Africa Environment/Microfunding/Photo Walk for Climate, South Sudan

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This request for micro-funding to Africa Environment has just been submitted by Lomoraronald on 12-02-2023 and is awaiting support.

Description

Please add description of the request, with all the necessary details.

Two-thirds of the country is currently experiencing flooding. Over 900,000 people have been directly impacted as waters have swept away homes and livestock, forced thousands to flee, and inundated large swathes of farmland, worsening an already dire food emergency. Boreholes and latrines have been submerged, contaminating water sources and risking outbreaks of diseases. In Unity State, the capital, Bentiu, has become an island surrounded by floodwaters. All roads in and out are impassable and only boats and the airstrip serve as lifelines for humanitarian aid to reach 460,000 people already displaced by a mix of both flooding and conflict.

Camps for the internally displaced are below the current water level, protected from floodwaters only by dikes – large, compacted mounds of earth – erected by the United Nations, the government, and the inhabitants themselves. People are working around the clock with pumps, buckets, excavators, and heavy machinery to keep the water at bay and prevent the dikes from collapsing.

The grant request is for funding to support a photo walk event in South Sudan, organized by the Wikimedia community in South Sudan, to capture stories of the conditions of living of displaced persons in their alternative homes in Mangala Juba, the state of their surroundings and their previous homes lost to flooding as well as drought in the form of photos and videos. These photos and videos will be uploaded to commons. Then, we will use the outcome, which is the pictures and videos to plug into the WikiForHumanRights 2023 campaign which is running in the window and with a similar objective as Africa Environment Day or Wangari Maathai Day. In the WikiForHumanRights Campaign, the photos and videos will be uploaded to the relevant words in the Nuer and Dinka language wiktionary which is the focus of the WikiForHumanRights 2023 campaign in Africa. The grant request is for 1400 USD and will cover the costs of camera hire, transportation, permits, and other equipment required for the photo walk event on 3 March 2023.

Context

South Sudan is a country in East-Central Africa, with a population of over 11 million people. The country faces various environmental challenges, including flooding, drought, and deforestation. The Wikimedia community in South Sudan aims to use visual storytelling to raise awareness of these issues and engage the local community in the discussion around environmental sustainability.

The requested grant funding of 1400 USD will cover the costs of camera hire, transportation, permits, and other equipment required for the photo walk event. The event will be organized in collaboration with local partners and will prioritize the safety and well-being of participants. The grant request is part of a larger effort to promote knowledge sharing, collaboration, and environmental sustainability in Africa. The event is aligned with the goals of the Africa Knowledge Initiative, which aims to support initiatives that advance these objectives in the continent. The grant request demonstrates a clear understanding of the needs and context of the South Sudanese community and emphasizes the importance of using visual storytelling to promote environmental awareness and human rights

Team

• Romeo
• Woja
• Wani

This request if from a planning, Wikimedia community User Group in south sudan

The funds shall be sent in to a joint account, that wholly is used to receive grants to the community

Fallout

The expected benefits of funding the grant request include increased environmental awareness, improved quality of articles on Wikimedia platforms, strengthening of the local Wikimedia community, collaboration and knowledge sharing, and honoring the legacy of Wangari Maathai.

• Increased knowledge of the nature of environmental problems and its impacts on people in South Sudan: The photo walk event and its use in the WikiForHumanRights 2023 campaign will provide a platform for the South Sudanese community to build as well as share knowledge about environmental issues through visual storytelling. This is expected to increase awareness of climate change and environmental sustainability in the country.
• Improved quality of technical words on wiktionary and Wikimedia platforms: The resulting photos from the event will be used to create visual illustration for technical words related to environment and climate change on language wiktionary to bridge knowledge gaps on wikimedia projects.
• Strengthening of the local Wikimedia community: The grant request will provide the South Sudanese Wikimedia community with the resources to organize a successful event, which will increase their capacity and visibility in the region.
• Collaboration and knowledge sharing: The event will provide a platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing between the South Sudanese Wikimedia community, local partners, and other stakeholders interested in environmental sustainability and human rights.
• Legacy of Wangari Maathai: The event is aligned with the goals of Africa Environment Day and Wangari Maathai Day, which commemorate the legacy of the late Nobel Laureate's green legacy. The grant request seeks to honor this legacy and promote environmental sustainability and human rights in South Sudan.

Budget

Object	Unit price (USD)	Quantity	Total (USD)
Camera Hire [Lighting, Camera Equipment]	200	5	1000
Transportation	10	20	200
Data	10	20	200
Total			1400 USD

Any changes made to the budget after the application is submitted will void the application. You will then need to submit an updated application