- African-wikimedia-developers - lists.wikimedia.org

Gear Up! Join the Africa Wikimedia Technical Hackathon Prep Launch 2025 🚀
by Zoe Nyadzi 03 Oct '25

03 Oct '25

Dear African Wikimedians, Are you interested in learning about and contributing to Wikimedia Technical projects but unsure where to find guidance? Get ready for the Africa Wikimedia Technical Community Hackathon Prep Launch 2025, where we will learn how to collaborate, code, and build the future of free knowledge together. This isn't just another meeting—it's your strategic launchpad. Under the theme, ‘Harnessing Open Source Tools to Strengthen Wikimedia,’ we’re creating a dynamic space to skill up and prepare for the grand hackathon in November. Why You Can't Miss This: Master Essential Skills: Gain the hands-on knowledge and technical confidence needed to excel at the main hackathon. Fuel Your Passion: We've got your back! Data costs will be fully reimbursed for all participants, so you can focus on what matters—building and learning. Connect & Collaborate: Engage with brilliant minds and fellow technical contributors and mentors from across the African continent. Who can Join: Tech Newbies: Anyone interested in learning and contributing to Wikimedia Technical projects. Tech Enthusiasts: Anyone with a strong passionate interest in technology. Tech Contributors/Developers: Software Engineers, UI designers and technology experts. Females are highly encouraged to join Event Details: - Format: Virtual - Dates & Times: Day 1: Thursday, 16th October 2025 | 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM UTC Day 2: Friday, 17th October 2025 | 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM UTC Your expertise is vital to strengthening Wikimedia projects. This is our chance to innovate, solve challenges, and shape the open-source tools that power free knowledge. Ready to participate? Here’s how to secure your spot: 1. Fill out the participation form to let us know you're in. 2. Register for the virtual sessions via our Zoom link. [Click Here to Fill Out the Participation Form] <https://forms.gle/N9mAGp6UGc82YnNq8> This is to help us track and coordinate the event better. [Click Here to Register on Meta] <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:Africa_Wikimedia_Technical_Hackathon_…> Let’s harness the power of open source together. We are incredibly excited to see you there and build something amazing. See you online! With anticipation, The Africa Wikimedia Technical Community

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Upcoming Meeting with Wikimedia Editing Team – October 29
by Sanie Yahya 25 Oct '24

25 Oct '24

Dear Community members, I’m excited to share that we have a meeting scheduled with the Wikimedia Editing Team <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Editing_team> on *October 29 at 17:30 UTC* to discuss the Edit Check feature. This is a valuable opportunity for us to provide input and shape its future development. *Date: October 29, 2024Time: 17:30 UTCZoom Link: https://wikimedia.zoom.us/j/85700503885 <https://wikimedia.zoom.us/j/85700503885>* Check out the Edit Check documentation here: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Edit_check Objective Knowing more about Edit check: current checks and upcoming projects around copy/pasting, multi-checks and more! Attendees can sign up on our event page: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Editing_team/Community_Conversations#Next_Co… <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Editing_team/Community_Conversations#Next_Co…> The Edit Check tool, currently available only in the Visual Editor, can be a useful asset in our work, helping to improve Wikipedia articles before the edit is published. Please take some time to think about how this feature can support our projects. Come prepared with any questions or suggestions you’d like to share with the Wikimedia Edit team! Let’s make the most of this opportunity! Best, Sanie Yahya

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Call for Nominations: Coolest Tool Awards 2024! 🛠️
by Joris Quarshie 17 Apr '24

