The WikiMentor Africa Hackathon took place on 28th – 30th  March 2025  as a fully remote event organized by Wiki Mentor Africa with support from Wikimedia Deutschland, Igbo Wikimedians User Group, Wikimedians of DR Congo User Group, Wikimedia Ghana UG, Wikimedia Community User Group Cote D’Ivoire and other partners. The event was designed to support emerging developers across Africa in contributing to Wikimedia technical projects. Over the course of three days, participants around Africa collaborated on projects, attended workshops, and received mentorship from experienced contributors within the Wikimedia ecosystem.

This post highlights insights gathered from participant and mentor feedback, including what they learned, the challenges they faced, and what they took away from the experience. These insights will not only help us refine future hackathons but also foster a stronger community of technical contributors, particularly within the African Wikimedia ecosystem.

 Whether you’re curious about the outcomes or considering joining a future event, this reflection offers a window into the hackathon’s structure, atmosphere, and impact through the voices of those who were there.

Demographics (Context and Background)

Geography:

To understand the global reach of the WikiMentor Africa Hackathon, we asked participants to share their countries of residence. This data gives us a sense of the diverse geographic representation and the international nature of the event.

Gender Representation:

Gender representation is key to ensuring inclusivity in the event. This data provides insights into the diversity of participants in terms of gender.

Gender Breakdown:

Event Experience and Engagement

The WikiMentor Africa Hackathon brought together participants and mentors from diverse backgrounds, with the event’s success largely attributed to the collaborative and engaging experience that unfolded. Here, we summarize the key aspects of the event experience as reported by both participants and mentors.

• Modes of Participation and Language Usage
  Participants primarily engaged with the event virtually, with about 65% attending via Zoom and the rest attending via one of our 6 satellite locations
  • BloLab Bénin
  • Go Innovation (3è niveau Immeuble diplomatique, Goma, DRCongo)
  • Online(Zoom)/En ligne (Zoom)
  • Rebase Code Camp (Montée Jouvence, Yaoundé, Cameroon)
  • Villa Zenman (Cocody, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire)
  • Wikimedia Ghana office (Accra, Ghana). 

In terms of Language, English was the primary language used during the event, but we were proud to fully embrace our bilingual spirit with widespread use of French throughout. All sessions were translated live, making the event truly accessible and inclusive for both English and French speakers.

This commitment to language inclusion helped us welcome more French-speaking participants than ever before – a milestone we’re incredibly proud of. We’re excited to keep growing this momentum and hope to see even greater participation from the Francophone community in future events!

• Overall Event Experience
  Participants shared overwhelmingly positive feedback about their experience at the WikiMentor Africa Hackathon, with 87% rating the event a 4 or 5 out of 5. The sessions were widely seen as engaging and informative – over 80% of attendees gave them top marks. One of the standout aspects of the event was the mentorship: 85% of participants felt well-supported by their mentors. In addition to the collaborative atmosphere, many highlighted the new skills, knowledge, and connections they gained as key takeaways from the hackathon.

Here’s direct feedback from participants:

“Seriously, all the organizing committee did a wonderful job by making this hackathon a successful one. God bless each and everyone of you..”

“Just a big THANK YOU for organizing and hosting a successful hackathon. This was my first time participating and I have no regrets. Good job everyone.”

“J’ai vraiment apprécié l’hackathon et merci pour cette initiative”

• Event Platforms and Technical Issues
  The event relied on platforms such as Zoom and Telegram for communication and sessions. Zoom, in particular, received high marks for its effectiveness, though some minor technical issues, such as connectivity problems and occasional glitches, were reported. Despite these challenges, most participants felt well-supported in finding teams and projects to contribute to.
• Mentor Feedback
  Mentors reported a rewarding experience, highlighting the participants’ enthusiasm and the collaborative nature of the event. However, mentors also faced challenges, including time management and balancing the varying skill levels of participants. Many mentors suggested that clearer pre-event guidelines and more structured team-matching processes would improve the mentoring experience for future events.
• Key Highlights and Suggestions for Improvement
  Participants most enjoyed the networking opportunities, learning new skills, and the chance to collaborate with like-minded individuals. On the other hand, suggestions for improvement included more time dedicated to project work and enhanced team-matching systems. Mentors echoed the need for better preparation and more defined expectations, which would help streamline their roles during the event.

