Wikimedians of Albanian Language User Group celebrate a decade of impact

Wikimedians of Albanian Language User Group (WoALUG) is celebrating 10 years of volunteer work in growing Albanian-language Wikimedia projects. 

Founded on July 17, 2015, the Group started with a simple goal to enrich Wikipedia and its sister platforms with contributions in the Albanian language and about our countries. What began by a small group of enthusiasts organizing edit-a-thons and translating articles has evolved into a bigger community operating in Albania, Kosovo and wherever the Albanian language is spoken. 

Over the decade, WoALUG has: 

• organized 267+ activities
• engaged 4,486+ participants
• created or improved 11,707+ Wikipedia articles
• facilitated contribution of 10,317+ media files to Commons 
• organized editing of 464+ Wikivoyage articles

These figures reflect the scale of activities and the impact that WoALUG has had on promoting culture and digital literacy in the Albanian-speaking countries. 

In addition, WoALUG has participated in numerous international thematic campaigns throughout the years.

The early years focused on gender equity and cultural heritage, with campaigns such as Wiki Loves Monuments, Women Edit-a-thons, and CEE Spring. 

In 2018 we received the first half-annual grant and hired the first person.

By 2019, the Group had established its first WikiClubs and developed four strategic partnerships. 

2020 was marked by strong GLAM and educational collaborations despite the pandemic, including the digitization of GLAM materials and the recruitment of 100 new editors. 

In 2021, WoALUG reached new heights with 38 activities, 712 participants, and over 2,000 content pages created across Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Commons. 

The momentum continued in 2022 and 2023, with consistent contributions across all platforms. 

In 2024 Albanian language Wikipedia reached the milestone of 100,000 articles. 

In the first half of 2025, over 1,650 articles were created or improved, 2,300 Wikidata items added, and over 1,000 images uploaded. 

Beyond the metrics, WoALUG has stayed true to its mission to bring open and inclusive knowledge to the Albanian-speaking community. We have become the offline voice of hardworking Albanian Wikipedians.   

By collaborating with libraries, museums, archives, non-governmental organizations, universities, and schools, and creating space for underrepresented voices, the Group has built a legacy. 

To mark this milestone, in the coming days WoALUG will be organizing anniversary celebrations and editathons in Tirana and Prishtina.

As we celebrate 10 years of WoALUG, we are grateful and look forward to continuing this journey together with our volunteers, contributors and the Wikimedia Foundation.