17 Apr '24

Hi everyone, It’s time for the fifth edition of the Coolest Tool Award!! 🎉 Tools play an essential role at Wikimedia, and so do the many volunteer developers who experiment with new ideas, develop & maintain local & global solutions, and enhance the experience for Wikimedia communities. We’d like to invite you all to nominate your favourite & most used tools and help us celebrate the people who create them! To nominate your favourite tools, simply follow this link: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Coolest_Tool_Award#Coolest_Tool_Award_2024. Feel free to submit multiple nominations by completing the form as many times as you'd like. The deadline for Nomination is* May 10th 2024.* For further details on the nomination and selection process, the Coolest Tool Award Academy, and the upcoming award ceremony, please visit https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Coolest_Tool_Award. The award is organized & selected by the Coolest Tool Academy. We plan to award the coolest tools in a variety of categories (see last year’s categories for an example). Excitingly, we're returning to an in-person event for the first time since 2019, with winners set to be unveiled at Wikimania 2024. Thank you immensely for your participation and recommendations. Together, let's celebrate innovation and collaboration within the Wikimedia community! Regards, On behalf of the Coolest Tool Academy 2024

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account.habr.com
by Яна 03 Apr '24

03 Apr '24

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Announcement: Farewell To Our Esteemed Programs Officer
by Eugene Masiku 04 Mar '24

04 Mar '24

Hello everyone, I hope this email finds you well. Today, I am writing to inform you about a significant change within our community. With mixed emotions, we are saying goodbye to our esteemed Programs Officer, Ruby D-Brown. Ruby has been an invaluable member of our team, contributing her time, energy, and expertise to the success of numerous programs and initiatives during her time at Open Foundation West Africa. Her dedication and passion have left a lasting impact on our community, and we are truly grateful for the positive influence she has had on all of us. As Ruby embarks on a new chapter in her career, we want to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude for her outstanding contributions. Her commitment to excellence and unwavering enthusiasm have been instrumental in the success of many of our programs. Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we navigate through this transition. We remain committed to delivering exceptional programs to our community. Kind regards Eugene Makafui Masiku, Communications Officer Open Foundation West Africa

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Wikimedia Côte d'Ivoire || Appel à candidatures - Le programme d'Immersion Fotamana 2024 est ouvert !
by Abiba Pauline TRAORÉ 01 Mar '24

01 Mar '24

Chère communauté, Wikimedia Côte d'Ivoire est heureux de vous annoncer l'ouverture des candidatures pour Fotamana 2024, notre programme spécial d'immersion dédié aux leaders de communauté et porteurs de projets. Nous vous encourageons vivement à postuler avant le *20 mars 2024, à 23 h 59*, en remplissant le formulaire disponible ici <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfzyID_xlTaTJvPFB4vOtpK4qTZ0oZ1PXK…> . Initié par le groupe d'utilisateurs de Côte d'Ivoire, Fotamana <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fotamana,_programme_d%27immersion_p…> a pour ambition de partager notre fonctionnement, la dynamique de notre communauté, et de mettre en avant nos expertises et acquis. Le programme propose des formations sur les techniques d'organisation d'activités, des ateliers de partage d'expériences et de renforcement des compétences des participants. Au-delà de son volet éducatif, Fotamana vise à favoriser la collaboration entre les différentes communautés participantes. En encourageant le partage de bonnes pratiques, le programme aspire à créer une dynamique où l'ensemble du mouvement Wiki bénéficie de l'expérience collective renforçant ainsi l'écosystème Wiki dans son ensemble. Nous espérons vivement recevoir votre candidature et vous accueillir dans le cadre de Fotamana, -- Pauline *TRAORÉ* *Communication. Marketing. Projets.* Cultur'Ivoir <https://www.facebook.com/CulturIvoir> | Les jus d'Aby <https://www.facebook.com/lesjusdaby> | Wikimedia Côte d'Ivoire <https://wikimedia.ci> 00225 07 08 84 95 31

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Wikifunctions - How you can learn about and contribute to the project
by Nick Wilson (Quiddity) 01 Dec '23

