AWA Fellowship Reflections: Building a community of practice is just as important as contributing to Wikipedia- Baname Lare

When I joined the AWA Digitalise Youth Project 2026 fellowship programme, my main expectation was that this experience would enable me to improve my technical skills on Wikipedia and Wikidata. Over the course of the five-month programme, I discovered that contributing to Wikimedia is not just about creating articles or meeting numerical targets. Above all, it is about strengthening a community, sharing knowledge and empowering others to contribute in turn.

One of the most significant changes in the way I view the Wikimedia movement came from my role in supporting the other participants. As well as producing around thirty articles each month and creating new content, I supported several fellows in editing Wikimedia projects and helped to train new contributors. This experience made me realise that a contributor’s impact is not measured solely by the number of articles they create, but also by the number of people they inspire and help to progress. Seeing a new contributor publish their first article or become more independent was just as rewarding as my own achievements.
This experience also led me to reflect on the importance of digital rights in Africa. Whilst working on topics related to cybersecurity, personal data protection, freedom of expression, disinformation and civic engagement, I realised that these issues remain insufficiently documented in many African countries. These content gaps are not merely a lack of available information; they also reflect a lack of contributors capable of researching, verifying and sharing this knowledge in a neutral and reliable manner. Helping to fill these gaps is therefore a way of supporting more equitable access to knowledge.

My interactions with the other fellows and with the Wikimedia Community of Togo User Group also left a lasting impression on my journey. There, I found advice, encouragement and a genuine spirit of collaboration. This solidarity gave me greater confidence and reminded me that the Wikimedia movement is, above all, built on people learning from one another. I come away from this experience convinced that mentoring and the sharing of skills are essential to ensuring the sustainability of our communities.

In future, I hope to continue this commitment by supporting more new contributors, developing high-quality content on digital rights and continuing to strengthen the participation of African Francophone communities in Wikimedia projects. This fellowship has taught me that a good contributor does more than just write articles: they also help others find their place within the movement. This is the lesson I will take away most of all, and it will guide my commitment in the years to come.

I am proud to have risen to this challenge and hope to have the opportunity to contribute again to future editions of the programme so that I can continue to serve the Wikimedia movement and the dissemination of free knowledge.

This article is part of the African Wikipedian Alliance (AWA) Fellowship Programme 2026, an initiative supporting African Wikimedians to contribute to closing knowledge gaps across Wikimedia projects while strengthening their skills, experiences, and communities. Through the fellowship, fellows contribute to Wikimedia projects, engage with knowledge gaps across African contexts, and share reflections on their learning and experiences throughout the programme.

The AWA Fellowship Programme is coordinated by Code for Africa and delivered in collaboration with partners supporting the growth and development of African Wikimedia communities.