Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Oral History 2023 in South Sudan (ID: 22216558)/Final Report
Report Status: Under review
Due date: 2024-04-29T00:00:00Z
Funding program: Rapid Fund
Report type: Final
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- Applicant username: Lomoraronad
- Organization name: N/A
- Amount awarded: 5000
- Amount spent: 5000 USD, 5000000
Part 1: Project and impact edit
1. Describe the implemented activities and results achieved. Additionally, share which approaches were most effective in supporting you to achieve the results. (required)
The Oral History Project 2023 aimed to preserve the history of the tribes in South Sudan. We successfully edited and documented eight tribes through various activities, such as documenting their origin, marriage stories, staple foods, child naming ceremonies, and funeral rites. The Nexus approach and community engagement were vital to the project's success. By involving stakeholders from the beginning, the project had a sense of ownership and authenticity, which helped combat hate speech among cultural tribes in the country.
2. Documentation of your impact. Please use space below to share links that help tell your story, impact, and evaluation. (required)
Share links to:
- Project page on Meta-Wiki or any other Wikimedia project
- Dashboards and tools that you used to track contributions
- Some photos or videos from your event. Remember to share access.
You can also share links to:
- Important social media posts
- Surveys and their results
- Infographics and sound files
- Examples of content edited on Wikimedia projects
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Oral_History_South_Sudan
Additionally, share the materials and resources that you used in the implementation of your project. (required)
For example:
- Training materials and guides
- Presentations and slides
- Work processes and plans
- Any other materials your team has created or adapted and can be shared with others
3. To what extent do you agree with the following statements regarding the work carried out with this Rapid Fund? You can choose “not applicable” if your work does not relate to these goals. Required. Select one option per question. (required)
| A. Bring in participants from underrepresented groups | Strongly agree |
| B. Create a more inclusive and connected culture in our community | Strongly agree |
| C. Develop content about underrepresented topics/groups | Strongly agree |
| D. Develop content from underrepresented perspectives | Strongly agree |
| E. Encourage the retention of editors | Agree |
| F. Encourage the retention of organizers | Strongly agree |
| G. Increased participants' feelings of belonging and connection to the movement | Strongly agree |
| F. Other (optional) |
Part 2: Learning edit
4. In your application, you outlined some learning questions. What did you learn from these learning questions when you implemented your project? How do you hope to use this learnings in the future? You can recall these learning questions below. (required)
You can recall these learning questions below: In the "Oral History 2023" project, we hope to learn and gain insights into several aspects related to the preservation and documentation of South Sudan's tribal cultures. Here are some learning questions that the project aims to address:
1. What are the diverse cultural practices, traditions, and knowledge systems of South Sudan's tribes?
- Learning Question: What are the unique customs, rituals, stories, music, dance, and other cultural expressions that define each tribal community?
2. What are the key challenges and threats to the preservation of tribal cultures in South Sudan?
- Learning Question: What are the social, political, economic, and environmental factors that contribute to the erosion of cultural heritage within different tribal communities?
3. How can oral history documentation contribute to the preservation and revitalization of tribal cultures?
- Learning Question: To what extent does the documentation of oral histories help in safeguarding and transmitting cultural knowledge across generations within tribal communities?
4. What are the intergenerational dynamics and knowledge transfer practices within tribal communities?
- Learning Question: How do older generations pass down cultural knowledge and traditions to younger generations, and what role can oral history documentation play in this process?
5. How can the documentation of oral histories contribute to cultural pride, identity, and community resilience?
- Learning Question: To what extent does the documentation and sharing of oral histories empower tribal communities, enhance cultural pride, and contribute to community cohesion and resilience?
6. What are the potential educational applications of documented oral histories?
- Learning Question: How can the collected oral histories be utilized to develop educational resources, curricula, or initiatives that promote cultural diversity and intercultural understanding within and beyond the tribal communities?
As part of our "Oral History 2023" initiative, we conducted extensive research into the varied cultural practices of the South Sudanese tribes. Our investigation revealed the distinct customs, rituals, stories, music, dance, and other forms of expression that define each tribal community. This exploration enabled us to capture each culture's richness and individuality, laying the groundwork for comprehensive documentation.
Challenges and Threats to Preservation: In our journey, we encountered various challenges and threats to the preservation of tribal cultures in South Sudan. These included social, political, economic, and environmental factors contributing to the erosion of cultural heritage within different tribal communities. Understanding these challenges helped us anticipate obstacles and develop strategies to overcome them effectively.
Contribution of Oral History Documentation: Our project demonstrated the significant contribution of oral history documentation to the preservation and revitalization of tribal cultures. By meticulously documenting origin stories, marriage customs, staple foods, naming ceremonies, and funeral rites, we ensured the safeguarding of cultural knowledge across generations. This documentation became a valuable resource for preserving intangible heritage.
