This is the central documentation page for the mentorship relationship between the Songhay Wikimedia community and the Wikimedia Language Diversity Hub (LDH).

Overview

Mentored Language: Songhay (son)
Mentorship Start Date: March 2025
LDH Mentor(s): Jon Harald & Tochi
Primary Community Contact: Mohammodou
Community Page:
Related Projects:
Incubator:Wp/son

Midterm Mentorship Check-in: Songhay Community

Date: 29 June 2026

Mentor: Mohomodou

Mentee: Mohomodou

Facilitator: Tochi Precious

Participants:

Jon Harald Søby
Mohomodou Houssouba
Oscar Costero
Tochi Precious

Check-in Summary

The meeting focused on reviewing the progress of the Songhay community during the mentorship programme, assessing the impact of the security situation in Mali on community activities, reviewing content and contributor growth, and co-creating a six-to-seven-month action plan for the Songhay Incubator/Wikipedia project.

Biggest Wins

The biggest achievement has been the continued cohesion and survival of the Songhay community. Despite the security situation in Mali and the resulting disruption to community activities, the group remains intact, with approximately 14–15 members in its communication channels. No members have left the community.

The community has also attracted new people and recently launched a website. The website has helped bring more people into the community's projects, including activities beyond Wikimedia.

Another important achievement is the growth in content contributions. The initial target of 100 pages has been surpassed, with approximately 200 pages now created or developed.

A particularly encouraging development was the direct contribution of a long-standing community member to the Wikimedia Incubator on 29 June 2026. The contributor had been part of the group since September 2025 and produced a high-quality text directly in the Incubator.

Additional strengths include:

The community remains active and communicates regularly.
Approximately 10 members are currently involved in content production.
Around five contributors are able to produce high-quality texts.
Two additional contributors have strong proofreading skills.
The community has potential to develop credible and authoritative Songhay-language content.
The group has existing connections with other language and technology communities working on language documentation, speech recognition and machine translation.

Biggest Challenges

The main challenge has been the security situation in Mali, which significantly disrupted community activities and reduced the productivity of some contributors.

Other challenges include:

Encouraging contributors to create and edit articles directly in the Wikimedia Incubator instead of submitting articles for others to create on their behalf.
Maintaining volunteer engagement, as members have personal, professional and economic responsibilities.
Limited access to devices and internet data.
Insufficient resources to organise offline writing and editing activities.
The need to expand technical support within the community.
Continued dependence on a small number of experienced contributors and community leaders.

What Surprised You Most?

The mentorship exchanges were described as helpful and encouraging, particularly because they provided the community with someone they could reach out to for advice and support.

However, the mentorship did not result in a major change in the overall dynamics of the community. The experience highlighted the difficulty of sustaining volunteer engagement when contributors are dealing with daily survival and other personal responsibilities.

The community identified the need for more specific, practical activities over the next six months, including photowalks, Wikimedia Commons uploads, in-person writing sessions and regular technical training.

Recommendations for the Language Diversity Hub

The community suggested the following forms of support:

Provide micro-funding to organise offline writing and editing activities.
Support the design and planning of community events.
Provide devices and internet data to encourage participation.
Help boost the morale and motivation of community members.
Provide periodic online and in-person technical training.
Facilitate collaboration with other communities participating in the Language *Diversity Hub mentorship programme.
Support the community in identifying relevant partners and potential funding opportunities.

Potential collaboration with other language communities, including the Kinyarwanda and Fante teams, was identified as a way to encourage peer learning and technical knowledge exchange.

The community also expressed interest in involving young Songhay-speaking scholars with backgrounds in linguistics, language studies and computer science to help address technical and language-related challenges.

Community Health

Overall community morale was described as active and positive.

The community remains intact and communicates regularly. Although the security situation in Mali affected participation and productivity, the group continues to show commitment to the development of Songhay-language Wikimedia content.

