Grants:IEG/Mbazzi Village writes Wikipedia/Midpoint

This project is funded by an Individual Engagement Grant

Welcome to this project's midpoint report! This report shares progress and learnings from the Individual Engagement Grantee's first 3 months.

Summary

In a few short sentences or bullet points, give the main highlights of what happened with your project so far.

-Setting up a Wikipedia Centre at Mbazzi, run on Solar Power. -Training in using Wikipedia at three Universities, secondary schools, radio station, Luganda Newspaper, WWF Uganda, Nature Uganda and Several rural Communities. -Writing Luganda Articles at lg.wikipedia .org -Spreading the news about the existence of the Luganda Wikipedia

Methods and activities

-Introductory lessons in using the Luganda Wikipedia -Group discussions on topics in sustainable development before uploading them -Weekly lessons in Computer skills by an instructor - Sharing of skills learnt at computer centre - Writing articles

How have you setup your project, and what work has been completed so far?

-The Mbazzi Wikipedia Centre has been set up in Mbazzi Village,Mpigi District. -Solar Power is available, a full time guard, four computers and an instructor. -Internet Connection is provided by Orange Uganda,a Mobile Telephone Company that sponsors Wikipedia Zero in developing countries -WMF,Wikimedia Sverige and WWF Sverige are the Project Sponsors

Describe how you've setup your experiment or pilot, sharing your key focuses so far and including links to any background research or past learning that has guided your decisions. List and describe the activities you've undertaken as part of your project to this point.

-The Project was aimed at promotion of sustainable development knowledge in agriculture and health through the Luganda Wikipedia. -The Target Groups were: Farmers in the villages, secondary school teachers and learners, University Teachers and Students, the media,any interested persons in the communities -Activities :

    -Conducting Wikipedia Lessons, 
   -Computer skills instruction
   -Writing articles in Luganda Wikipedia(Over 50 articles)
   -Promoting the Luganda Wikipedia
    

Below are some links to articles written: https://lg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mbazzi (Mbazzi Village) www.facebook.com/pages/Luganda-Wikipedia (Luganda Wikipedia facebook page) https://lg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okukola_obulimiro_obutono (making nursery beds) https://lg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebigimusa_okuvamu_nnakavundiira (Making Compost manure) https://lg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okutabula_emmere_y%27embizzi (Mixing pig feeds) https://lg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embizzi_erya_kilo_meka%3F Swedish radio broadcast: http://sverigesradio.se/sida/avsnitt/326707?programid=3345

Midpoint outcomes

What are the results of your project or any experiments you’ve worked on so far?

-Setting up the Mbazzi Wikipedia Centre as planned. -Training over 76 persons in using Wikipedia at several institutions of learning and farmers communities -Writing over 50 articles in the Luganda Wikipedia. -Discovering that the Luganda Wikipedia is still an ‘’unknown Wikipedia’’ to even the Luganda Scholars!

Please discuss anything you have created or changed (organized, built, grown, etc) as a result of your project to date.

Finances

-Financial Resources have been used as budgeted for.

Please take some time to update the table in your project finances page. Check that you’ve listed all approved and actual expenditures as instructed. If there are differences between the planned and actual use of funds, please use the column provided there to explain them.

Then, answer the following question here: Have you spent your funds according to plan so far? Please briefly describe any major changes to budget or expenditures that you anticipate for the second half of your project.

-There is need for a Project Assistant. This is a very big Project with great benefits deriving from spreading knowledge. Coordinating all these Programs is like a Full time job.

Learning

The best thing about trying something new is that you learn from it. We want to follow in your footsteps and learn along with you, and we want to know that you are taking enough risks to learn something really interesting! Please use the below sections to describe what is working and what you plan to change for the second half of your project.

-Learning to use the Wikipedia Wikipedia is also a way to improve the users’ computer skills. Thus two issues tackled at the same time. -Not many people are ready to spend lots of time researching and uploading articles on Wikipedia. The value of voluntarism also needs to be taught. -In the second half, I propose a Project Assistant is employed to closely follow up on the progress made so far as more work is done. -To provide more Internet data for the users at Mbazzi Wikipedia Centre. -To consider some resources for maintenance of computers etc at the centre. -This is a special project, an eye opener to the Luganda speaking world. It will turn the flow of knowledge not only in the Buganda Kingdom but among the entire users of the Luganda Language.

What are the challenges

What challenges or obstacles have you encountered? What will you do differently going forward? Please list these as short bullet points.

• CHALLENGES:

-Low computer skills -Insufficient Internet data -Breakdown of some computers -Lack of adequate sources for links in articles -Low spirit of voluntarism among many elites, citing lack of time. -Lack of technical language for some translations -New concept of writing articles in Wikipedia. Many people are end-users not contributors -The world of Wikipedia is still very news to many Ugandans…. Not emphasized in education curriculum.

WHAT TO DO DIFFERENTLY: -Widen scope of articles: Sustainable development articles as well as articles of a general nature to society. We could have more contributors if various areas of knowledge are considered.

What is working well

What have you found works best so far? To help spread successful strategies so that they can be of use to others in the movement, rather than writing lots of text here, we'd like you to share your finding in the form of a link to a learning pattern.

• Your learning pattern link goes here

RESPONSE: a. Starting to work on a very big project but in a very humble style. This is like a new discovery that will lead to great changes in peoples lives. When we expand it, there will be incredible impact. b. Villagers pioneering in contributing knowledge to the world! Indeed, anybody can be useful in this game of knowledge sharing. You do not need to be a graduate to share knowledge

Next steps and opportunities

What are the next steps and opportunities you’ll be focusing on for the second half of your project? Please list these as short bullet points. If you're considering applying for a 6-month renewal of this IEG at the end of your project, please also mention this here.

• -Focus on a few contributors who make the biggest impact.

-Discussing with Makerere University, Nkumba University and other Universities to start a Module for Luganda Students on Using the Luganda Wikipedia. This may require an extension of the Project. Special training Workshops need to be organized. Start to think of a bigger partnership with the Buganda Kingdom as a way to promote the Luganda Wikipedia. Working with the Buganda Kingdom will give the Luganda Wikipedia a very big boost in creating awareness.

Grantee reflection

We’d love to hear any thoughts you have on how the experience of being an IEGrantee has been so far. What is one thing that surprised you, or that you particularly enjoyed from the past 6 months?

-A great experience, pioneering a new way to share knowledge. -I am now a Luganda Wikipedia ambassador. -The work of Project leader is enormous! My duties are almost unlimited. In the process, new challenges emerge, even requiring more resources including time. -For something new, two training meetings with trainers (Wikipedia ambassadors) were not enough. We should have concentrated on the core team to realize impact later on. -Whenever I talk about the Project, People are excited. They promise to come aboard….Thus need to follow up….Some people are ready to provide knowledge for others to upload, translate etc -I am particularly delighted to be part of the future. I am living tomorrow now through this e-tool of knowledge sharing. - The Luganda Language will in future cease to be called a dying digital language.