My Decade-Long Journey as a Wikimedian: From Assignment Research to Founding WUGZM

On November 7, 2011, at 12:39 PM, I embarked on a journey that would span over a decade, taking me from a high school student doing assignment research to the proud co-founder of the Wikimedia Community User Group Zambia. This journey has been filled with experiences, growth, and a deep commitment to the Wikimedia movement. In this article, I want to share my story as a Wikimedian, the milestones I’ve achieved, and the evolution of the Wikimedia community in Zambia.

The Early Years

My journey as a Wikimedian began during my high school days at Linda High School (now Linda Secondary School) in Livingstone, Zambia. I embarked on this path while working on a research assignment that required information from Wikipedia. Captivated by the collaborative nature of the platform and its vast knowledge repository, I decided to create my account and join the global community. However, in my initial naivety, I treated Wikipedia like any other website, and I wrote a detailed biography about myself, my family history, and more, even uploading childhood pictures. Unfortunately, my articles were deleted due to a lack of verified sources, and my account was eventually banned on Wikimedia Commons.

Between 2011 and 2015, my journey as a Wikimedian was marked by a deep dedication to understanding the inner workings of Wikipedia and what it truly required. I was eager to become a valuable contributor to this vast knowledge-sharing platform. It was during these early years that I encountered various challenges and learned valuable lessons that would shape my path as a Wikimedian.

In 2015, I achieved a milestone that filled me with excitement and a sense of accomplishment: my first article, “David Kaunda Technical High School,” was fully accepted on Wikipedia. This achievement marked a significant turning point in my journey, as I began to gain a deeper understanding of the standards and expectations of Wikipedia.

However, this initial success was followed by challenges. My attempt to write biographies for notable Zambian figures such as Mampi, Macky 2, and Ruff Kid faced hurdles. Some articles were tagged for deletion, and others were even deleted temporarily. Despite these setbacks, I remained undeterred and continued to contribute to the Wikimedia community.

In my quest to contribute to Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, I also faced challenges related to copyright infringement. An article I wrote about B’Flow was tagged for copyright infringement, prompting me to delve into the intricacies of copyright laws and intellectual property rights. To address this issue, I restructured the B’Flow article and educated myself about the concept of copyright infringement.

With a growing understanding of Wikipedia’s guidelines, I turned my attention to writing about notable buildings, including my own school, Linda High School, and Hillcrest Technical Secondary School. Although information on Zambian schools was limited, I persevered and continued to contribute to the Wikimedia projects.

From 2016 to the present day, my journey as a Wikimedian has been relatively smooth, with only four out of 82 articles I’ve contributed to the English Wikipedia being deleted. This period has seen my skills and knowledge as a contributor grow, and I’ve become more adept at navigating the challenges and complexities of Wikipedia.

One significant challenge I faced during my Wikimedia journey was a suspension from Wikimedia Commons, which lasted for over 1,391 days. This suspension resulted from my lack of knowledge about licenses, copyright infringement, and copyright laws. However, I didn’t let this setback discourage me. Instead, I humbly acknowledged my shortcomings and sought to rectify them.

Fortunately, one of the administrators overseeing my case granted me a second chance, recognizing my commitment to learning and contributing positively to Wikimedia projects. Since regaining access to Wikimedia Commons, I’ve uploaded over 1,413 files and created over 1,694 pages (with 121 of them since deleted). This experience has taught me the importance of understanding copyright and licensing issues thoroughly, ensuring that I contribute to the Wikimedia community responsibly and ethically.

Becoming Active

My journey as a Wikimedian began during my high school days at Linda High School (now Linda Secondary School) in Livingstone, Zambia. I embarked on this path while working on a research assignment that required information from Wikipedia. Captivated by the collaborative nature of the platform and its vast knowledge repository, I decided to create my account and join the global community.

Early Challenges and Lessons (2013–2018)

In my initial naivety, I treated Wikipedia like any other website, and I wrote a detailed biography about myself, my family history, and more, even uploading childhood pictures. Unfortunately, my articles were deleted due to a lack of verified sources, and my account was eventually banned on Wikimedia Commons. From 2013 to 2018, my journey as a Wikimedian was marked by a deep dedication to understanding the inner workings of Wikipedia and what it truly required. I was eager to become a valuable contributor to this vast knowledge-sharing platform. It was during these early years that I encountered various challenges and learned valuable lessons that would shape my path as a Wikimedian.

Active Contribution (2014–2016)

My true immersion into the Wikimedia world occurred between 2014 to 2016 when I became highly active, contributing to the English Wikipedia by writing numerous articles. As I began to grasp the notability criteria and the style of Wikipedia writing, I realized that writing for the English Wikipedia is no easy task; trust me, I learned the hard way. In 2015, I achieved a milestone that filled me with excitement and a sense of accomplishment: my first article, “David Kaunda Technical High School,” was fully accepted on Wikipedia. This achievement marked a significant turning point in my journey, as I began to gain a deeper understanding of the standards and expectations of Wikipedia.

Challenges and Growth (2016-Present)

However, this initial success was followed by challenges. My attempt to write biographies for notable Zambian figures such as Mampi, Macky 2, and Ruff Kid faced hurdles. Some articles were tagged for deletion, and others were even deleted temporarily and an article I wrote about B’Flow was tagged for copyright infringement, prompting me to delve into the intricacies of copyright laws and intellectual property rights. To address this issue, I restructured the B’Flow article and educated myself about the concept of copyright infringement. Despite these setbacks, I remained undeterred and continued to contribute to the Wikimedia community. In my quest to contribute to Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, I also faced challenges related to copyright infringement.

