Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/WIKIMEDIA COMMUNITY USER GROUP RWANDA SUPPORT GRANT 2022/2023/Final Report
Report Status: Accepted
Due date: 2023-09-15T00:00:00Z
Funding program: Wikimedia Community Fund
Report type: Final
This is an automatically generated Meta-Wiki page. The page was copied from Fluxx, the grantmaking web service of Wikimedia Foundation where the user has submitted their midpoint report. Please do not make any changes to this page because all changes will be removed after the next update. Use the discussion page for your feedback. The page was created by CR-FluxxBot.
General information edit
This form is for organizations, groups, or individuals receiving Wikimedia Community Funds or Wikimedia Alliances Funds to report on their final results.
- Name of Organization: Wikimedia Community User Group Rwanda
- Title of Proposal: WIKIMEDIA COMMUNITY USER GROUP RWANDA SUPPORT GRANT 2022/2023
- Amount awarded: 30000 USD, 30000 RWF
- Amount spent: 37000 RWF
Part 1 Understanding your work edit
1. Briefly describe how your proposed activities and strategies were implemented.
In 2022, Wikimedia Rwanda prioritized bridging content gaps, empowering volunteers, and promoting Kinyarwanda language accessibility. We achieved this through:
Photographic Contests:
Wiki Loves Africa 2023 Wiki Loves Folklore 2023 Wiki Loves Monuments 2022 Wiki Loves Folklore 2022 in Rwanda:
Hosted the 2nd edition, focusing on intangible cultural heritage. Contest categories included folk culture, dances, music, cuisine, and more. Winners received awards, and 10 winning photos competed internationally. Diversity and Content Creation:
Identified and filled content gaps in Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia in Eng, Kiny, Fr, Wikidata, and Wiki Commons). Recruited existing editors, addressing their needs for sustainable community growth. Implemented Projects:
Wiki In Africa Challenge 2022 WPWPW Campaign 2022 WikiGap 2023 WikiVibrance 2022 Wiki for Human Rights 2023 Wikipedia @22 Celebrations In 2022-23, we planned similar contests, building on past experiences. We conducted pre-competition training sessions, defined volunteer roles, and documented project activities. This ensured a solid understanding of Wikimedia community and projects. We aimed to groom previous volunteers for future leadership roles.
For outreach, we organized events like the Women's Week editing competition. We actively participated in international Wikimedia events, including the Wikimedia convention in France, the Wikimedia Summit, EduwikiConference, and Wikimania 2023. These initiatives aimed to increase capacity in Rwanda.
2. Were there any strategies or approaches that you felt were effective in achieving your goals?
In 2020, we initiated 8 photo contests, garnering 2000+ photos from 200 contributors. WLA 2020, WLA 2021, WLE 2020, WLE 2021, WLM 2020, WLM 2021, and WLF 2021. In 2022-23, we built on this success, focusing on participant training and volunteer roles. WLM saw 26 contributors, 355 quality photos (42% cross-wiki use, 42% newcomers). WLA 2023 excelled, with 32 contributors, 469 photos (41% cross-wiki use). WLF 2022-23 combined had 475 photos, 27 contributors (12% cross-wiki use).
Our diversity and content generation strategy aimed to bridge knowledge gaps and motivate regular contributions. Thematic events bolstered Wikimedia content, spanning Wikipedia (Eng, Kiny, Fr), Wikidata, and Wiki Commons. We identified and supported existing editors for sustainable community growth. Projects included WikiGap 2022 and 2023, resulting in 78 articles and 576 Kinyarwanda Wikipedia edits. On English Wikipedia, 24 articles were edited, with 129 uploads on Wikimedia Commons.
Additional projects included WPWPW campaign 2022, WikiforHumanRights 2022, Wikipedia @22 celebrations, Wikimania watch party in Kigali, WikiVibrance 2022, WikiIndaba conference 2022, Africa Youth Month 2022 in Rwanda, and Wiki Loves Women SheSaid 2022 in Rwanda. The Campaign Mois de la Contribution 2023, in partnership with Wiki Franca, furthered contribution and collaboration within Rwanda's French-speaking community.
3. Would you say that your project had any innovations? Are there things that you did very differently than you have seen them done by others?
In 2022, we empowered community volunteers to lead projects, shifting from core team dominance. In 2023, a Team Building workshop, led by Mr. Jerry Were, enhanced clarity in interactions and goals. This boosted cohesion, productivity, and community collaboration. Dedicated office hours on Tuesdays and Fridays (9 am - 5 pm) were introduced at Wikimedia Rwanda offices. This invites community members for Wikimedia-related activities, providing internet access and refreshments. Our aim is to foster learning, knowledge sharing, and exploration within Wikimedia Rwanda and the broader Wikimedia Movement.
The third innovation was a robust social media strategy in 2022 and 2023. It expanded outreach and engagement. Leveraging social media's reach, we effectively shared information about Wikimedia projects, events, and initiatives. This connected us with a wider audience, including potential contributors, fostering a more diverse community. Social media also enabled real-time interactions, enhancing responsiveness and creating an interactive experience. This approach amplifies our impact, boosts visibility, and establishes a vibrant online presence for Wikimedia Rwanda.
