Legal Alien in Kenya: Lessons from Wikimania 2025

Here in Ghana, a non-Ghanaian is referred to as a foreigner. When I arrived in Kenya, I learned that the government officially classifies non-Kenyans as aliens. Welcome to Nairobi!

Sting’s Englishman in New York echoed in my heart:

“Ooooh ooh I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien…

I’m a Ghanaian in Nairobi.

My journey with Wikipedia began in 2018, inspired by Benedicta Nartey. She called me one day, pitching the idea of becoming a Wikipedian as I carried out my work as a journalist. I argued that journalism already had the heavy responsibility of archiving Africa. But Miss Nartey opened my eyes to the vast information gaps; stories and perspectives often ignored by mainstream platforms.

In 2021, assembling the first set of volunteers for the Gurene Wikimedia Community was no small feat. Special thanks to Joy Agyepong (Wiki4Inclusion) for introducing me to Sadik Shahadu (Executive Director, Dagbani Wikimedia User Group) who helped nurse my interest in archiving my people.

I am also deeply grateful to Mr. Mohammed Kamaldeen, Joseph Ayambire, Ruth Ayorigya, Felicia Ayeti, and all the inspiring volunteers who continue to support the vision of digitising the Gurene language, people, and culture. Visit our landing page here gur.wikipedia.org.

Hence, as a Dagbani Wikimedia User Group scholarship recipient at Wikimania 2025, the goal was to harvest resources, form alliances and unlearn practices to help nurture my institution after the program.

In the Beginning

Wikimania 2025 marks my very first experience at the largest international gathering of contributors, staff, and partners in the open knowledge movement. Apart from a few Ghanaian colleagues I already knew, most participants were, quite literally, “alien” to me.

As I moved through the crowd, I quickly noticed how interests naturally aligned with expertise and values, different groups forming to reflect the many facets of our human social structure.

The pre-conference programs began at the Trade Mark and Tribe Hotels, and we [Naa Jinfo and I] headed straight there after our plane touched down in Nairobi. 

We were present at the WikiTongues pre-conference, and it was surreal to hear the stories of young people from diverse cultures and ethnicities. These are passionate individuals preserving their languages, some scarcely documented, others already flourishing with rich literary traditions.

And of course, in true Ghanaian spirit, thanks to Twellium, we shared some H&H Gari 4in1, H&H Soya Gari, Digestive Biscuits with my Ghana colleagues, a small but meaningful taste of home in Nairobi before we jumped into the conference.

Into Sessions and Project Ideas

The programming at Wikimania 2025 created space for each contributor to connect with the people behind fascinating projects and campaigns. 

I left with several project ideas that could be valuable to others as well:

1. Bike Fest Competition 

This project contributes to Wikimedia Commons by capturing monuments across communities. Participants cycle through towns and villages, photographing monuments and landmarks along the way.

I was amazed to learn that, although only three people participated in one campaign, they collectively contributed over 400 images! Inspired by Dzeku from Romania, who presented his work during the Wild Ideas session, I promised to replicate this idea in Ghana.

2. Wiki Diplomacy 

An editing competition that focuses on creating and improving articles about a country’s diplomatic relations, covering tourist sites, embassies, and diplomatic missions.

While I didn’t catch all the details (or even remember which country pioneered it), the concept left me curious about how to engage with diplomatic missions both within and beyond Ghana.

3. Offline Hotspots for Knowledge

This initiative is about making knowledge accessible without the internet. Think of it as a modern version of Microsoft Encarta, delivering Wikipedia content offline.

Projects and tools mentioned include:

• Internet-in-a-Box – http://box.Ian
• Kiwix Hotspot
• Wikimedians for Offline Wikis (WOW) – https://w.wiki/ExHZ

I discussed this with an official from the Open Foundation West Africa, who explained their role in supporting offline knowledge access; hence, you could reach out to them.

4. Gamifying Wikipedia (by Azmah) 

I met Azmah during lunchtime when I was seated, munching on some rice while engaging in some hearty conversation with a participant I had met.

I had to pull in my colleague Stella Agbley [who knows about some games] when Azmah quizzed whether I knew of some games on Wikipedia. 

Azmah’s lightning talk was nothing short of explosive. She presented her idea of gamifying Wikipedia, making training and meetups more interactive and fun.

Her Factor Day Project helps organisers like me make knowledge-sharing more engaging, especially in an age of information overload.

Explore it yourself at factorday.com.

I even had an exclusive interview with her, which I’ll share soon!

5. Starting an Undocumented Language 

During the pre-conference, the challenge of underrepresented and undocumented languages came up. 

The Language Diversity Hub supports such initiatives, and the Wikimedia Foundation works with ISO to create new language codes, ensuring that emerging languages have institutional backing.

So be of good cheer to start archiving an undocumented language.

6. Wiki Portraits 

This community is dedicated to photography and supporting Wikimedians interested in visual documentation. 

They also provide press accreditation, allowing contributors to access spaces where professional media is typically required.

These projects reminded me that innovation within the Wikimedia movement doesn’t always mean creating something new; it’s often about reimagining existing tools, making knowledge more accessible, and celebrating our shared diversity.

The Surprises 

A Ghana Meet where I met fellow Ghanaians across the globe, contributing their own quota. The reflections were rib-cracking as we looked at some throwback photos of Justice, Stella, Joy, and others. 

I had to sacrifice Africa Meetup for the lightning talks, and further continued to have my interview with Azmah.

The statistics on the number of English Wikipedia as well as other mainstream Wikis are declining. However, administrators for indigenous language wikis are increasing.