Reflections from AfroCuration Ghana 2025: Showcasing Who We Are

In May 2025, I joined fellow Wikipedia editors, language advocates and cultural enthusiasts for AfroCuration Ghana. The project involved a series of contests and workshops which takes place months before a main mass three-day edit-a-thon. The project is organised by the Twi Wikimedia community together with Global Open Initiative Foundation. Even months later, I still find myself reflecting on this creative experience and on how much more we need spaces like this to grow indigenous Ghanaian language content on Wikipedia.

AfroCuration in Ghana has been a journey. Inspired by the Moleskine Foundation, the community first participated in 2022, held its first local event in 2023, and by 2025 the story had already grown into something bigger than editing.

This year’s theme: WHO WE ARE: Showcasing Diversities in African Arts and Aesthetics. The theme highlights the topics and subjects selected for documentation. From creating or editing articles on participating language Wikipedia to translating items on Wikidata. While editing was central to our work, AfroCuration was never just a series of edit-a-thons. For many of us, it became a cultural reflection. An invitation to think deeply about linguistic and cultural preservation, what it means to document in our own languages. And how that visibility empowers many of our participants and strengthens collective memory.

A Gathering of Communities

What struck me most was the diversity in the room. Editors came from across Ghana’s language communities: Twi, Ewe, Dagbani, Gurene, Dagaare, Moore and more. Since January, these communities organised workshops and prepared participants for the project. It was also a reminder of why this work matters, many local languages in Ghana are losing authenticity under the dominance of English and other widely spoken languages.

A Personal Reflection

As part of the organisers, this was my first time experiencing AfroCuration Ghana in person. I was especially excited to witness the collaborative spirit among the community leads supporting small Wikipedia projects in local languages. Just as powerful was seeing academics from the language departments of the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the University of Education — professors who not only engaged with us but commended the idea of using Wikipedia as a tool for language preservation. Their encouragement made it clear that this work bridges academia, technology, and culture in ways that matter deeply.

Participant Energy and Future Hopes

Participants too shared their excitement. From the feedback, many spoke about how meaningful it was to engage with knowledge in their own languages and the thematic focus made it more exciting to participate.

Leadership Reflections

The project lead Jemima, described this project as one of her most most fulfilling Wikimedia engagements. The presence and contributions of distinguished Ghanaian language scholars such as Professor Opanin Agyekum, Professor Charles Marfo, Professor Akwasi Adomako, Dr Patience Obeng and other teachers enriched discussions and deepened participants’ understanding. And also helped the jurors in checking for errors during editing before publishing.

Looking Ahead

The spirit of AfroCuration did not end in May. This is not just a mass edit-a-thon project but a movement to grow into a national initiative, reaching more young people willing to participate in regions across the country and inspiring similar projects across Africa. Plans are already underway for the next edition. Just as this year centered on language and identity, the next promises another creative way of documenting Ghanaian language on Wikipedia.

Even now, the lessons feel fresh. By contributing to Wikipedia projects in our own languages, we are not just sharing knowledge, we are affirming identity. A reason to look forward to seeing AfroCuration grow in reach, relevance, and impact.