01 Dec '23

Greetings all, Briefly: If you are interested in Wikifunctions.org, the newest Wikimedia project, we invite you to join us! There are many ways to contribute, and many ways to learn more about the project. There is also a video-meeting on Monday where you can ask questions and learn about recent updates. In detail: We invite you to visit the wiki - https://www.wikifunctions.org/ There you can: * read more about the project, * create new functions, contribute to existing functions, and suggest new functions, * participate in discussions about content and about policy, * share feedback about anything you find confusing in the system or documentation, or requests for new features. Your perspectives, contributions, and feedback are needed to help make this a useful and global resource. We also invite you to join the next edition of the Wikifunctions & Abstract Wikipedia Volunteers’ Corner – a monthly 30 minute video meeting – that will take place online on 4 December at 18:30 UTC,[1] on Google Meet.[2] In this meeting we will give a quick update on the development and upcoming changes, offer space for questions from you, and, if time permits, collaboratively create a new function. Bring ideas for a new function along! Please reach out to us if you have any questions or suggestions. Best wishes, Nick “Quiddity” Wilson and Luca “Sannita” Martinelli Community Relations Specialists for Wikifunctions & Abstract Wikipedia [1] https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1701714600 [2] http://meet.google.com/xuy-njxh-rkw

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Africa Day Campaign 2023 Winners
by Eugene Masiku 30 Aug '23

30 Aug '23

Hello everyone, The African Knowledge Initiative <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Africa_Knowledge_Initiat…> (AKI), seeks to leverage the Wikimedia tools and platforms to breed innovative solutions to bridging the content gap on global digital knowledge networks. This year Open Foundation West Africa’s <http://ofwafrica.org> annual writing contest the Africa Wiki Challenge was used as an avenue to help achieve AKI’s goal. The campaign was named the Africa Day Campaign <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Africa_Day_Campaign_2023> and themed "Africa Free Continent Trade" to align with the Africa Union Day 2023 theme. From the Campaign's Program Dashboard <https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/campaigns/africa_day_campaign_2023/ov…>, we tracked a total of 20 Programs, with 473 editors, from 13 countries contributing to 4000 articles After months of intense and rigorous reviews by the Africa Day Contest Jury, we are elated to announce the winners of the Africa Day Campaign 2023. Congratulations to the winners of the campaign. Winners Winner- User:Muhammed Idriss Criteria from Nigeria- 502 new articles in Hausa Wikipedia 2nd Winner - User:Gwanki from Nigeria- 183 new articles in Hausa Wikipedia 3rd Winner- User:Charbel1719 Benin - 75 new articles in French Wikipedia Top Female Contributor- User:Mercyjamb123 - 66 new articles in Igbo Wikipedia We are super grateful to our international jury team who worked effortlessly to ensure that the winners were identified. International Jury User: Azogbonon - Benin User: Yaw Tuba - Ghana User: Anani A. George- Ghana User: Bile_rene - Cameroon User: Justine Msechu -Tanzania User: Memoriesghana -Ghana User: Kwaku Berko- Ghana To all our partners, local organizers, and editors, we appreciate your efforts in making this campaign a success. [image: Africa Day Campaign 2023 (2).png] [image: AFRICA DAY CAMPAIGN STATS.png] Kind Regards, Eugene Masiku -- Eugene Makafui Masiku, Communications Officer Open Foundation West Africa

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Re: [African Wikimedians] Re: Apply to join the Africa Growth Pilot!
by Felix Nartey 14 Aug '23

