As the AWA Digitalize Youth Project 2025 comes to an end, November was a month of reflection, celebration, and renewed commitment to open knowledge. Over the past six months, this initiative has nurtured a network of editors contributing to Wikimedia projects through topics related to Niger, South Sudan, and Togo. Despite persistent challenges with sourcing reliable references, participants continued to adapt by focusing on translation, data improvement, and peer learning.
Training and Capacity Building
The month featured two core learning sessions and a final office hour, each designed to strengthen participants’ understanding of key concepts and tools that support sustainable editing practices.
31 October 2025 – How to Tackle Mis/Disinformation on Wikipedia
This session focused on how misinformation and disinformation appear on Wikimedia platforms and the steps editors can take to identify and prevent them. Participants learned practical techniques for verifying facts, evaluating source credibility, and maintaining neutrality when contributing to sensitive topics.
7 November 2025 – How to Run Queries Using PetScan and the Wikidata Query Builder Tool
Participants explored how to use PetScan and the Wikidata Query Builder to find, analyze, and improve Wikidata items. The training helped them understand how structured queries can reveal data gaps and opportunities for creating new, well-referenced items.
7 November 2025 – Office Hour and Wrap-Up Session
The final office hour served as both a reflection space and a closing conversation. Participants shared their experiences, challenges, and lessons learned throughout the project. Together, we reviewed six months of progress, celebrated the growth of individual editors, and discussed how they plan to continue contributing beyond the project’s conclusion.
All session recordings and resources can be found: here.
November Contributions
Even in the project’s final month, editors remained active and focused on improving representation for topics related to Niger, South Sudan, and Togo.
| Contribution Type | Number |
| Contributors | 8 |
| Articles Created (by translation from French Wikipedia) | 5 |
| Items Created (Wikidata) | 26 |
| Total Edits | 31 |
The focus on translation ensured that information from French Wikipedia could reach broader audiences through English Wikipedia. On Wikidata, participants continued to enrich the open data ecosystem by creating new items and expanding the visibility of notable individuals, institutions, and policies from the three focus countries.
Looking Back: Six Months of Growth
From June to November, the AWA Digitalize Youth Project 2025 has trained and supported editors in producing and improving Wikimedia content that reflects African perspectives. By focusing on topics from Niger, South Sudan, and Togo, participants have helped expand the digital footprint of regions that are often underrepresented online.
Throughout the project, they faced challenges such as limited access to reliable references and language barriers, yet they responded with innovation and collaboration. Translation, peer-led sessions, and the use of Wikidata tools became effective strategies for maintaining progress and ensuring the accuracy and diversity of content produced.
Looking Ahead
As this six-month project concludes, the focus now turns to sustaining the progress made. Participants are encouraged to continue contributing to Wikimedia platforms, mentor new editors, and collaborate with the broader African open knowledge community.
The AWA Digitalize Youth Project 2025 may be ending, but the work continues. The editors who took part in this journey have built skills, confidence, and a shared commitment to ensuring that the stories and data from Africa remain visible, verifiable, and valued.
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