The idea is not absolutely new. We use the absolutely similar approach at the Ossetic Wikipedia (we call it "Project <<Tskhinval Teachers>>". The essence of the project is paying teachers from South Ossetia a 2,5-USD equivalent for every article (up from 2500 characters). We pay nothing for the first article (regarding it as a test).
The Project have started in the middle of April and by now we have 3 interested persons in S. Ossetia, an extremely poor region where 2,5 USD can buy much more than even in the neighbouring North Ossetia. Two large articles (both about Ossetian-language writers; but we do not really limit the topics) have been already prepared; you can see them both: http://os.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D0%B6%D1%83%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%B9%D1%82%D1%8... http://os.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D0%B7%D1%83%D1%86%D1%86%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8...
We are working on widening the network of involved teachers (and we are also planning to involve local Ossetian-language journalists from South Ossetia). We are also seeking ways to enlarge the funds of the Project, for now we can pay not more than 20 articles by the whole accumulated money (and we would like not only to pay for articles, but also use some money for local advertisement of Wikipedia in both South and North Ossetia).
The Project is not run by any organization, but by a group of independent persons (mostly in North Ossetia and Moscow) interested in the success of the Ossetian Wikipedia. So it's void of the risk, you mentioned concerning the wo.wikipedia.
Best wishes, Slavik
PS: We still have problems about statistics page in our WP: see http://os.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Statistics Can somebody fix that?
2005/5/27, Anthere anthere9@yahoo.com:
Just to keep up with information.... I saw an announcement today in two websites, so thought it worth to say a bit about it
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The association Geekcorps recently (it started possibly 2 months ago) made a lot of efforts to try to stimulate a minor wikipedia in an african language. Along with work in translation of the interface, addition of major rules and principles of Wikipedia, Geekcorps also decided to motivate editors speaking bambara in Mali to participate to the bambara wikipedia (http://bm.wikipedia.org) in a *financial* way.
The conditions : to live in Mali and to be able to write in bambara. The prize is : 200 CFA to earn per article written with at least 200 words (max 5000 CFA per person) plus a bonus prize for specific actions.