The Wikimedia Community Zanzibar was honored to participate in the Wikimania Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya the largest annual gathering of Wikimedians from around the world. This year’s event was more than just a conference; it was a celebration of collaboration, open knowledge, diversity, and the power of communities working together for a common purpose.
For us, it was the very first time as a growing community to take part in such a global event, and the experience was both inspiring and transformative.
One of the most valuable parts of Wikimania was meeting fellow Wikimedians from across Africa and beyond. We were able to share our experiences from Zanzibar, listen to the journeys of other communities, and discover new ways to strengthen our work. From informal conversations in kenya city names rooms to structured panel discussions, every interaction opened our eyes to the global impact of open knowledge and how Zanzibar can play its part in this movement.
The sessions were packed with a lot of stuffs on how communities can grow, how to sustain Wikimedia projects, and how to involve more people in knowledge sharing. We attended workshops on education, digital literacy, and community engagement topics that directly relate to our goals in Zanzibar. We also learned practical strategies on fundraising, advocacy, and working with institutions, which we believe will help us shape a stronger foundation for our local initiatives.
Wikimania gave us the chance to proudly share what we are doing in Zanzibar: building a community of contributors, organizing events like Africa Wiki Challenge, and pushing for the growth of Swahili Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. Many participants were excited to hear about our plans to make knowledge accessible in Swahili and preserve Zanzibar’s rich culture and history through Wikimedia platforms.
One of the most memorable moments from this campaign came when I met Tim from Internet in a Box and Doc James. We had a long conversation about offline programs, which connected so well with my own background in programming and my passion for bringing access to knowledge to schools. Tim shared with me his GitHub page where I could clone the program and set up my own Internet in a Box using a Raspberry Pi. Not just inspiring but also practical and I immediately saw how it could be adapted for schools I have been working with in my region. I even decided to purchase one Internet in a Box myself to use as a sample for future projects.
We came back home inspired, motivated, and ready to take our work to the next level. Our participation at Wikimania has strengthened our belief that Zanzibar belongs in the global knowledge map, and with the support of the movement, we can ensure that our voices, languages, and stories are heard and preserved.
We are deeply grateful to the Wikimedia Foundation and everyone who made Wikimania Nairobi possible. Most importantly, we thank our community members in Zanzibar who continue to support, edit, and advocate for open knowledge every day.
This is just the beginning for Wikimedia Community Zanzibar. The connections we made, the ideas we exchanged, and the knowledge we gained will guide us as we continue to grow and make a lasting impact.
Together, we can open up knowledge for Zanzibar, Africa, and the world.
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