Expanding Wikimedia Awareness in the Gambia

On 26–27 July 2025, Wikimedia User Group the Gambia hosted a two-day training workshop at the Brikama Area Council Hall, bringing together 35 enthusiastic participants from different backgrounds to learn about Wikimedia projects and how they can contribute. The event was part of an ongoing effort to raise awareness about open knowledge, free access to information, and the role of Wikimedia in preserving The Gambia’s cultural and linguistic heritage.

Training Highlights

Over the two days, participants were introduced to:

• Wikipedia: creating and improving articles on Gambian topics

• Wikidata: structuring knowledge about people, places, and culture

• Wikisource: preserving and digitizing historical texts

Trainers guided the participants through hands-on sessions, enabling them to create accounts, make their first edits, and understand the values of neutrality, verifiability, and free knowledge.

Media Coverage

The project gained strong visibility in national and community media. Gambia Daily published a detailed article on the awareness campaign here. Local language reporting was done by Besel Media, which helped reach grassroots audiences. In addition, Fulbe TV featured the event, further extending outreach and engagement across communities.

This wide visibility gave Wikimedia projects unprecedented exposure in the Gambia, reaching audiences both online and offline in different languages.

Continuing with a Two-Month Edit-a-thon

Following the workshop, the project extended into a two-month edit-a-thon. This provided participants with ongoing mentorship and opportunities to practice their new skills while contributing to Wikimedia projects. The edit-a-thon overview and participants’ progress helped sustain momentum and ensured that the skills gained were put into action.

Looking Ahead

This initiative marks an important step in building a Wikimedia community in The Gambia. By training new volunteers and amplifying awareness through the media, the project is laying the foundation for long-term engagement with Wikimedia projects in the country.

We believe that this is just the beginning, and we look forward to more collaborative activities, partnerships, and projects that will help document and share Gambian knowledge with the world.