Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Digitizing Local Languages, Localizing Digital access for Africans (ID: 22105422)
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Applicant Details edit
- Please provide your main Wikimedia Username.
- Please provide the Usernames of people related to this proposal.
N/A
- Organization
N/A
- Are you a member of any Wikimedia affiliate or group, including informal groups like Wiki Fan Clubs, emerging language communities, not recognized Wikimedia groups etc.? Please list them all.
No
Grant Proposal edit
- M. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
Digitizing Local Languages, Localizing Digital access for Africans
- Q. Indicate if it is a local, international, or regional proposal and if it involves several countries? (optional)
Regional
- Q2. If you have answered regional or international, please write the country names and any other information that is useful for understanding your proposal.
Nigeria, Niger, Togo, Chad, Benin
- R. If you would like, please share any websites or social media accounts that your group or organization has.
- 1. What is the change that you are trying to bring about and why is this important.
Is a project aimed at promoting the advancement of the Hausa language and culture in Northern Nigeria and West Africa through the use of Wikipedia. To protect Hausa language and simplify communication through digitization to ensure prosperity is within every African’s reach.
- 2. Describe your main approaches or strategies to achieve these changes and why you think they will be effective.
Collaborate with local communities: Collaborating with local communities is critical for successful language digitization efforts. By engaging with local experts, linguists, and community members, you can gain valuable insights into the language and its cultural context. This can help ensure that the digitization efforts are linguistically and culturally appropriate, and that they meet the needs of the community.
Develop language resources: Developing language resources, such as dictionaries, grammar guides, and language learning materials, can help support language digitization efforts. These resources can be used by community members to learn and practice the language, and by linguists and researchers to study the language and its features.
Use technology: Technology can be a powerful tool for language digitization. Speech recognition and text-to-speech technology can help to create digital versions of the language that are easily accessible and shareable. Additionally, online platforms such as social media, messaging apps, and online forums can be used to facilitate language use and exchange.
Promote language use: Promoting language use is critical for maintaining and revitalizing endangered languages. This can be done through language immersion programs, language learning initiatives, and language use campaigns that encourage people to speak and use the language in their daily lives.
Create partnerships: Creating partnerships with other organizations and institutions can help to expand language digitization efforts. This might include partnerships with universities, research institutions, or non-profit organizations that focus on language preservation and revitalization.
- 3. What are the activities you will be developing and delivering as part of these approaches or strategies?
Developing and improving articles on Hausa language, culture, and history on Wikimedia platforms such as Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikisource. Creating new multimedia resources such as images, audio, and video content that promote Hausa language and culture. Developing Hausa language resources on Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free media files that can be used on Wikimedia projects and beyond. Capacity building: Providing training and resources to improve digital literacy skills among Hausa-speaking communities in Northern Nigeria.Hosting workshops and training sessions on how to edit and upload content to Wikimedia platforms. Providing resources such as guides and tutorials on how to create and edit Hausa language content on Wikimedia platforms. Community engagement: Organizing outreach programs and events to promote the use of Wikimedia platforms and the creation of Hausa language content. Developing partnerships with local organizations and institutions to engage with Hausa-speaking communities and promote Wikimedia projects.Encouraging the participation of Hausa-speaking community members in Wikimedia projects through community engagement and events.
- 4. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign or event? If so, please select the relevant campaign below. If so, please select all the relevant campaigns from the list below. If "other", please state which.
Wiki Loves Africa, WikiGap
- 5. Do you have the team that is needed to implement this proposal?
1. Aminu Aminu Bello Role: Hausa language Propagation Officer Volunteer
- 2. Yakubu Ahmad
Hausa Language Propagation Officer Volunteer
- 3. Ahmad Aminu Bello
Language Propagation Officer Volunteer
- 4. Farouk Umar
Volunteer
- 5. Ibrahim Ahmad Tijjani
Language Propagation Officer Volunteer
- 6. Please state if your proposal aims to work to bridge any of the identified CONTENT knowledge gaps (Knowledge Inequity)? Select up to THREE that most apply to your work.
Language, Other global topics for impact (topics considered to be of global importance), Cultural background, ethnicity, religion, racial
- 6.1 In a few sentences, explain how your work is specifically addressing this content gap (or Knowledge inequity) to ensure a greater representation of knowledge.
