Building Knowledge Together: My Experience in the Wiki Afrodemics Mentorship Program

A New Beginning

Over the past three months, I had the privilege of participating in the Wiki Afrodemics Mentorship Program, a transformative learning experience that introduced me to the Wikimedia movement and equipped me with practical skills for contributing to free knowledge. I joined the Wiki Afrodemics Mentorship Program because I wanted to learn how Wikimedia projects work and develop the skills needed to contribute reliable, freely accessible knowledge. Over the course of three months, that curiosity grew into confidence as I gained practical experience with both Wikidata and Wikipedia.

Exploring the World of Wikidata

One of the highlights of the mentorship was learning about Wikidata under the guidance of our mentor, Dave Palfrey. He introduced us to the fundamentals of structured data and explained how Wikidata supports Wikimedia projects by organizing information in a structured and reusable format.

During the training, we learned how to edit existing items, create new ones, add statements and references, and understand how data is connected across different Wikimedia projects. We were also introduced to the Wikidata Query Service, where we learned how to run queries to retrieve and analyze structured data from Wikidata. This helped us appreciate the power of Wikidata as a knowledge base and how queries can be used to discover relationships between different sets of information.

Another practical exercise involved communicating with fellow contributors by sending messages to one another using our Wikidata usernames. These activities helped us understand the collaborative nature of the Wikimedia community while giving us the confidence to begin making meaningful contributions.

For anyone interested in exploring the topics covered during the Wikidata sessions, the recording of the Wikidata training can be accessed here:

Discovering the Art of Wikipedia Editing

Our Wikipedia sessions were facilitated by Muib Shefiu, who introduced us to the core principles of editing Wikipedia. Through his guidance, we learned how to determine whether a topic is notable enough for a Wikipedia article, identify reliable and verifiable sources, and understand why proper referencing is essential to maintaining the quality and credibility of articles.

The practical sessions gave us the opportunity to create new articles, improve existing ones, and apply Wikipedia’s core content policies, including neutrality, verifiability, and reliable sourcing. These lessons gave me a deeper appreciation of the responsibility that comes with contributing to one of the world’s largest sources of free knowledge.

To explore the techniques and guidelines discussed during these sessions, the recording of the Wikipedia training can be accessed here:

Putting My Skills into Practice

One of the most rewarding moments of the Wiki Afrodemics Mentorship Program was applying the knowledge I had gained by creating a draft Wikipedia article about Muniru Iddrisu. This experience allowed me to put into practice everything I had learned about notability, reliable sourcing, neutral writing, and proper referencing.

Developing the draft required careful research, verification of information, and adherence to Wikipedia’s editorial guidelines. Although the article is currently under review, the process strengthened my confidence as a Wikimedia contributor and demonstrated how the skills gained during the mentorship can be applied to real-world contributions.

I look forward to seeing the article published and continuing to improve it in line with Wikipedia’s standards.

Lessons Beyond Editing

The Wiki Afrodemics Mentorship Program was about much more than learning how to edit Wikimedia projects. It strengthened my research, critical thinking, digital literacy, communication, and collaboration skills. More importantly, it taught me the importance of making reliable, well-sourced knowledge freely accessible to everyone.

Working alongside mentors and fellow participants created a welcoming environment where we could ask questions, exchange ideas, learn from one another, and grow as contributors to the Wikimedia movement. Every discussion, practical exercise, and feedback session helped me become more confident in my abilities.

One of the greatest lessons I learned is that every contribution—whether it is editing a Wikidata item, improving a Wikipedia article, or creating a new page—helps make knowledge more accessible to people around the world. The mentorship inspired me to continue learning, contributing, and encouraging others to join the Wikimedia community

The Journey Continues

Completing this three-month mentorship has given me the confidence and motivation to continue contributing to both Wikidata and Wikipedia. I look forward to creating and improving more articles, contributing high-quality data to Wikidata, participating in Wikimedia campaigns and edit-a-thons, and collaborating with other volunteers across the movement.

I am sincerely grateful to the organizers of the Wiki Afrodemics Mentorship Program, our mentors Dave Palfrey and Muib Shefiu, and my fellow participants for their guidance, encouragement, and dedication throughout the program. Their mentorship has inspired me to become a more active and responsible contributor to the Wikimedia movement.

I encourage anyone who is passionate about open knowledge, research, and digital collaboration to participate in future editions of the Wiki Afrodemics Mentorship Program. It is more than just a training program—it is an opportunity to develop valuable skills, connect with a global community of volunteers, and make a lasting contribution to the world’s largest collection of free knowledge.

As I continue my Wikimedia journey, I remain committed to learning, sharing knowledge, and contributing to the vision of a world in which every single person can freely access and share the sum of all human knowledge.