Sustaining Momentum: African Wikipedian Alliance Fellowship Report — July 2025 by Faisal Ali

1. Overview

This report outlines my activities, outcomes, and lessons learned for July 2025 as an African Wikipedian Alliance Fellow. In July, my focus continued to be on growing content relating to Civic Tech, Internet shutdowns, whistleblowers and human rights defenders, freedom of expression etc in Benin and Guinea through translation and Wikidata contributions, actively participating in the Fellows’ bi-weekly sessions, and strengthening collaborative learning within the community.

2. Key Activities

a. Fellows Bi-Weekly Sessions

• Actively took part in the Fellows’ bi-weekly sessions to share progress, challenges, and insights.
  
• Contributed to discussions on best practices for community engagement, content translation, and knowledge sharing.
  
• Learned new strategies from peers and supported collaborative problem-solving.

b. Content Translation

• Translated additional articles into African languages, including Ghanaian Pidgin and Dagbani building on last month’s momentum. Focused Civic Tech, Internet shutdowns, whistleblowers and human rights defenders, freedom of expression etc in Benin and Guinea to ensure that more African readers have access to relevant knowledge in their native languages. User:Umuhiera did her first translations Union for Future Benin, 2013 Guinea clashes and Womey Massacre on the Ghanaian Pidgin Wikipedia.

c. Wikidata Contributions

• Created new Wikidata items to expand structured data on Civic Tech, Internet shutdowns, whistleblowers and human rights defenders, freedom of expression etc in Benin and Guinea and improve content discoverability. Improved existing Wikidata items by adding reliable statements, updating descriptions, and ensuring data consistency. User:Koteypak created her first Wikidata item which was on Pascal Zantou while User:Ibnali1 continues to create and improve Wikidata items

d. Community Engagement & Mentorship

• Continued to provide informal support and encouragement to new editors onboarded in June.
  
• Shared useful editing tips and answered follow-up questions during and between bi-weekly sessions.

3. Achievements & Impact

• Contributed to the growth of relating to Civic Tech, Internet shutdowns, whistleblowers and human rights defenders, freedom of expression etc in Benin and Guinea content through ongoing translations.
  
• Expanded the reach and quality of Civic Tech, Internet shutdowns, whistleblowers and human rights defenders, freedom of expression etc in Benin and Guinea by creating new Wikidata items and improving existing ones.
  
• Strengthened peer learning and collaboration through active participation in Fellows’ sessions.

4. Challenges

• Balancing translation work and Wikidata edits with time constraints and connectivity limitations.
  
• Keeping new editors motivated and active as they transition from onboarding to independent editing.

5. Lessons Learned

• Bi-weekly sessions are valuable for sharing practical ideas and building solidarity among Fellows.
  
• Consistent translation into local languages remains a practical strategy to close the knowledge gap.
  
• Combining Wikipedia and Wikidata work provides a more holistic contribution to the free knowledge ecosystem.

6. Plans for August

• Create and improve articles on English Wikipedia with a focus on Civic Tech, Internet shutdowns, whistleblowers and human rights defenders, freedom of expression etc in Benin and Guinea
• Continue creating and enhancing Wikidata items related to Civic Tech, Internet shutdowns, whistleblowers and human rights defenders, freedom of expression etc in Benin and Guinea
• Propose or co-host a micro-training session during the next Fellows’ bi-weekly meeting to share translation or Wikidata tips.
  
• Follow up with editors onboarded earlier to encourage retention and identify new content gaps.