Celebrating a Milestone: Documenting African Food as Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Wali Language

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Introduction

The Wali Wikimedians Community is thrilled to announce the successful completion of our recent project, “Documenting African Food as Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Wali Language.” Running from 11 September 2025 to 2 November 2025, this initiative was a dedicated effort to preserve and promote the rich culinary traditions of Africa within the Wikimedia ecosystem.

The Journey

The project focused on enhancing Wikipedia’s coverage of African foods, ensuring that traditional knowledge is not only documented but accessible in the native Waali language.

Our journey began with a Hybrid Launch & Training session, where both new and experienced editors gathered to sharpen their skills. This was followed by a high-energy Editathon Workshop at the Yison Tech Hub in Wa, which brought together 27 passionate participants both in-person and virtually [Watch Workshop here].

Taking the Movement to the Airwaves

To ensure wide community engagement, the project went beyond digital editing. On the evening of November 1st, we took the movement to the radio. Zakaria Tunsung Bukari and Muhaideen Faiz Brichini were live on Tungsung Radio 97.3 FM in Wa.

During the YIRIMAMBO PROGRAM, hosted by Atawulahi Kanmintayie Ibrahim, we shared the community’s progress and the importance of Wali Wikipedia. This broadcast served as a powerful educational tool, introducing the Wikimedia movement to listeners across the region and inviting them to take ownership of their digital heritage [Watch Radio Program Here].

Key Achievements

The dedication of our contributors led to remarkable results that significantly boost the Waali presence online:

  • Community Growth: 27 active participants (online and in-person).
  • Content Creation: 248 newly created articles in the Waali Language. These articles are now hosted on the Wali Wikipedia (Incubator), providing free, accessible knowledge to Waala and other Waali speakers worldwide.
  • Visual Documentation: 173 images of African cuisines were uploaded to Wikimedia Commons under the category: Afɩrɩka Paalʋʋ Sɩmɩhɩ (African Foods).

Looking Ahead

This project has proven that language is a vital vessel for culture. By documenting our foods in our own tongue, we are ensuring that the “intangible” becomes a permanent part of the world’s digital record.

Long live the Wali Language! Long live the Wikimedia movement!

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