Training programs in Egypt, How to solving the biggest challenge to Wikimedia affiliations?

Across the Wikimedia movement, many affiliates face similar long-term challenges, including volunteer turnover, burnout, declining community activity, and the difficulty of preparing new leaders to sustain local communities. While introductory editing workshops remain valuable, they rarely provide the continuous learning pathways needed to build resilient and self-sustaining Wikimedia communities.

Many WMF affiliates offer training sessions, which is nothing new. It’s easy to organize a session and invite people to learn about some Wikimedia projects. However, this traditional approach isn’t always successful or effective, and can be a waste of resources. You face several challenges: not everyone attending the sessions is at the same level, or even has a basic understanding. Unfortunately, many are filled with misinformation about Wikimedia projects, they ask many questions, and you might encounter the biggest problem: why would someone want to learn about volunteering with Wikimedia projects?

Therefore, this requires significant preparation to bring these individuals to at least a basic level, where they understand all the essential information about Wikimedia projects and how they work, thus capturing their interest and motivating them. Implementing this through traditional methods (training sessions or workshops) can be difficult due to a lack of instructors and organizers, and attendance may be low.

Therefore, it was essential to think outside the box, utilizing modern technologies and artificial intelligence (thanks to our tech club), by creating an online training platform and a simple, easy-to-understand, customized training path. Every step in the training is carefully planned and incorporates feedback from previous training sessions. After completing the first phase, participants move on to the second phase, which provides them with tasks to complete and practice. Technical support, a database, and a Q&A bot are also essential.

At the end of this program, you have a new volunteer for Wikimedia projects. This is where the importance of the third phase comes in: specialized training programs. New volunteers don’t necessarily have to be editors. Some may have technical or programming experience, document scanning, photography, or experience in administration and organization, making them valuable assets to the group’s activities. Others may have teaching experience but simply need to learn everything about Wikimedia projects to be able to conduct training sessions for others.

EWUG developed five specialized programs covering the diverse needs of the movement for the first time in MENA region. which establish a structured, continuous training ecosystem. Beyond introducing new editors, these programs prepare future trainers, community organizers, mentors, photographers, and technical contributors, creating a sustainable pipeline of volunteers capable of leading initiatives, supporting community growth, documenting cultural heritage, and developing technical solutions for Wikimedia projects.

What are training programs?

Masar Program

The Masar Program is online program which serves as the primary gateway for joining the EWUG, providing newcomers with a structured introduction to the Wikimedia movement and its free knowledge projects. The Arabic word Masar (مسار) means “path,” reflecting the program’s mission of guiding volunteers through a clear, step-by-step learning journey.

The program offers a progressive curriculum that begins with the fundamentals before gradually introducing more advanced topics. Participants learn through interactive video lessons, simplified educational resources, and AI-assisted tools that answer questions and help overcome common editing challenges.

Rather than treating training as a one-time activity, Masar provides a flexible, self-paced learning experience supported by continuous guidance. Alongside editing skills, participants explore the principles of free knowledge, Wikimedia’s values, and collaborative contribution, helping them become confident, long-term contributors. Upon completing the program, participants are expected to actively contribute across Wikimedia projects.

The Organizers Program

Successful volunteer communities depend on organizers who can transform ideas into impactful initiatives and inspire others to participate. To strengthen this capacity, the EWUG launched the Organizers Training Program to prepare a new generation of community organizers with the leadership and practical skills needed to coordinate Wikimedia activities effectively.

The program extends beyond administrative training, encompassing event planning, project coordination, volunteer management, partnership development, reporting, time management, and the effective use of digital tools. Participants reinforce these skills through hands-on experience by helping organize EWUG activities and events throughout the year.

Beyond organizing events, the program develops future community leaders. Participants gradually assume greater responsibilities while gaining practical experience in leading initiatives and managing projects. They also learn about Wikimedia’s governance structures. They are encouraged to participate in committees and working groups across the Wikimedia movement, strengthening the representation of the MENA region in global decision-making.

Ultimately, the program aims not only to increase the number of organizers, but to cultivate capable leaders who can sustain initiatives, empower volunteers, build strategic partnerships, and support the long-term growth of Wikimedia communities.