Continued Contribution and Learning

With a growing understanding of Wikipedia’s guidelines, I turned my attention to writing about notable buildings, including my own school, Linda High School, and Hillcrest Technical Secondary School. Although information on Zambian schools was limited, I persevered and continued to contribute to the Wikimedia projects. From 2016 to the present day, my journey as a Wikimedian has been relatively smooth, with only four out of 82 articles I’ve started or created to the English Wikipedia being deleted. This period has seen my skills and knowledge as a contributor grow, and I’ve become more adept at navigating the challenges and complexities of Wikipedia.

Overcoming Setbacks and Learning Responsibility

One significant challenge I faced during my Wikimedia journey was a suspension from Wikimedia Commons, which lasted for over 1,391 days. This suspension resulted from my lack of knowledge about licenses, copyright infringement, and copyright laws. However, I didn’t let this setback discourage me. Instead, I humbly acknowledged my shortcomings and sought to rectify them. Fortunately, one of the administrators overseeing my case granted me a second chance, recognizing my commitment to learning and contributing positively to Wikimedia projects. Since regaining access to Wikimedia Commons, I’ve uploaded over 1,413 files and created over 1,694 pages (with 121 of them since deleted). This experience has taught me the importance of understanding copyright and licensing issues thoroughly, ensuring that I contribute to the Wikimedia community responsibly and ethically.

Expanding Contributions and Discovery

In 2017, I discovered the Simple English Wikipedia, which was a fun stage in my Wikipedia writing career. The name itself implies the need for careful writing, and I was fortunate to have someone to review my work that my 6-year-old nephew. That’s how I started to simplify some articles in the same year. During Wikimania in Cape Town, South Africa in 2018, I discovered the Chichewa Wikipedia and promptly began translating articles there.

Over the years, my commitment to Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects has grown significantly. I’ve made over 11,000 edits on the English Wikipedia alone and more than 26,000 edits across 35 Wikimedia projects. I’ve also created 94 articles, with some reaching the status of class B and class C, while others remain as valuable stubs or start-class articles.

Wikimania and International Engagements

In 2018, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend my inaugural Wikimania in South Africa, which not only expanded my horizons but also facilitated connections with Wikimedians from around the globe. During the same year, I journeyed to Uganda to partake in a Kampala-based edit-a-thon named WikiGoesACCT, where I collaborated with Fabian von Bubnoff from Germany in regional support of the Wikimedia cause alongside the Wikimedia community user group Uganda.

In 2019, I hosted my first Wiki Loves Africa event in Zambia, assisted with the preparations for Wiki Loves Folklore 2019, and had the honor of attending my second Wikimania in Stockholm, Sweden, all made possible by a scholarship from Wikimedia Chapter South Africa. Towards the end of 2019, I received a scholarship to partake in my inaugural Wiki Indaba in Abuja, Nigeria, further solidifying my commitment to the Wikimedia community and bringing me closer to achieving the Wikimedia Community User Group Zambia status. This journey taught me valuable insights on managing a user group and more.

Challenges and Adaptation

The year 2020 brought the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted our regular in-person events. We had to move events like Feminism and Arts and Wiki Loves Africa online. During this time, I also began thinking about establishing a Wikimedia user group in Zambia.

Founding Wikimedia Community User Group Zambia

In 2021, I briefly reduced my involvement in wiki-related activities. During that time, I took on a contract to manage social media strategy for the Open Heritage Organization, which oversees the Wiki Loves Folklore project. However, towards the end of 2022, I reignited my enthusiasm and initiated the formation of the Wikimedia Community User Group Zambia. In that same year, I spearheaded the inaugural Wiki Loves Earth campaign in Zambia and co-organized the Wiki Gap Zambia 2021 event. This event was a collaborative endeavor between the Wikimedia Community Zambia (now Wikimedia Community User Group Zambia), the Embassy of Sweden in Lusaka, and the Women’s History Museum of Zambia.

Expanding the Movement

In 2022, I organized a special Independence Day Edit-a-thon at Manic Creatives, which laid the groundwork for the creation of the Wikimedia Community User Group Zambia. Together with the Wikimedia Community Zambia, we also planned for a WikiGap Meet-Up in 2022, in collaboration with the Embassy of Sweden in Lusaka.

Achieving Official Affiliation

The culmination of my efforts occurred on October 7, 2023, when the Wikimedia Community User Group Zambia achieved official affiliates status, and I became a proud co-founder of the group. This achievement marks a significant milestone in the growth of the Wikimedia community in Zambia.

The Road Ahead

As 2023 began, my excitement was palpable. I had a clear mind and embarked on the journey to establish a Wikimedia user group. Simultaneously, I was gearing up to host the second edition of Wiki Loves Earth and the inaugural Wiki Loves Monuments in Zambia. Furthermore, we were in the early stages of planning a Zambia Writes for Wikipedia Campaign, scheduled for December 2023.

Conclusion

My journey as a Wikimedian has been profoundly rewarding and life-changing. I’ve had the privilege of seeing the world from the perspective of the Wikimedia Foundation. Starting with my initial research for school assignments and culminating in co-founding the Wikimedia Community User Group Zambia, I’ve witnessed the incredible influence of collaborative knowledge sharing and the substantial expansion of the Wikimedia community in Zambia. Now, I’m proud to be one of the co-founders of the officially recognized Wikimedia Community User Group Zambia, affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation. I’m excited about the future and look forward to many more years of contributing to and observing the growth of this movement.