WikiChallenge African Schools wins the “Open Pedagogy” Award 2024 from OE Global

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Awards 2024 card wikichallenge African Schools

The WikiChallenge African Schools won the 2024 Open Pedagogy Award of Open Education Global (aka, OE Global). The WikiChallenge is a writing competition specifically designed for pupils aged 8-13 in various French-speaking African countries and Sierra Leone organized by Wiki in Africa and Fondation Orange. The 2024 awardees were revealed on September 18, 2024, during an exciting live show, during which impact stories about former Open Education Award recipients were also featured.

The impact of the WikiChallenge is truly remarkable. The WikiChallenge African Schools (also known as the WikiChallenge Ecoles d’Afrique) competition, founded by Florence Devouard, a co-founder of Wiki in Africa, has grown through six successful editions. Since the project began in 2016, it has expanded across 12 African countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, RDC, Ivory Coast, Guinea Conakry, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco and Sierra Leone. So far, 794 schools have taken part, creating 618 articles published on Vikidia and sharing over 3,361 photos, drawings, and videos on Wikimedia Commons. These contributions have enriched the internet with stories about African communities while helping students feel proud of their local culture.

“Wow. I am blown away by this. Open Pedagogy not only engages in the production, use, and reuse of content, but also demonstrates effective teaching practices that increase access to learning and address equity and fairness. The impact this competition has is outstanding: hundreds of schools and students across 12 different countries. I hope this continues to grow!”

 — Award Reviewer

The way the WikiChallenge is run is also truly remarkable ! It is a collaborative effort that brings together students, teachers, heads of schools, digital facilitators, local Orange entities, Vikidians, and Wikimedians to share knowledge about the local communities, many (but not all…) of which are not connected to the Internet. This teamwork fosters a deeper connection to learning, with each group playing a vital role.

  • The global Wikimedia team from Wiki in Africa oversees this education program and makes sure all elements fall into place;
  • Fondation Orange brings in the basket the network of schools, equip them with digital equipment (tablets, raspberry PIs etc.), offer amazing prizes to the winning schools to improve the kids learning environment, and communicate widely about the contest;
  • Digital mediators from local Orange entities provide technical support as most schools are not connected to the internet;
  • Facilitators from Orange or from Wikimedia UserGroups provide training and assistance to teachers and schools directors and collect the final articles produced in the schools;
  • Teachers guide students to create the content;
  • The Vikidia association provides the publishing platform for all the articles produced, and;
  • Wikimedians/Vikidians help ensure the quality of content.

The WikiChallenge Ecoles d’Afrique is primarily an « Offline » project. The students have access to ressources through Kiwix on their tablets, as well as WikiFundi (an offline tool for editing Wikipedia). Using tools like, this collaboration breaks through internet barriers, especially in rural places, allowing everyone to participate equally. The result of the programme is not just a collection of articles, but a shared sense of pride and achievement, as communities contribute their local knowledge to the global knowledge landscape.

“This competition serves as a compelling example of how open knowledge can revolutionize education, particularly for children living in rural areas. Recognizing the WikiChallenge Ecoles d’Afrique project not only honors its achievements but also inspires other initiatives to adopt similar approaches to open education and knowledge sharing.” 

— Award Nominator

We are deeply grateful to all the pupils, educators, digital mediators, and Wikimedians for their dedication, Fondation Orange for its financial, technical and communication support, as well as to all of our local partners : Fondation Orange Cameroun, Fondation Orange Guinée Conakry, Orange Solidarité Madagascar, Fondation Orange Mali, Orange République démocratique du Congo, Fondation Sonatel, Orange Digital Center, Orange Tunisie, Vikidia Association, Wikimedia Tunisie, Wikimedians of Cameroon User Group, Wikimedia MA User Group, Wikimedians for offline wikis user group, Groupe d’utilisateurs de la communauté Wikimedia Guinée Conakry for their continuous support in making this initiative a success.

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to OE Global and the esteemed jury members for this incredible recognition. As we celebrate this recognition, the WikiChallenge African Schools continues to inspire and grow. This achievement is a powerful testament to how open knowledge can unlock the potential of African kids, allowing them to tell their own stories and share their communities with the world. The journey doesn’t end here—this is just the beginning! With each new edition, we look forward to seeing more young voices contribute to a brighter, more connected future for education across Africa.

Florence Devouard and Afek Ben Chahed

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