This initiative is addressing the content gap by providing a platform for the creation and dissemination of knowledge in the Hausa language, which is spoken by over 80 million people in West Africa. The project seeks to address the underrepresentation of Hausa language and culture on the internet and provide a platform for the Hausa-speaking community to share their knowledge and perspectives with the world.
- 7. Please state if your proposal includes any of these areas or THEMATIC focus. Select up to THREE that most apply to your work and explain the rationale for identifying these themes.
Culture, heritage or GLAM , Open Technology, Diversity
- 8. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities?
Ethnic/racial/religious or cultural background, Linguistic / Language, Digital Access
- 9. Who are the target participants and from which community? How will you engage participants before and during the activities? How will you follow up with participants after the activities?
The target participants for this project would be individuals who speak and understand the Hausa language, especially in Northern Nigeria, where the language is widely spoken. The community would be the Hausa-speaking population in the region, including students, teachers, researchers, and cultural enthusiasts.
Engaging participants: The use of various communication channels, such as social media, email, phone calls, and text messages.It would be helpful to provide clear and concise information about the project, its goals, and the benefits of contributing to Wikipedia in Hausa.
Highlight the benefits of participating: Many people may not be familiar with the benefits of participating in our projects. Highlighting the positive impact of contributing to a global knowledge base can help motivate new participants to join in.
Make it easy to get started: Sometimes the barrier to entry can be intimidating. Provide clear and easy-to-follow guides for getting started with the project. Host online workshops or webinars to help new participants get up to speed.
Foster a sense of community: Encourage participants to connect with each other and build a sense of community. People are more likely to stay engaged if they feel a sense of belonging and support.
Use storytelling: Share stories of successful collaborations, interesting contributions, and the impact of the project. Personal stories can be powerful motivators for people to get involved and stay engaged.
Provide ongoing support: Make sure that participants have the resources they need to continue contributing. This might include access to training materials, mentorship, or technical support.
- 10. In what ways are you actively seeking to contribute towards creating a safer, supportive, more equitable environment for participants?
Providing inclusive and respectful language Avoiding discriminatory language Promoting a safe and friendly environment Upholding community guidelines Continuously learning and improving
- 11. Please tell us about how you have let your Wikimedia communities know about the planned activities and this proposal. Use this space to describe the processes you carried out to make the community more involved in planning this proposal. Please link the on-wiki community discussion(s) around the proposals.
I start by identifying the relevant Wikimedia communities. Reaching out to these communities through on-wiki discussion pages, mailing lists, or social media channels. Solicit feedback and suggestions from the community. Making sure to be transparent and responsive throughout the process. After the proposal is implemented, continue to engage with the community to gather feedback on its effectiveness and make any necessary adjustments.
- 12. Are you aware of other Rapid Fund proposals in your local group, community, or region that are being submitted and that align with your proposed project?
No
If yes:
- 12.1 Did you explore the possibility of doing a joint proposal with other leaders in your group?
- N/A
- 12.2 How will this joint proposal allow you to have better results?
- N/A
- 13. Will you be working with other external, non-Wikimedia partners to implement this proposal? Required.
No
- 13.1 Please describe these partnerships and what motivates the potential partner to be part of the proposal and how they add value to your work.
- 14. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select a maximum of THREE options that most apply.
Improve User Experience, Provide for Safety and Inclusion, Innovate in Free Knowledge
Learning, Sharing, and Evaluation edit
- 15. What do you hope to learn from your work in this fund proposal?
If my strategies for digitizing Hausa language is successful, there are several things that I would like to learn:
Adoption rates: I would like to learn about the adoption rates of the digitized Hausa language, both in terms of how many people are using it and in what contexts.
User feedback: I would like to learn from user feedback about their experiences using the digitized Hausa language.
Use cases: I would like to learn about the different use cases for digitized Hausa language, such as in education, media, or government communications.
Technical challenges: I would like to learn about any technical challenges that were encountered in the process of digitizing Hausa language, such as issues with font support or compatibility.