Mentors Program (TOT)

The experience accumulated by volunteers over years of contributing to Wikimedia projects is among the movement’s most valuable assets. Yet its true value is realized only when that knowledge is shared, passed on to new contributors, and transformed into institutional memory that strengthens the sustainability of the community. Guided by this principle, the EWUG launched the Mentors Program (TOT), an initiative designed to foster a culture of peer learning, knowledge exchange, and mutual support among volunteers. Mentorship within the program extends well beyond providing technical assistance to new editors.

It focuses on preparing volunteers who possess strong communication, coaching, leadership, and problem-solving skills, enabling them to guide newcomers, support organizers, and contribute to the successful delivery of community activities. The group firmly believes that a sustainable Wikimedia community can only flourish when experienced contributors actively help newcomers overcome their initial challenges and inspire them to remain engaged. In this way, the Mentorship Program serves as a vital bridge between generations of Wikimedians, ensuring that knowledge, experience, and community values continue to be passed from one generation to the next.

Photographers Training Program

As the demand for freely licensed, high-quality images documenting Egypt’s cultural and natural heritage continues to grow, the EWUG established the Photographers Training Program to combine photography skills with the mission of advancing free knowledge. The program prepares a new generation of volunteer photographers capable of producing high-quality visual content that enriches Wikimedia projects while strengthening the digital representation of culture, heritage, and knowledge. Participants learn the fundamentals of photography and develop the skills needed to create accurate, educational, and visually compelling images.

Rather than viewing photography solely as an artistic practice, the program promotes it as a powerful tool for documenting heritage, culture, everyday life, and places of encyclopedic value. This approach complements the group’s broader documentation initiatives, including heritage documentation projects, photographic expeditions, and international campaigns such as Wiki Loves Earth, Wiki Loves Africa, and Wiki Loves Folklore, all of which expand the world’s collection of freely accessible visual knowledge.

Participants also receive practical training on contributing to Wikimedia Commons, learning how to upload, describe, categorize, and organize media using appropriate metadata while gaining a solid understanding of copyright and free licenses.

To ensure the program’s long-term sustainability, EWUG established the Free Images Team, a collaborative network where volunteer photographers exchange expertise, support documentation initiatives, and participate in local and international events. The team’s first major activity, the workshop From a Shot to a Story, combined theoretical instruction with hands-on field training. Together, the program and the Free Images Team form a sustainable capacity-building model that develops skilled photographers while creating a long-term volunteer network dedicated to continuously expanding Wikimedia’s collection of freely licensed visual knowledge.

Technical Program

Behind every article that is written, every image that is uploaded, and every piece of knowledge that reaches a reader lies a sophisticated technical infrastructure that keeps Wikimedia projects alive and evolving. The editing tools used by contributors, the bots that automate thousands of routine tasks, the applications, dashboards, and analytics platforms are all the product of a global community of developers and technical volunteers dedicated to strengthening the foundations of free knowledge. Recognizing the growing importance of this ecosystem, the EWUG launched its Technical Training Program to prepare a new generation of technical contributors capable of developing software solutions that support Wikimedia projects, address the needs of local and regional communities, and broaden opportunities for participation in the free knowledge movement.

The program offers hands-on training in programming, MediaWiki development, automation, bot creation, free and open-source software, data analysis, database queries, and artificial intelligence—fields that have become increasingly essential to the continued evolution of Wikimedia projects. It also encourages experienced participants to move beyond learning and become mentors themselves, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the technical community and the continuous transfer of expertise to future generations of developers.

An Integrated Ecosystem for Building a More Sustainable Community

Although these five training programs serve different audiences and areas of Wikimedia work, they are designed as parts of a single long-term capacity-building strategy rather than independent initiatives. Together, they create a continuous learning pathway that enables volunteers to grow, develop new skills, and gradually assume greater responsibilities within the Wikimedia movement. A participant may begin through the Masar Program, later become an organizer, mentor, photographer, or technical contributor, following a flexible journey shaped by individual interests and community needs.