Progress Review

Area	Current Status	Assessment
Active editors	The community remains intact, with approximately 14–15 members in the communication group and around 10 content contributors. Direct contributions to the Wikimedia Incubator are increasing.	🟢 Growing
Content growth	The initial target of 100 pages has been surpassed, with approximately 200 pages created or developed.	🟢 Significant progress
Technical milestones	Direct contribution to the Incubator is increasing. However, the community requires additional technical training and support to improve contributor confidence and skills.	🟡 In Progress
Community structure	The community remains active but still relies heavily on a small number of experienced contributors and leaders.	🟡 Needs strengthening
Retention	The community remains intact and no members have left. However, the security situation and competing personal responsibilities have affected contributor activity.	🟡 In Progress
Partnerships	The community has connections with other language and technology groups, including groups interested in speech recognition, machine translation and language documentation.	🟡 In Progress
Funding	Funding is needed to support offline writing sessions and other community activities. The community intends to explore grants and other fundraising opportunities.	🟡 In Progress
Communication	The community remains active and communicates regularly. The WhatsApp group currently has approximately 14 members, and a mailing list is planned to integrate new contacts.	🟢 Positive

Six-to-Seven-Month Co-Created Action Plan

Priority 1

Reactivate existing contributors and increase the number of people contributing directly to the Wikimedia Incubator.

Priority 2

Organise one or two offline writing and editing sessions between July and September 2026 to attract new contributors and strengthen local community dynamics.

Priority 3

Expand the technical capacity of the community through regular online and in-person training and develop a clear pathway for suitable content to graduate from the Wikimedia Incubator to Wikipedia.

Support Requested from the Language Diversity Hub

The community requested:

Micro-funding to support offline writing and editing events.
Assistance with event design and planning.
Support with devices and internet data where possible.
Continued mentorship and technical guidance.
Support in identifying partners within the Language Diversity Hub network.
Assistance with fundraising and grant applications.
Support for technical training in areas such as Wikimedia formatting, images, videos, links and article development.

Success Indicators (Next Six to Seven Months)

The community considers the next phase successful if the following outcomes are achieved:

Existing contributors are reactivated and contribute regularly.
Approximately 50 new articles and 25 images are produced during July 2026.
At least one successful offline writing and editing event is organised.
The community attracts new contributors beyond the current group of content producers.
At least 100 new articles are written or edited during the August–November period.
At least 60 additional articles are developed during December 2026.
Between five and seven contributors are regularly contributing to the Wikimedia Incubator by February 2027.
Clear criteria and a pathway for graduating suitable content from the Incubator to Wikipedia are established.
The transition from the Wikimedia Incubator to Wikipedia begins by March 2027.

Action Plan

Period	Planned Activities	Target/Outcome
June 2026	Conduct a general review and assessment of the project.	Progress review and agreed way forward.
July 2026	Reactivate existing contributors, create a mailing list, increase direct Incubator contributions, organise a Commons photo activity and consult members about in-person writing sessions.	Approximately 50 new articles and 25 images.
August–September 2026	Organise the first subgroup-led in-person writing session, invite approximately 15 guests, secure local resources and conduct a post-event evaluation.	First successful offline writing session and expansion of the contributor base.
October–November 2026	Organise a second in-person writing session with approximately 20 guests. Use the 50th anniversary of Lycée Yana Maïga in Gao to mobilise new contributors and mentors. Provide training on images, videos, links and basic formatting.	At least 100 new articles written or edited.
December 2026	Continue writing and editing activities, focusing on fully formatted articles containing text, images and links. Develop grant proposals and fundraising initiatives.	Approximately 30 full-size articles and 30 simple text articles.
January–February 2027	Provide further online and local training and continue writing and editing drives.	Average of 50 monthly contributions and 5–7 regular Incubator contributors.
February–March 2027	Define the criteria and process for graduating suitable content from the Wikimedia Incubator.	Agreed pathway for transition to Wikipedia.
March 2027	Begin the transition from the Wikimedia Incubator to Wikipedia based on agreed prerequisites and quality requirements.	Transition process initiated.

