I am excited to share that I have been selected as one of six Wikipedians-in-Residence under the African Wikipedian Alliance (AWA) Digitalize Youth Project 2025, a continent-wide initiative supporting youth participation in digital knowledge creation and civic engagement. This project is led by Code for Africa in partnership with the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), AfricTivistes, CFI Media Development, the World Scout Bureau Africa Regional Office, and the Kofi Annan Foundation (KAF), with contributions from the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD). Together, these organizations are supporting Wikipedians-in-Residence across Africa to advance open knowledge and youth engagement through Wikimedia platforms.

As a fellow, I will be coordinating activities focused on Niger and South Sudan, two key countries within the project’s regional scope that includes the Sahel, West Africa, and the Horn of Africa. The main goal is to improve and create content on Wikipedia and Wikidata related to civic engagement, digital rights, and governance, with special attention to themes such as:

• SDG 16: Peace, justice, and strong institutions
  
• E-democracy and digital mobilisation
  
• Freedom of expression and human rights
  
• The African Union Convention on Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection
  
• The role of governments and grassroots organisations in combating censorship and online disinformation

Planned Activities

Over the course of the project, I will host up to 14 virtual sessions to train and support both new and existing contributors. Activities include:

1. Virtual capacity-building sessions on creating and improving Wikipedia articles and Wikidata items about:
   • Freedom of expression
   • E-democracy
   • Human rights
   • Digital governance in the Sahel, West Africa, and the Horn of Africa
2. Edit-a-thons: Monthly collaborative editing sessions focused on topics related to youth engagement, digital rights, and governance. Participants who meet monthly deliverables will receive a reimbursement for internet/data costs.
3. Data-a-thons: Wikidata-focused sessions contributing structured data about relevant laws, organizations, and policies in the region.
4. Content Translation training: Training participants on using the Wikipedia Content Translation tool to bridge the gap between English content and local African languages.

June 2025 Highlights

Here are my key deliverables for June to set the groundwork for the project:

• Created the Meta page to document all project activities, topic lists, dashboard, reports, and criteria for participants’ contributions.
• Attended the three onboarding sessions for all fellows on June 18, 19, and 20, and participated in the virtual lunch on June 25
• Onboarded 10 editors, created a dedicated WhatsApp group, and set up the project’s Outreach Dashboard to track participants’ contributions.
• Shared a Needs Assessment form with participants to evaluate their current knowledge and identify training needs
• Scheduled a three-day virtual training for experienced editors on June 27, 28, and 29 covering project virtual onboarding, Wikipedia essentials, and Wikidata best practices for experienced editors. New editors will have their separate sessions in July.

June Sessions

The June sessions were specifically designed for experienced editors. This approach was informed by the findings of the needs assessment I conducted, which indicated that experienced editors required minimal in-depth training to begin contributing. What they primarily needed was a clear understanding of the project scope and guidance on how to contribute to Wikipedia and Wikidata within the framework of the project. As a result, I organized three targeted sessions for them in June, with plans to hold specialized sessions for new editors in July.

Virtual Onboarding for Experienced Editors: On 27 June 2025, six experienced editors were onboarded via a virtual session on Google Meet to participate in the AWA Digitalize Youth Project 2025. Their contributions will focus on topics related to Niger and South Sudan. As the project fellow coordinating activities in both countries, I facilitated the session and walked participants through the project’s objectives, contribution guidelines, timelines, and monthly deliverables. The one-hour session concluded with a virtual photo session.

Wikipedia Essentials for Experienced Editors: This session provided participants with essential information on how to contribute to Wikipedia as part of the project. It covered topics such as why Wikipedia matters in the context of the project, participants’ roles on the platform, key focus areas, types of articles to contribute, monthly Wikipedia-related deliverables, strategies for finding topics, and available tools and resources. The session was held on 28 June.

Wikidata Best Practices for Experienced Editors: During this session, participants learned how to effectively contribute to Wikidata as part of the project. The session covered key topics including understanding the project scope on Wikidata, best practices for contributing, monthly contribution expectations, and an overview of relevant tools and resources. Held on 29 June, it marked the conclusion of both the onboarding process for experienced editors and the series of sessions held in June.

Looking Ahead

Starting in July, participants will begin contributing content with support from me. They are expected to attend at least three sessions monthly and submit their monthly contributions using a reporting form. Monthly internet support of $10 will be provided to those who meet participation requirements. I am currently working to onboard new participants, particularly from Niger and South Sudan, to ensure broader representation from our focus countries. Anyone with a skill that could support the goals of the project is welcome to propose a training session for the group.

Join Us

Want to follow our progress or get involved? Here are three quick steps:

1. Fill out the Needs Assessment Form to let us know what skills or support you need.
2. Register on the Event Meta page.
3. Join the Outreach Dashboard to track your contributions.
4. You can also reach out to me via Meta: User:Ridzaina

Together, we are building a stronger ecosystem of open knowledge that supports civic engagement and youth empowerment in Africa.