Hi David
This sounds fab and thanks to you and Derryn for creating buzz to both for Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Chapter process.
This translation-slash-training initiative might also be good to look at as the Chapter is being finalised - we had mentioned at the workshop that there could be some 'first' initiative coupled with a public launch. Perhaps there is the possibility to do training and translation sprint exercise with the Mamelodi school kids and to get some funding to do this. Funding for the logistics it takes (getting the learners a decent internet connection** for the day, assisting the Wikipedia 'volunteers' who would train and mentor on the day with transport and some prep fees etc). ** although the teacher says they have internet access, any bets that it is very poor and will crash with learners simultaneously getting online. We've had this experience even at the pretty well-supported Cida City Campus in Joburg city centre. Connection kept dropping during the Wikipedia Training Academy!!
These are ideas at this point, but I know that Delphine and Bence were open to local Wikipedians proposing an initiative which the Foundation might be happy to support in some way.
Regards Kerryn
* * * * KERRYN MCKAY director, The African Commons Project
email me at: kerryn@africancommons.org phone me: +2711 486 0211, cell: +27 82 334 6165, skype me: kerrynmac
2010/9/21 David Richfield davidrichfield@gmail.com
Hi all,
At Software Freedom Day I got some schoolkids from Mamelodi interested in the project, and they tried their hands at translating some English text into the Sepedi wikipedia incubator. They were very eager, and were intensely debating which word to use for which concept. We didn't get much done: only a paragraph or two, but I spoke to their computer studies teacher, and they have a computer lab with internet access, and she's willing to open it up for us on a Saturday, and the kids said they'd be happy to come in on a Saturday for the project. I still have to hear from her again, and I'll keep you all in the loop as things develop.
I'm happy to go there and facilitate, but if you have experience of this kind of thing, or know Sepedi, or have a clear idea of what the most urgent, achievable or useful articles would be, please help!
I've got a picture or two that I'll post later.
Regards,
-- David Richfield e^(πi)+1=0
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