The Dagbani Wikimedians User Group, in collaboration with African & Proud, has organized a two-part Wikivoyage training program aimed at introducing community members to Wikivoyage and encouraging the documentation of destinations, culture, history, and travel information from Ghana.
The project is a collaborative initiative between African & Proud and the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group, bringing together their shared interest in promoting African knowledge, culture, and representation through open knowledge platforms. The collaboration seeks to equip community members with the skills to document places and travel experiences while increasing the visibility of destinations and local knowledge from Ghana on Wikivoyage.
The training was held on 8 August and 15 August 2026 through Zoom, with the first session focusing on an introduction to Wikivoyage and the second serving as a follow-up session and the official launch of a Wikivoyage edit-a-thon.
Introducing Wikivoyage to the Community
The first training session, held on 8 August 2026, introduced participants to Wikivoyage, a Wikimedia project that provides free travel information for travelers around the world by Dnshitobu.
Participants were taken through the purpose of Wikivoyage and how it differs from Wikipedia. While Wikipedia provides encyclopaedic information about notable subjects, Wikivoyage focuses on practical travel information that can help people plan and navigate their journeys.
The training explored the structure of Wikivoyage articles and the kinds of information contributors can document. These include destinations, tourist attractions, accommodation, restaurants, transportation, cultural sites, historical locations, markets, festivals, and other places of interest.
Participants were also introduced to the basic principles of editing and contributing to Wikivoyage. Through practical demonstrations, they learned how to navigate the platform, examine existing articles, and identify opportunities for improving travel-related information.
From Learning to Contributing
The second session, held on 15 August 2026, provided an opportunity for participants to build on the knowledge gained during the first training.
The session began with a review of the topics covered during the introductory training. Participants discussed questions and challenges they had encountered while exploring Wikivoyage after the first session.
The facilitator Dnshitobu then provided further practical guidance on creating and improving destination articles and on organizing information in a way that is useful to travelers.
This follow-up session was particularly important because it moved the program from introductory learning towards active contribution.
Wikivoyage Edit-a-thon Launched
A major highlight of the second session was the official launch of the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group Wikivoyage Edit-a-thon by Musahfm
The edit-a-thon allows participants to apply the skills acquired during the training by creating and improving Wikivoyage content.
Contributors are encouraged to document destinations and places of interest, particularly those that are underrepresented in existing online travel resources.
Areas of interest include cities and towns, cultural and historical sites, tourist attractions, museums, markets, restaurants, accommodation facilities, transportation, festivals, natural attractions, and other locations that may be useful to travelers.
Documenting Northern Ghana and Local Knowledge
The initiative is particularly significant for the documentation of Northern Ghana. The region has a rich collection of cultural, historical, and natural attractions, yet information about many of these places remains limited on the internet. Local Wikimedia contributors are often in a strong position to provide accurate and useful information because they have direct knowledge of the communities and places being documented.
Through Wikivoyage, contributors can help make this knowledge available to travelers, researchers, and members of the public. The project also creates an opportunity to connect Wikimedia’s work on language, culture, and open knowledge. Information about local festivals, traditional communities, food, historical sites, landscapes, and cultural experiences can be documented and made freely accessible.
Building New Skills Within the Wikimedia Community
For the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group, the training represents an expansion of community participation beyond Wikipedia. Members of the community already contribute to several Wikimedia projects, including Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, Wikisource, and Translatewiki. Learning to contribute to Wikivoyage provides another way for community members to share knowledge and document places that matter to them.
The training also demonstrated the value of practical, community-led learning. Participants were not only introduced to the principles of Wikivoyage but were also given the opportunity to put those skills into practice through the edit-a-thon.
Looking Ahead
The launch of the edit-a-thon marks the beginning of a wider effort to increase travel-related content about Ghana on Wikivoyage. The Dagbani Wikimedians User Group hopes that participants will continue contributing after the training and that the initiative will encourage more people to document destinations and local knowledge from their communities. By combining training with practical editing, the program has created a pathway for participants to move from learning about Wikivoyage to becoming active contributors. The two sessions held on 8 and 15 August 2026 therefore represent more than a training exercise. They are part of a broader effort to ensure that Ghanaian places, cultures, and local knowledge have a stronger presence in the global open knowledge movement.
The journey has started. The next step is to document the places, stories, and experiences that make our communities worth discovering.
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