- 16. Based on these learning questions, what is the information or data you need to collect to answer these questions? Please register this information (as metric description) in the following spaces provided.
| Main Open Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Adoption rates | To determine adoption rates of digitized Hausa language, data could be collected on the number of users accessing and using the digitized language resources. This could be through website analytics or user surveys. | 10000 |
| User feedback | User feedback could be collected through surveys, focus groups, or user testing to understand their experiences with the digitized Hausa language. Feedback could include user satisfaction, ease of use, and perceived impact on their lives. | 2000 |
| Language diversity | Data could be collected on the number of African languages that have been digitized, and their level of representation. This could be through mapping studies or linguistic surveys. | 1000 |
| Use cases | Data on the use cases for digitized language could be collected through case studies or interviews with organizations or individuals using the language resources. This could include information on the sectors where the digitized language is being used, the types of content being created, and the audiences being reached. | 1000 |
| Technical challenges | Technical challenges could be identified through testing and user feedback. Data on technical issues could be collected through user support tickets or developer feedback. This data could include information on the nature of the technical challenges, the frequency of occurrence, and potential solutions. | 1000 |
- 17. Core quantitative metrics.
| Core metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | Quantity of digitized content: This measures the amount of Hausa language content that has been digitized by participants. It could include the number of books, articles, audio recordings, and video recordings that have been digitized.
Quality of digitized content: This measures the accuracy and completeness of the digitized content. Participants should strive to ensure that the content they digitize is faithful to the original source and free of errors. Accessibility of digitized content: This measures how easy it is for people to access the digitized content. |
1000 |
| Number of editors | Accuracy: This measures the extent to which the content is factually correct, free of errors, and follows appropriate style guidelines. Editors should strive to ensure that the content they edit is accurate and reliable.
Clarity: This measures the extent to which the content is clear and understandable to its intended audience. Editors should work to simplify complex language and ensure that the content is easy to read and follow. Consistency: This measures the extent to which the content is consistent in tone, voice, and formatting. Editors should ensure that the content is cohesive and follows the same standards throughout. |
50 |
| Number of organizers | Attendance or participation: This measures the number of people who attend an event or participate in a project or campaign. Organizers should track attendance to understand how successful their efforts have been in attracting an audience and engaging them.
Engagement: This measures the extent to which attendees or participants are engaged with the event, project, or campaign. Organizers can track engagement through surveys or other feedback mechanisms, and use this information to identify areas for improvement. Feedback: This measures the feedback received from attendees or participants, both positive and negative. Organizers should encourage feedback and use it to improve future events, projects, or campaigns. Budget: This measures the financial resources allocated to the event, project, or campaign, and how effectively they were utilized. Organizers should track their expenses and compare them to their budget to ensure that they are making the most of their resources. Timeline: This measures the extent to which the project, event, or campaign was completed within the intended timeline. Organizers should track their progress against their timeline to ensure that they are on track and can make adjustments if necessary. |
5 |
| Wikimedia Project | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | Write and update articles in Hausa language | 50 |
| Wikimedia Commons | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
- 17.1 If for some reason your proposal will not measure these core metrics please provide an explanation.
It may be necessary for me to reevaluate and revise them. This could involve consulting with experts in the field or stakeholders in the language community to identify alternative metrics that are more appropriate.
It is also important to remember that metrics are just one aspect of evaluating the success of a project. Other factors such as stakeholder feedback, community engagement, and broader social impact should also be considered. Therefore, if my proposed metrics are not measuring everything I had hoped, it is important for me to look at the bigger picture and assess the overall impact of my project on the African language community.
- 18. What tools would you use to measure each metric selected? Please refer to the guide for a list of tools. You can also write that you are not sure and need support.
A combination of surveys, web analytics tools, and databases can be used to gather data and analyze it
Financial Proposal edit
- 19. & 19.1 What is the amount you are requesting from Wikimedia Foundation? Please provide this amount in your local currency.
2400000 NGN
- 19.2 What is this amount in US Currency (to the best of your knowledge)?
5000 USD
- 20. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it.
- We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.
Yes
Endorsements and Feedback edit
Please add endorsements and feedback to the grant discussion page only. Endorsements added here will be removed automatically.
Community members are invited to share meaningful feedback on the proposal and include reasons why they endorse the proposal. Consider the following:
- Stating why the proposal is important for the communities involved and why they think the strategies chosen will achieve the results that are expected.
- Highlighting any aspects they think are particularly well developed: for instance, the strategies and activities proposed, the levels of community engagement, outreach to underrepresented groups, addressing knowledge gaps, partnerships, the overall budget and learning and evaluation section of the proposal, etc.
- Highlighting if the proposal focuses on any interesting research, learning or innovation, etc. Also if it builds on learning from past proposals developed by the individual or organization, or other Wikimedia communities.
- Analyzing if the proposal is going to contribute in any way to important developments around specific Wikimedia projects or Movement Strategy.
- Analysing if the proposal is coherent in terms of the objectives, strategies, budget, and expected results (metrics).