The Africa Wiki Women Leadership and Mentorship Fellowship Programme is back for its third cohort, empowering women across Africa to lead and contribute to Wikimedia projects. Running from January to June 2026, this six-month fellowship will give participants the skills, mentorship, and experience to make a real impact in open knowledge and leadership.

The African Wiki Women Leadership and Mentorship Fellowship (LMF) Program is dedicated to providing African women with tools to support and take on leadership roles within the Wikimedia Movement. 

The mission remains clear: to bridge the gender gap in leadership across Wikimedia communities in Africa, while supporting fellows to lead initiatives that promote equity, visibility, and diversity across Wikimedia platforms. The 2026 cohort will work closely with mentors and the broader Africa Wiki Women community to create a collaborative space where ideas and talents can thrive. Together, they will contribute to Wikimedia projects while strengthening their confidence and capacity for leadership. This year, we received 188 applications and selected 10 outstanding Fellows across Africa for the 2026 Africa Wiki Women Leadership and Mentorship Fellowship (Cohort 3).

Meet the 2026 Fellows

Salah Mel-Catherine Atuma (Cameroon) is a Wikimedian, researcher, and tech-driven community contributor passionate about digital inclusion and African representation online. She joined the Africa Wiki Women (AWW) Fellowship Program to engage in structured learning, community collaboration, and impact-driven contributions, bringing curiosity and discipline to her Wikimedia journey.

Since joining AWW, Salah has steadily built her confidence on-wiki, learning how Wikimedia systems operate and contributing with intention. She focuses on improving content quality, strengthening documentation, and ensuring African stories are told accurately and sustainably. She approaches her work like building a system: identifying gaps, conducting research, and making edits that enhance visibility of underrepresented knowledge.

“The Africa Wiki Women Fellowship Program feels like more than training; it’s a community that genuinely builds people. I’m inspired by how organized and supportive the AWW team is, and how they make learning feel possible for everyone, no matter where they’re starting from. Being part of AWW has pushed me to contribute more confidently and intentionally, and I’m excited to keep growing and giving back to the community.”
— Mel-Catherine

Lois Owusu-Afram (Ghana) is an entrepreneur, Social Media Manager for an NGO, and photography enthusiast with a growing interest in digital storytelling, open knowledge, and community engagement.

“I joined Africa Wiki Women to gain practical Wikimedia skills through mentorship and to strengthen my communication abilities. I am passionate about learning and connecting with diverse African women whose work creates meaningful impact. Through this fellowship, I look forward to growing as a contributor and making significant, sustained contributions to the Wikipedia ecosystem.”
— Lois

Emilia Modestus Nzilano (Tanzania) is a Wikimedian, IT technician, ICT literacy trainer, graphics designer, and NGO volunteer. She is committed to digital inclusion, community empowerment, and equitable access to information. Emilia believes knowledge should be open, accessible, and reflective of diverse African experiences, particularly those often left out of mainstream digital spaces.

Since joining AWW, she has been building her Wikimedia skills intentionally, contributing to improve content quality and documentation while ensuring African women’s voices are preserved online.

“AWW is a community that empowers growth. The support has boosted my confidence and helped me contribute more intentionally. I am grateful and excited to learn, collaborate, and network with people across Africa to bridge the gap between men and women in digital spaces.”
— Emilia

Keatlaretse Katrinah Moeng (Botswana) is a Wikimedian, Business Administrator for tech, and YALI RLC fellow. She is passionate about indigenous languages, women’s economic empowerment, and poverty eradication.

She joined AWW to work on bridging the gender gap while developing new skills in communication and community engagement. Keatlaretse believes in the power of open knowledge to advance African women’s empowerment. — Keatlarestse

Ntlafatso Veronicah Gaowele (Botswana) is an environmental scientist, grant writer, and Wikimedia volunteer contributing to English and Setswana Wikipedia, Wikiquote, Wiki Commons, and Wikidata. She focuses on women’s representation, climate action, and indigenous knowledge, co-leading campaigns like Art+Feminism and Wiki Loves Monuments, mentoring emerging editors, and promoting visual storytelling.

“I joined Africa Wiki Women, particularly the Mentorship and Leadership program, to enhance my skills while empowering women across Africa to share their voices on Wikimedia platforms. Through this fellowship, I aim to expand community impact projects connecting environmental sustainability, open knowledge, and women’s visibility online.”
— Ntlafatso

Ann Veronicah Wambui (Kenya) is a multimedia journalist and law student, working as a freelance journalist and communications consultant. She co-founded Getting BETA Together, an NGO empowering young women and children through peer-to-peer mentorship in health, finance, career development, and wellness.

Ann joined AWW, specifically the Podcast and Skill-Up departments, to strengthen her skills in online community engagement and leadership. She aims to create more inclusive digital spaces where women can engage in open, impactful conversations accessible from home. — Veronica

Ingrid Ngueumeni (Cameroon) is a computer science engineer and Customer Service officer passionate about STEM and finance. She is a member of the Wikimedians of Cameroon User Group and serves as program coordinator for the Central Région chapter. Ingrid contributes to French Wikipedia, Wikidata, WikiCommons, WikiQuote, and Vikidia.

“I joined the AWW fellowship to grow my knowledge, reduce the gap of women on Wiki, and improve projects that help women be more impactful and visible worldwide.”
— Ingrid

Mwale Mubanga (Zambia) is an early-career agriculturist with a background in Animal Science and a growing interest in climate-smart agriculture, open knowledge, and community development. Her work focuses on empowering women and youth in agriculture through storytelling, capacity building, and digital platforms.

“I joined Africa Wiki Women to learn, grow, and contribute meaningfully to the Wikimedia movement, particularly by supporting African women to tell their own stories and increase their visibility online. I hope to strengthen my Wikimedia skills, contribute to projects like the Skill Up Workshop and Africa Wiki Women Podcast, and become a community ambassador mentoring other young women and youth in Zambia.”
— Mwale

Adur Margaret (Uganda) is an educationist and social impact practitioner with a background in Business Studies with Education. She joined AWW to strengthen her skills in open knowledge advocacy, storytelling, and leadership, amplifying the voices of African women on Wikimedia.

“Through the Africa Wiki Women fellowship, I hope to grow as a mentor, support more women and girls to become confident contributors, and lead projects that increase the visibility of women in education, social impact, and grassroots community development across Africa.”
— Margaret

Dorcas Awinsongya Baba is a youth leader, climate change activist, social scientist, and SRHR advocate from Ghana. She is a Wikimedia volunteer who contributes to the English and Dagbani Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons, with a focus on climate action, women’s representation, and the promotion of local content. She is an active member of the Tamale WikiHub, where she supports trainings and moderates online activities.

Dorcas joined the African Wiki Women Fellowship to gain practical skills and knowledge to strengthen her contributions across Wikimedia projects, particularly in addressing the underrepresentation of women. She also seeks mentorship and opportunities to network with like-minded individuals to support her current and future contributions. Through the fellowship, she hopes to gain relevant knowledge on how to translate her passions—women’s empowerment, youth leadership, climate change, SRHR, and community development—into valuable, accessible information for public use.
— Dorcas

Conclusion

These 10 remarkable women bring diverse expertise, creativity, and commitment to open knowledge. Over the next six months, they will engage in mentorship, training, and community projects, contributing to Wikimedia while strengthening their leadership and advocacy skills.

Congratulations to the 2026 Africa Wiki Women Fellows (Cohort 3)! We can’t wait to see the impact they will make in open knowledge and across the continent.