In summary, the WikiMentor Africa Hackathon was a highly successful and engaging event, with valuable lessons learned for future iterations. The feedback gathered from both participants and mentors will be instrumental in shaping the next edition, ensuring even greater collaboration and impact.

Impact and Outcomes

The WikiMentor Africa Hackathon had a profound impact on both participants and mentors, sparking new skills, knowledge, and connections that will extend beyond the event. Participants gained valuable technical skills, deepened their understanding of Wikimedia’s infrastructure, and boosted their confidence to contribute to open-source projects. Many highlighted the collaborative atmosphere and the chance to solve real-world problems as standout experiences. One participant noted, “The hackathon was well planned so everything happened seamlessly. The hacking session was my favorite moment because it was time to implement what we learned.” another shared some key takeaways “Comment créer un favicon et l’affecter à un site, comment faire un pull request, comment exécuter un code cloné sur github et résoudre les différents bugs possibles, comment travailler en équipe sur des projets numériques.” A strong desire to continue contributing to Wikimedia projects was expressed by approximately 80% of participants, with several noting the event significantly impacted their interest and future contributions to Wikimedia and open-source initiatives. 

As one participant shared, “I must say I have learnt a lot and I felt so happy contributing to the wikimedia  through this particular event. I was on the documentation team,and from there I was able to translate it to my own language being in bibio and I love the fact that I can keep translating even after the event. I also learnt how to set some things like the phabricator link and so on I was able to create a work task which I will be working on it at my space..I wouldn’t stop to mention that it was fun meeting new people in my team, sharing thought and learning together brought more light to my light upon my experience in wikimedia.”

To sustain this momentum, participants identified key forms of support, including mentorship, training resources, and networking opportunities. Many also expressed interest in joining a community of African Wikimedia technical contributors, a concept that resonated with mentors as well. One participant mentioned, “I would love to be part of a community of African technical contributors.” The feedback emphasized the importance of ongoing support and community-building to maintain engagement and ensure continued contributions to Wikimedia’s technical projects. Organizers are already working to connect interested participants with this new initiative, and many participants have expressed excitement about continuing their journey with Wikimedia’s technical ecosystem. As another participant shared, “I’m eager to join a community where we can continue learning and collaborating.”

Future Participation and Engagement

As the WikiMentor Africa Hackathon wrapped up, both participants and mentors shared reflections that offer valuable guidance for future editions. Nearly 90% of participants expressed strong interest in attending again, a clear sign of the event’s impact and the meaningful connections made. Many noted a renewed commitment to contributing to Wikimedia projects, while mentors emphasized the need for better project matching, structured mentoring, and more post-event engagement. Suggestions across the board included clearer logistics, structured scheduling, and enhanced networking opportunities to foster deeper collaboration.

Gratitude and recognition were central themes in the feedback. Participants and mentors highlighted the dedication of exceptional individuals – mentors, volunteers, and organizers – whose efforts were vital to the event’s success. This spirit of appreciation underscores the importance of community, support, and continuity. There’s strong momentum to build on: from strengthening mentorship opportunities to creating spaces for ongoing collaboration, the feedback points to a shared vision for a more connected and empowered Wikimedia technical community in Africa.

Conclusion

The success of the WikiMentor Africa Hackathon was made possible by the collective effort of everyone involved. Participants brought energy, creativity, and a passion for open-source that fueled the event. Mentors generously shared their time and knowledge, playing a key role in guiding new contributors. Sponsors provided essential support that allowed us to connect talent from across the continent, and organizers worked tirelessly behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly.

We are deeply grateful to each of you. Your contributions made this more than just a hackathon – it became a celebration of collaboration, learning, and community. As we look ahead, we’re excited to grow this momentum and continue building a vibrant, supportive network of African Wikimedia technical contributors. Thank you for making it all possible.