Kelab Wiki Kent: First Year Summary

by , Elevating the Kadazandusun culture and language to a global platform.and , Malaysian Wikimedian
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After nine months being introduced to the Kadazandusun community at Malaysia Institute of Teacher Education (ITE), Kent Campus, Kelab Wiki Kent (Kent Wiki Club) was successfully launched on 18 August 2023. It becomes more meaningful when it is launched during Wikimania 2023 in Singapore. 

Group photo with Malaysian Wikimedian at Wikimania Singapore 2023. Jjurieee, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The establishment of Kelab Wiki Kent is the result of an understanding and collaboration between lecturers at ITE Kent especially from Kadazandusun Language Department and community organizing team of Wikimedia Community User Group Malaysia (Wikimedia CUG Malaysia). 

Throughout this year, there were many activities that Kelab Wiki Kent either organized or joined. They focus more on cultural and language development of  Kadazandusun, as well as advocate on free knowledge through Wikimedia projects.

Main event

There were three main events that Kelab Wiki Kent highlighted throughout 2023-2024 tenure: Wiki id Sikul, WikiKaamatan and WikiTour. 

Wiki id Sikul

Group photo with Kindu Primary School students and teachers. Evaaudreyanne, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Wiki id Sikul, or “Wiki at School” is a series of programs that were held at selected schools to introduce Wikimedia to their student and local community. It is also be an event to document local culture into the Wikimedia platform. Throughout this year, two schools have been visited: Bundu Tuhan Primary School, Ranau and Kindu Primary School, Tuaran, both in Sabah, Malaysia.

A Diff article was once made titled “The Kent Wiki Club Promotes Participation of Primary School Students in Wikimedia Projects”. This article is also available in Malay.

WikiKaamatan

Blusjai, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

WikiKaamatan is a continuity of the “WikiBudaya” (English: Wiki Culture) event organized in 2023. For this year, Kelab Wiki Kent was granted permission by the organizers of the Kaamatan Festival to open their booth at the event site, located at Union Hall (called Hongkod Koisaan) of Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) in Penampang, Sabah. During WikiKaamatan, Kelab Wiki Kent successfully captured thousands of photographs documenting the culture during the Kaamatan Festival, the main celebration of the Kadazandusun community. 

Two different articles have been published: one titled in Malay as “WikiKaamatan: 1500+ Gambar Kaamatan di Wikimedia Commons Berjaya Dimuat Naik oleh Kelab Wiki Kent” (English: “WikiKaamatan: 1500+ Images of Kaamatan Successfully Uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by Kelab Wiki Kent“), with version in Dusun as well, and another in English titled “Celebrating Harvest Festival: An In-Depth Exploration of Kadazandusun Culture through WikiKaamatan 2024”

WikiTour

WikiTour is a series of tour programs to educational centers aimed at conducting Wiktionary workshops for ethnic languages in Malaysia, along with introducing other Wikimedia projects like Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons. The event is supported by Rapid Fund from the Wikimedia Community Fund. Through WikiTour, we successfully introduced Wiktionary to three target groups: teachers from the Sarawak State Department of Education (for the Iban language), students of the Kadazandusun language program at the Faculty of Languages and Communication at Sultan Idris Education University (for the Kadazandusun language), and students from Sandakan National Secondary School (for their respective ethnic languages). We extend our gratitude to the committee that approved this fund.

  • Wikitour Sibu. Abbylaylena Sitibon, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
  • WikiTour Perak. Nelynnnnn, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • WikiTour Sandakan. Anzellyssa, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Participation in international conferences

This year, Kelab Wiki Kent has been actively sending delegates to participate in various Wikimedia event, offering a valuable opportunity to introduce the Club to the wider Wikimedia community.

First, the Wikimedia ESEAP Conference 2024 which was held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Sixteen members participated in this event, serving as executive committee members, participants, and presenters. This three-day, two-night event provided members with exposure and opportunities to contribute to the success of the conference and to connect with Wikimedians from the East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Pacific (ESEAP) region.

Jjurieee, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Second, the Wikimania 2024 which was held in Katowice, Poland. Three members had the opportunity to attend the conference. This was their second Wikimania experience, following their participation in Wikimania Singapore 2023. The technology theme of this year’s Wikimania was particularly relevant, sparking ideas to be shared and implemented with the Kelab Wiki Kent’s target groups in the future. Noteworthy topics included how a Wikimedian integrates Wikimedia culture into their daily hobbies and how educators can use the Wikimedia platform as a tool for teaching, learning, and research.

Group photo with Malaysian Wikimedian at Wikimania Katowice 2024. Youngjin Ko, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

New leadership

On July 19, 2024, the Kelab Wiki Kent celebrated its first anniversary by holding its inaugural annual general meeting. During this meeting, several key decisions regarding the leadership and management of the organization were made:

  • A leadership transition took place, with the 2023/2024 Club Committee being dissolved and a new Committee for the 2024/2025 session being formed.
  • Bluster Jainon was elected as the new chairperson of the Club with majority support.
  • The club’s motto, originally “Okon nopo ko yati, isai po?” meaning “If not us, who else?” was changed to a new motto: “Boros nopo nga guas toilaan” which translates to “Language is the pillar of knowledge.”
  • The mission for the new session is “Cultivating the use of Kadazandusun Language in online information sharing,” with the vision of “Strengthening the role of Kadazandusun Language in online information sharing.”
  • Bluster Jainon gave a speech during annual general meeting. Jjurieee, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Jjurieee, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

New logo

On August 18, 2024, exactly one year after its founding, Kelab Wiki Kent held a 365-day celebration ceremony. Members marked the occasion with a cake-cutting event.

During the celebration, a new logo for the Kelab Wiki Kent, designed by Wikimedia CUG Malaysia, was also unveiled.

Wikimedia Malaysia, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Determination and hope

Looking ahead, Kelab Wiki Kent should remain dedicated to uplifting and empowering Kadazandusun culture and language, while also introducing Wikimedia projects to the local community. Commitment and passion for preserving heritage should always be at the forefront of efforts to share and expand knowledge of Kadazandusun culture and language through the Wikimedia platform.

Alansan do kalantoi, Kalab Wiki Kent! (All the best, Kelab Wiki Kent!)

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