14 Aug '23

Greetings comrades, Just a quick update on the Africa Growth Pilot application <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_RMweV7xPQmkuFgRc2bRq8Z1i35bC8wC…>. Only a few slots remain, and I wanted to inform or remind anyone who may have missed the announcement or the opportunity to apply. The deadline for application is August 16 <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_RMweV7xPQmkuFgRc2bRq8Z1i35bC8wC…> . Sending emails around this time might be a bit much, considering it's an important period for those traveling to Singapore for Wikimania and for remote participants 😃. However, there is one more crucial thing to note. The Africa Growth Pilot Team will be presenting at Wikimania <https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2023:Program#Room_324_3>. Join us (in person or online) for our session on August 17 at 2:20 UTC <https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2023:Program#Room_324_3>. Happy Wikimania Week! On Fri, Aug 4, 2023 at 11:40 PM Mutegeki Cliff <mutegekicliff(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Dear Felix, > Thanks for sending this through. > > Mutegeki Cliff Agaba > Digital Adoption Consultant > Member Internet Society, AFRALO, ICANN, UASG and IGF - WGWSP > +256 701 800 679 > +256 776 800 679 > > www.mutegekicliff.com > [image: facebook icon] <http://www.facebook.com/mutegekicliffagaba> [image: > linkedin icon] <https://www.linkedin.com/in/mutegekicliff/> [image: > instagram icon] <http://www.instagram.com/mutegekicliff> > > > On Fri, 4 Aug 2023 at 18:21, Felix Nartey <fnartey(a)wikimedia.org> wrote: > >> *Tl;dr: *Are you from Africa and looking for other opportunities to >> contribute your knowledge and skills to Wikimedia or learn how to make >> valuable contributions to Wikipedia? Join the Africa Growth Project Pilot >> on WikiLearn to grasp the basics of contributing to Wikipedia and explore >> the various contribution options within the movement! Applications are >> accepted from August 4 - 16, 2023 >> <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_RMweV7xPQmkuFgRc2bRq8Z1i35bC8wC…> >> . >> >> >> Dear Wikimedians, >> >> About a month ago, the Wikimedia Foundation announced the idea of an >> Africa Growth Project and initiated a curriculum consultation >> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Africa_Growth_Pilot/Live…> >> which concluded on 21 July 2023. The pilot project, as highlighted in the >> original email, seeks to enhance community efforts by creating a more >> effective online learning experience to improve the retention of new >> volunteers. >> >> Why the Africa Growth Project? >> >> Investing in community capacity has been emphasized in various >> discussions within the Movement. These needs have been explicitly outlined >> in the Movement Strategy and, more importantly, the recent request for help >> with editor growth and retention from the communities in sub-Saharan Africa. >> >> The Africa Growth Project is a pilot that aims to experiment with a >> course to provide a strong foundation in Wikipedia policies and >> collaboration norms, closely guided by our hypothesis of providing >> high-quality structured training to new and existing Wikimedians covering >> the basics of contribution to Wikimedia (including introducing the many >> ways to contribute beyond article writing) can double the retention rates >> of active editors in the region. >> >> What can I expect? >> >> The program will consist of a 4-week online learning experience in >> September. It will prepare participants to understand the fundamentals of >> contributing to Wikimedia and the range of contribution options available >> within the movement. For the initial iteration of this project, the course >> will only be offered in English. We intend to expand to other languages in >> the future if the piloted approach proves successful. >> >> Participants will leave the course with: >> >> - >> >> Basic familiarity with the Wikimedia landscape >> - >> >> Awareness of the many different contribution options available to >> volunteers, over and beyond writing encyclopedia articles >> - >> >> The ability to write in an encyclopedic tone and grasp the concept of >> a neutral point of view >> - >> >> Understanding of reliable sources, referencing them, and the concept >> of "verifiability, not truth". >> >> >> Who is eligible? >> >> We invite all Africans, both experienced and new, who have an interest in >> developing or refreshing a clear understanding of the basics of >> contributing to Wikimedia and exploring the opportunities that exist for >> them in the Wikimedia volunteer journey. >> >> >> Only *150 slots are available*, selection will be based on the level of >> interest shown in the response, and users with accounts that are 6 months >> old or older will have an advantage. >> >> Applications are open from 4 - 16 August 2023 >> <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_RMweV7xPQmkuFgRc2bRq8Z1i35bC8wC…>, >> and you can apply by completing the attached form >> <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_RMweV7xPQmkuFgRc2bRq8Z1i35bC8wC…> >> before the deadline. If you wish to learn more, join us (in person or >> online) at our session at Wikimania on August 17 at 2:20 UTC >> <https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2023:Program#Room_324_3>. >> Alternatively, you can contact us through our meta page talk page >> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Africa_Growth_Pilot/Live_Tutorials_on_Core_…> >> or reach me at fnartey(a)wikimedia.org. >> >> >> Best, >> -- >> >> Felix Nartey >> >> Senior Program Officer, Campaigns >> >> Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> African-Wikimedians mailing list -- >> african-wikimedians(a)lists.wikimedia.org >> To unsubscribe send an email to >> african-wikimedians-leave(a)lists.wikimedia.org >> > _______________________________________________ > African-Wikimedians mailing list -- > african-wikimedians(a)lists.wikimedia.org > To unsubscribe send an email to > african-wikimedians-leave(a)lists.wikimedia.org > -- Felix Nartey Senior Program Officer, Campaigns Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>