Intergenerational Dynamics: Through our interactions, we learned about the intergenerational dynamics and knowledge transfer practices within tribal communities. Older generations play a crucial role in passing down cultural knowledge and traditions to younger ones. We found that oral history documentation served as a bridge between generations, facilitating the transfer of invaluable cultural heritage from elders to youth.
Contribution to Cultural Pride and Resilience: Our efforts in documenting and sharing oral histories empowered tribal communities, enhanced cultural pride, and contributed to community resilience. By showcasing the richness of their heritage, communities strengthened their sense of identity and solidarity. This, in turn, fostered greater resilience in the face of challenges and promoted cultural understanding and harmony.
Potential Educational Applications: Looking ahead, we see immense potential in the educational applications of our documented oral histories. These stories can be utilized to develop educational resources, curricula, and initiatives that promote cultural diversity and intercultural understanding within and beyond tribal communities. By incorporating these narratives into educational contexts, we aim to enrich learning experiences and foster greater appreciation for South Sudan's cultural heritage.
In the future, we intend to use these learnings to guide similar preservation and documentation projects. By continuing to adopt a Nexus approach and prioritize community engagement, we aim to ensure that future endeavors are equally successful in preserving and celebrating the diverse cultural tapestry of South Sudan.
5. Did anything unexpected or surprising happen when implementing your activities? This can include both positive and negative situations. What did you learn from those experiences? (required)
We did not expect such enthusiastic participation from the communities since it was our first time doing an oral history project. However, all 11 tribes responded positively and made it easier for us to document their history. We were able to reduce expenses by joining existing local events instead of creating a new one. However, we also realized that we needed video editing skills more than we had anticipated. As a team, we thought it would be easy to patch together the videos, but it required a serious set of skills to do so.
6. What is your plan to share your project learnings and results with other community members? If you have already done it, describe how. (required)
We are going to screen some video content and hold review meetings by the end of April. Our goal is to share our findings with the community, both local and Wikimedia.
Part 3: Metrics edit
7. Wikimedia Metrics results. (required)
In your application, you set some Wikimedia targets in numbers (Wikimedia metrics). In this section, you will describe the achieved results and provide links to the tools used.
| Target | Results | Comments and tools used | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 100 | 60 | These involved both wiki medians and the community members who participated |
| Number of editors | 30 | 10 | These were video, uploaders, wiki commons and Wikipedia editors |
| Number of organizers | 5 | 5 |
| Wikimedia project | Target | Result - Number of created pages | Result - Number of improved pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 100 | 5 | 80 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 200 | 200 | 80 |
| Wikidata | 100 | 50 | 50 |
| Wiktionary | |||
| Wikisource | |||
| Wikimedia Incubator | |||
| Translatewiki | |||
| MediaWiki | |||
| Wikiquote | |||
| Wikivoyage | |||
| Wikibooks | |||
| Wikiversity | |||
| Wikinews | |||
| Wikispecies | |||
| Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia |
8. Other Metrics results.
In your proposal, you could also set Other Metrics targets. Please describe the achieved results and provide links to the tools used if you set Other Metrics in your application.
| Other Metrics name | Metrics Description | Target | Result | Tools and comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
9. Did you have any difficulties collecting data to measure your results? (required)
Yes
9.1. Please state what difficulties you had. How do you hope to overcome these challenges in the future? Do you have any recommendations for the Foundation to support you in addressing these challenges? (required)
We did not fully use the dashboard to collect everything, and we also didnt maximise the use of a survey
Part 4: Financial reporting edit
10. Please state the total amount spent in your local currency. (required)
5000000
11. Please state the total amount spent in US dollars. (required)
5000
12. Report the funds spent in the currency of your fund. (required)
Provide the link to the financial report https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Z4wzhIerDXSN2q3P0sWttLY5FLH8lPv6bT7Ky_MUzqc/edit#gid=928458698
12.2. If you have not already done so in your financial spending report, please provide information on changes in the budget in relation to your original proposal. (optional)
13. Do you have any unspent funds from the Fund?
No
13.1. Please list the amount and currency you did not use and explain why.
N/A
13.2. What are you planning to do with the underspent funds?
N/A
13.3. Please provide details of hope to spend these funds.
N/A
14.1. Are you in compliance with the terms outlined in the fund agreement?
Yes Your response to the review feedback. 14.2. Are you in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations as outlined in the grant agreement?
Yes
14.3. Are you in compliance with provisions of the United States Internal Revenue Code (“Code”), and with relevant tax laws and regulations restricting the use of the Funds as outlined in the grant agreement? In summary, this is to confirm that the funds were used in alignment with the WMF mission and for charitable/nonprofit/educational purposes.
Yes
15. If you have additional recommendations or reflections that don’t fit into the above sections, please write them here. (optional)
Review notes edit
Review notes from Program Officer:
N/A
Applicant's response to the review feedback.
N/A