editors | 16 |
| Bytes Added | 5.57 MB |
| References Added | 262 |
| Article Views | 157,000 |
Project Breakdown (Phase I)
[edit]To better understand our impact, the statistics were separated between Wikipedia and Wiktionary to identify where more effort was needed.
Wikipedia
[edit]During this period, focus was placed on a curated list of articles, though editors were free to choose their topics.
- Articles Created: 1,460
- Articles Edited: 3,680
- Total Edits: 6,200
- Editors: 13
- Words Added: 539,000
Wiktionary
[edit]Wiktionary did not have a specific campaign list, but the community pushed for mass entry creation to grow the project.
- Articles Created: 15,600
- Articles Edited: 15,600
- Total Edits: 16,200
- Editors: 1 (Primary contributor)
- Words Added: 672,000
WikiGap 2026 Phase II
[edit]- Date of Workshop: April 11, 2026
- Location: New Library UDSM, Room 221
- Organizers: Jenga Wikipedia ya Kiswahili and Wikimedians of Arusha Community
- Phase II of the campaign was tracked via the Outreach Dashboard.
This phase was unique due to a collaboration with the Arusha Community. During the National Retreat in Zanzibar (March 26–29), Eben (Leader of Arusha Community) requested a joint session to learn the technicalities of Wiktionary. The workshop on April 11 was led by Dr. Aneth with significant support from Wikimedia Tabora (Anuary Rajabu).
Since 2024, Jenga Wikipedia ya Kiswahili has been the only affiliate focusing on Wiktionary. The inclusion of the Arusha Community marked a major turning point in building a comprehensive online Swahili dictionary.
| Project | Articles Created | Articles Edited | Total Edits | Editors | Words/Bytes Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (Combined) | 8,450 | 8,970 | 10,500 | 45 | 2.98 MB (Bytes) |
| Wikipedia | 135 | 169 | 421 | 7 | 97,500 (Words) |
| Wiktionary | 7,940 | 8,060 | 8,580 | 22 | 356,000 (Words) |
Additional Phase II Highlights:
- References Added: 736
- Article Views: 8,780
- Commons Uploads: 124
Conclusion
[edit]The unity between JWK and the Arusha Community proved that "Unity is Strength." The influx of 22 editors working simultaneously on Wiktionary accelerated the growth of the platform at an unprecedented rate, successfully pushing the project toward its 80K entry goal.