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Apply to join the Africa Growth Pilot!
by Felix Nartey 04 Aug '23

04 Aug '23

*Tl;dr: *Are you from Africa and looking for other opportunities to contribute your knowledge and skills to Wikimedia or learn how to make valuable contributions to Wikipedia? Join the Africa Growth Project Pilot on WikiLearn to grasp the basics of contributing to Wikipedia and explore the various contribution options within the movement! Applications are accepted from August 4 - 16, 2023 <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_RMweV7xPQmkuFgRc2bRq8Z1i35bC8wC…> . Dear Wikimedians, About a month ago, the Wikimedia Foundation announced the idea of an Africa Growth Project and initiated a curriculum consultation <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Africa_Growth_Pilot/Live…> which concluded on 21 July 2023. The pilot project, as highlighted in the original email, seeks to enhance community efforts by creating a more effective online learning experience to improve the retention of new volunteers. Why the Africa Growth Project? Investing in community capacity has been emphasized in various discussions within the Movement. These needs have been explicitly outlined in the Movement Strategy and, more importantly, the recent request for help with editor growth and retention from the communities in sub-Saharan Africa. The Africa Growth Project is a pilot that aims to experiment with a course to provide a strong foundation in Wikipedia policies and collaboration norms, closely guided by our hypothesis of providing high-quality structured training to new and existing Wikimedians covering the basics of contribution to Wikimedia (including introducing the many ways to contribute beyond article writing) can double the retention rates of active editors in the region. What can I expect? The program will consist of a 4-week online learning experience in September. It will prepare participants to understand the fundamentals of contributing to Wikimedia and the range of contribution options available within the movement. For the initial iteration of this project, the course will only be offered in English. We intend to expand to other languages in the future if the piloted approach proves successful. Participants will leave the course with: - Basic familiarity with the Wikimedia landscape - Awareness of the many different contribution options available to volunteers, over and beyond writing encyclopedia articles - The ability to write in an encyclopedic tone and grasp the concept of a neutral point of view - Understanding of reliable sources, referencing them, and the concept of "verifiability, not truth". Who is eligible? We invite all Africans, both experienced and new, who have an interest in developing or refreshing a clear understanding of the basics of contributing to Wikimedia and exploring the opportunities that exist for them in the Wikimedia volunteer journey. Only *150 slots are available*, selection will be based on the level of interest shown in the response, and users with accounts that are 6 months old or older will have an advantage. Applications are open from 4 - 16 August 2023 <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_RMweV7xPQmkuFgRc2bRq8Z1i35bC8wC…>, and you can apply by completing the attached form <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_RMweV7xPQmkuFgRc2bRq8Z1i35bC8wC…> before the deadline. If you wish to learn more, join us (in person or online) at our session at Wikimania on August 17 at 2:20 UTC <https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2023:Program#Room_324_3>. Alternatively, you can contact us through our meta page talk page <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Africa_Growth_Pilot/Live_Tutorials_on_Core_…> or reach me at fnartey(a)wikimedia.org. Best, -- Felix Nartey Senior Program Officer, Campaigns Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>

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African-wikimedia-developers