Community Assessment Summary

(Based on initial diagnostic call)

Current Status & Strengths

Stage: Reactivated Incubator (dormant since 2019, revived August 2025).
Recent Growth: Rapid increase from 15 to 150+ articles as of March 2025.
Structure: Diaspora-led (Europe/N. America) with 8 local contributors in Mali and Niger. Clear goal to empower 3-5 local people to handle all tasks.
Technical Foundation: Existing language resources including keyboard modules, online writing pads, and prior localization experience.
Content Goal: 200 articles by late January 2026, 500 by July-August 2026.

Primary Goals

Reach 200 articles by late January 2026 and 500 by July-August 2026.
Achieve high-quality articles with images, links, and accurate spelling/grammar.
Build a functioning and regularly fed website that does not become dormant again.
Empower 3-5 local contributors to handle all tasks (writing, uploading, editing).

Identified Challenges & Support Needs

Critical Access Barrier: Lack of devices and internet connectivity for local contributors (6/8 work only on phones; 2 have computers, one dysfunctional). This is the primary bottleneck.
Technical Skills Gap: Need for easy-to-use article templates (for images/links) and skills in image uploading, formatting, and wiki markup for visual quality.
Sustainable Workflow: Transitioning from diaspora-led uploading to a model where local contributors can produce and post polished content independently.
Resource Mobilization: Funding is urgently needed for devices (laptops/smartphones), connection credit, and local-event monies.

Mentorship Action Plan

Phase 1: Equip, Template, and Train (Months 1-3)

Objective: Address the critical access barrier and provide foundational tools for quality improvement.

Action Item	Lead	Status	Notes/Deadline
1. Create Device & Connectivity Needs Assessment	Community + LDH Coordinator	Pending	Document specific needs (data plans) for 3-5 prioritized local contributors with cost estimates.
2. Design & Test Simple Article Templates	LDH Mentor + Community	Pending	Create 1-2 pre-formatted templates (e.g., for biography, place) with markers for images and links.
3. Prepare Targeted Micro-grant Application	Community + LDH Coordinator	Pending	Submit application based on Needs Assessment for data to enable local contributors.
4. Conduct Focused Virtual Training	LDH Mentor	Planned	Session for the 5 capable learners on using templates and basic image upload.

Phase 2: Deploy Resources & Deepen Skills (Months 4-6)

Objective: Implement secured resources and build advanced skills.

Procure and distribute devices/data plans if grant is secured.
Host training on image selection, licensing, and captioning.
Set up a simple peer-review system among local contributors.
Progress toward the 200-article milestone.

Phase 3: Sustain Quality & Plan for Growth (Months 7-9)

Objective: Strengthen local coordination and plan for community expansion.

Support planning for a small, local meet-up if feasible.
Introduce tools for tracking article quality metrics.
Begin discussing a lightweight governance model for the local core team.

Phase 4: Solidify Independence & Long-Term Vision (Months 10-12)

Objective: Ensure sustainability and document the model.

Conduct a comprehensive review of the 500-article corpus for quality.
Develop a sustainability plan for maintaining equipment and connectivity.
Create a "Songhay Incubator Playbook" documenting the revival model.

Meeting Notes & Logs

2025-12-14 Initial Assessment Discussed the community's reactivation success and the critical need to equip local contributors with devices and connectivity. Agreed that a micro-grant for internet is the top priority to sustain growth.

Key Resources & Links

LDH Mentorship Program Page: Wikimedia Language Diversity Hub/Activities
Songhay Language Resources: Songhay.org Applications

Contact

On-wiki: Tochi Precious
Community Lead: Mohammodou

This page is maintained collaboratively by the Songhay Community and the LDH team. Please feel free to add updates, notes, and reflections below.