From Dagbon to Johannesburg: My Journey to WikiIndaba 2024

When I boarded the plane from northern Ghana to South Africa for WikiIndaba 2024, I had no idea just how much the experience would expand my understanding of Wikimedia, language equity, and cultural preservation. As a long-time member of the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group, this was my first time attending the continent’s largest gathering of African Wikimedians. I’m especially grateful to the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group, who generously sponsored my participation and made it possible for me to be part of this unforgettable gathering.

From the very beginning, the energy at The Capital on the Park in Sandton was electrifying. Over the course of three days, I joined fellow Wikimedians from across Africa who are all working in different languages, countries, and contexts but united by a shared commitment to open knowledge. There was an instant sense of community. I felt at home.

One of the most powerful moments of the conference for me was the keynote by Professor Langa Khumalo, who spoke passionately about the urgent need to preserve African languages through digital tools. His words echoed everything we’re doing as Dagbani Wikimedians. It reminded me that our work goes beyond editing; it’s cultural preservation, identity protection, and future-building.

Another standout session was the Language Diversity Hub Updates presented by Sadik Shahadu, Executive Director of the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group. As a fellow Ghanaian and an advocate for marginalized languages, Sadik shared updates on initiatives across Africa aimed at supporting underrepresented language communities. His presentation was very impactful, especially hearing about efforts to build tools, resources, and support systems for language communities like ours. It was a reminder that we are not alone and that there is a broader, collective movement behind what we do.

Equally memorable was the screening of the Kente weaving documentary presented by Harriet Bayel from the Global Open Initiative Foundation (GOIF). The documentary offered a stunning visual narrative of Kente’s cultural importance, weaving traditions, and the people who keep it alive. The session sparked a lot of reflection for me, especially about how we can use multimedia, video, oral storytelling, and images to document aspects of Dagomba culture in a similarly powerful way.

The session on information integrity and media responsibility was thought-provoking. It shed light on the growing threat of misinformation and how we, as African Wikimedians, are uniquely positioned to combat it by writing our own truths, based on reliable sources and community knowledge. It made me think more critically about fact-checking in my own contributions, especially in topics where sources are limited or biased.

The Africa Wiki Women roundtable facilitated was another moment that left a strong impression on me. It was centered on gender gaps in our movement and ways to create more supportive environments for women to thrive. I was reminded that inclusiveness isn’t just an idea, it requires action, policies, and constant reflection.

Also valuable were the sessions on Wikimedia governance models, youth engagement and funding by Veronica Thamaini, and the introduction to the Event Registration Tool. Each gave me new ideas for how the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group can improve our systems, support young editors, and manage events more effectively.

And then there were the moments in between, conversations over lunch, deep reflections during the cultural tour of Soweto, and sharing personal Wikimedia journeys with people who instantly felt like family. Visiting Nelson Mandela’s house was emotional for me. It reminded me that our work, documenting knowledge, telling stories, preserving heritage, is a continuation of a much bigger mission.

None of this would have been possible without the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group, who believed in me and invested in my growth. I am also thankful to the organizers and everyone who made the event so meaningful. This wasn’t just a conference; it was a turning point. I walked in as a contributor; I walked out as a stronger advocate, a connector, and a visionary for what’s possible when Africans tell their own stories, in their own languages. WikiIndaba 2024 has left a lasting impact on me, and I look forward to continuing this journey with even more passion and purpose.
— Abdul-Rasheed Yussif