New subject: [Wikimedia Kenya] ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

29 Mar 2012


      1. Why do you think you suit to be in the board of WKME?
Firstly, I am willing to contribute my time and other resources as a
leader as I seek to serve others with the objective of attaining the
common good for society as a whole. I know there are those specialized
skills and talents that I have which will contribute to build WKME,
especially the Kenyan chapter.   I may not know much but I’m willing
to learn and I believe that’s the most important thing. I am a team
player who believes that the more is yielded when we collaborate. We
also need a female representative on the board and a place which I am
ready to take up.
2. What is your take on the level of participation of members in the
WKME projects/meetings/mailing list? Anything   you think should be
done differently?
There is room for improvement, I speak also for myself. We need to be
more dedicated to the projects that we do as well as build the spirit
of solidarity in our midst by taking all successes and failures as a
team and not individually.
I would suggest that we attempt to have online meetings where we can
conference as well as chat live. This will help counter the problem of
unavailability of members for the meet-ups, increase number of
meetings and kill the problem of need for geographical proximity.
3. As a board needs members with different skills (e.g.
administrative, financial, public relations etc) please tell us which
particular skill set you have worked in previously, like another
society or organization?
I have accounting skills that have been gained not only theoretically
but practically. I have completed CPA (certified Public Accountant).
I have also worked in Sarova Stanley in the accounts department. This
will help assist greatly in maintaining accurate accounts based on
accounting standards requirements.
 I am also a marketer having only one year left to complete my degree
in Marketing and Finance. Early next month I will be working in
Synovate Kenya, a research firm. The skills gained therein will be
useful for us to develop strategies and invest in research that is
useful in solving various challenges we have like getting and
retaining editors.
I also serve in the Leadership of Global Leadership interlink (GLI),
an international organization that is seeking to build leaders in
their formative years so that they can uphold ethical principles all
through their lives. We carry out duties like organizing conferences,
training of members, preparing content to be taught and discussed
among other administrative tasks.
4. Which languages have you worked in so far? And what is your
position on both a language policy and language strategy for WMKE?
Sadly I have not worked in any languages so far but I do intend to in
the future. A language strategy can be that of getting as many tribes
as possible to contribute to building of Wikipedia. It may seem
difficult but we have an example from the current local radio stations
broadcasted in various local languages to learn from. Our pride comes
from our culture which gives us our identity, something we should all
be proud of.
5. How would you best deal with the issue of editor attraction and
retention in our local chapter to ensure the growth of WKME as a
whole?
 I think the best place to start is to research into the question “Why
don’t people edit, and if they do, why are most people not committed?”
The answers to the above questions can give us a guide to formulate
strategy that will increase and retain editors.
On speculation though, I think the idea of Wikimedia has not really
sunk in the mind of many Kenyans let alone the issue of editing. I
remember when we went to Kenyatta University and one of the senior
lecturers had not heard of the concept Wikipedia. There is need to
increase the sensitization that will help us attract more Kenyans. We
need to come up with appeals that will reach out to the human
component in all humans; that of contributing to the common good of
all. There is need to communicate the benefits that people will get
once they become contributors because most people look at their end of
the deal “What’s in it for me?” The benefits need not be monetary
because the last thing we need to do is increase our costs.
6. Now that we are an independent chapter, how do you plan to raise
funds supposing the parent Wikipedia Foundation won’t avail funds to
run the aforementioned project?
Partnerships are crucial, which can be very fruitful in a day when
firms are seeking avenues for CSR (corporate social responsibility).
We just need to be bold and creative enough to come up with projects
and present them to the corporate for financing. It’s not easy, but
it’s possible. It doesn’t have to be about the money only since there
are institutions that periodically change their computers so we can
solicit for donations of computers to those schools that have few or
none.
The Ministry of Education can be a powerful source of finance. We can
avail ourselves as the tools they will use to carry out their
objectives since theirs is about advancement of education. The offline
Wikipedia that is customized to the Kenyan syllabus can be very
useful.
7 What kind of project/activity would you envision WKME and its
members to undertake in order to fulfill the objectives of Wikimedia
Foundation as a whole?
I believe the project that is of utmost urgency is to both localize
the content of  the offline Wikipedia as well as continue sensitizing
others of our existence and attract more people on board that will
contribute to achievement of these objectives.
There should be increase in telling the African story, be it through
stories or even telling the history of our country in ways that will
make people grow in the knowledge of the richness of our heritage.

[Wikimedia Kenya] ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY ANN NJERI

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