The scholarships are what they are: scholarships, not ticket to heaven.

Many factors go into approving an application for scholarships. Plus, hundreds if not thousands apply for the scholarships every year. NOT everyone can be accepted. Neither will everyone be rejected.

Some will need to go this year. Others will have to wait on the turn (assuming they check all the application requirement boxes) Unfortunately, this year, Nigeria couldn't win a scholarship slot. That's unfortunate but NOT demoralising, I think. It's not as if anyone promised you a scholarship...

To say it's 'demoralising' is a strong word to use here. How is it demoralising? No one has guaranteed anyone of a scholarship should they edit Wikipedia or not.

If because you didn't get the scholarship, and you think that's demoralising and wish to stop contributing to Wikipedia, that's in your hands. However, such an approach will defeat the whole purpose behind contributing to Wikipedia.

We don't contribute to Wikipedia because we want scholarship. Rather, it's primarily for the love of contributing to the freeness and openness of knowledge globally.

Nigeria isn't the only country in the world, nor the country without a representation this year at wikimania. That doesn't mean a country representing is better than Nigeria. It simply means, there're fewer slots than the scholarship grant can handle.

Forget about demoralisation! Help improve knowledge freely and openly. I find that to be of more concern than anything at the moment.

I'll recommend we work on meeting the application criteria from now until next year and hope to be called for scholarship. Even if then we're still not called, keep making the world a better place with free knowledge.

Hi Ginevra,

No scholarship was awarded to any member of the Wikimedia User Group Nigeria. This is worrisome as Nigeria will not be represented at Wikimania. I don't think this is a good idea and I wonder why American and European countries have more representative than Africa. This is demoralizing and the community is not happy about it.

Warmest regards,

Olatunde Isaac,
Manager, Wikipedia Education Program Nigeria
Coordinator, The Wikipedia Library, Yoruba.
Secretary, Wikimedia User Group Nigeria.
Phone: +2348166620737 
Email: reachout2isaac@gmail.com 
User page: Wikicology 
Facebook: Olatunde Olalekan Isaac.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.

-----Original Message-----
From: Ginevra Sanvitale <ginevra.esse@gmail.com>
Sender: "Wikimania-l" <wikimania-l-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org>Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2016 10:05:40
To: Wikimedia Mailing List<wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org>; Wikimania general list (open subscription)<wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org>; <chapters@wikimedia.ch>
Reply-To: "Wikimania general list \(open subscription\)"
 <wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org>
Subject: [Wikimania-l] Community Village and Meetups at Wikimania 2016

Hi people,
it's finally time to send your applications for the Community Village at
Wikimania 2016:

https://wikimania2016.wikimedia.org/wiki/Community_village

And you can also start planning your meetups:

https://wikimania2016.wikimedia.org/wiki/Meetups

Finally, remember that the calls for discussions, posters and trainings
closes on March 20, so you have 10 days left!

Have a nice weekend,


Ginevra
Wikimania Programme Committee

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