4. Please describe how different communities participated and/or were informed about your work.
In the past year, our Wikimedia user group's achievements are our commitment to fostering a culture of inclusive and innovative community engagement. We have meticulously designed our initiatives to resonate with the diverse tapestry of communities in Rwanda. Through meticulously tailored edit-a-thons and events, we've opened doors for contributors from various backgrounds to participate in our projects actively, each workshop serving as a collaborative platform for sharing knowledge and perspectives. Our strategic partnerships with cultural organizations and institutions such as Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy (RCHA), have not only facilitated a cross-pollination of ideas but have also created a bridge between the realms of art, culture, and our community user group to enable our members to access cultural sites with ease. We also partnered with Rwanda Mountain Tea during the Africa Youth Month 2022 in Rwanda ,WikiFranca for the Campaign mois de la contribution 2023 au Rwanda , Wikimedia DRC and Wikimedia Burundi for the Movement Strategy Implementation Grant for Africa great lakes region which begun with a Detailed Needs Assessments of great lakes communities in terms of skills gaps and organization contributing to: 31.Global approach for local skills development . This will be achieved through collaboration and networking from the regional communities. Besides the community user group Meta page, we have also been leveraging a lot of our well-crafted social media updates and posts to capture the attention of a wider audience, spreading awareness and interest in our initiatives, but also using other social media platforms such as WhatsApp and bulk SMS to communicate our activities.
5. Documentation of your impact. Please use the two spaces below to share files and links that help tell your story and impact. This can be documentation that shows your results through testimonies, videos, sound files, images (photos and infographics, etc.) social media posts, dashboards, etc.
- Upload Documents and Files
- Here is an additional field to type in URLs.
- Upload Documents and Files :
https://wikiloves.toolforge.org/
- Dashboard links
- WPWP Hashtag tool.
- Media and newpapers
https://www.interpeace.org/2023/09/great-lakes-addressing-mental-health-and-the-well-being-of-young-people-in-rwanda/ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6UsgSM-kYYo https://inyarwanda.com/inkuru/122473/wikimedia-rwanda-yateguye-inama-mpuzamahanga-yiswe-wikindaba-igamije-kongera-abanditsi-ama-122473.html https://www.africa-press.net/rwanda/all-news/wikigap-growing-womens-presence-on-worlds-largest-encyclopedia https://allafrica.com/stories/202101180111.html https://umuseke.rw/2022/11/mu-rwanda-hazabera-inama-yabanyafurika-bandika-kuri-wikipedia https://igihe.com/ikoranabuhanga/article/umuhate-w-urubyiruko-rwiyemeje-kumenyekanisha-amateka-y-u-rwanda-kuri-wikipedia https://www.ktpress.rw/2022/11/rwanda-to-host-wikipedia-conference/ https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/2346/news/women/wikimedians-to-increase-visibility-of-women-in-worlds-largest-encyclopedia https://www.kigalitoday.com/amakuru/amakuru-mu-rwanda/article/mu-rwanda-hagiye-kubera-inama-ya-wikipedia
6. To what extent do you agree with the following statements regarding the work carried out with the support of this Fund? You can choose “not applicable” if your work does not relate to these goals.
| A. Bring in participants from underrepresented groups | Agree |
| B. Create a more inclusive and connected culture in our community | Agree |
| C. Develop content about underrepresented topics/groups | Agree |
| D. Develop content from underrepresented perspectives | Agree |
| E. Encourage the retention of editors | Neither agree nor disagree |
| F. Encourage the retention of organizers | Strongly agree |
| G. Increased participants' feelings of belonging and connection to the movement. | Agree |
7. Is there anything else you would like to share about how your efforts helped to bring in participants and/or build out content, particularly for underrepresented groups?
To enhance involvement from marginalized groups, Wikimedia Rwanda has formulated a plan to establish 4 regional clubs across each province. These clubs will serve as accessible hubs for community members residing in those areas. Wikimedia Rwanda will provide support to these clubs, with some projects being hosted at the regional level.
Part 2: Your main learning edit
8. In your application, you outlined your learning priorities. What did you learn about these areas during this period?
During the initial stage of the year 2022, our primary objective centered on increasing awareness regarding the Wikimedia movement within Rwanda. To accomplish this, we actively involved university students from Rwanda. in 2022, We were officially recognized as a WMF affiliate by Affcom, and in 2023 by the Simultaneously, we directed our efforts towards obtaining official recognition from the regulatory authority for non-profit organizations in Rwanda, known as the Rwanda Governance Board. This pursuit resulted in the successful establishment of our NGO, officially named 'OPEN SOURCE KNOWLEDGE RWANDA' solidifying our legal standing.
9. Did anything unexpected or surprising happen when implementing your activities?
Indeed, it was quite astonishing to realize just how beneficial it is to progress gradually, step by step.
10. How do you hope to use this learning? For instance, do you have any new priorities, ideas for activities, or goals for the future?
Our Priorities in the future will include: Much focus on partnership engagement Volunteer Retention and capacity building
11. If you were sitting with a friend to tell them one thing about your work during this fund, what would it be (think of inspiring or fascinating moments, tough challenges, interesting anecdotes, or anything that feels important to you)?
Wikimedia Rwanda would inform the friend that this fund proved to be an enlightening experience for our organization. It brought to light challenges in areas like financial management, planning, and monitoring, which were previously unfamiliar when we operated on a rapid grant basis. However, it also presented valuable learning opportunities, particularly in terms of team building, personal development, and capacity building for community engagement and partnerships.
12. Please share resources that would be useful to share with other Wikimedia organizations so that they can learn from, adapt or build upon your work. For instance, guides, training material, presentations, work processes, or any other material the team has created to document and transfer knowledge about your work and can be useful for others. Please share any specific resources that you are creating, adapting/contextualizing in ways that are unique to your context (i.e. training material).
- Upload Documents and Files
- Here is an additional field to type in URLs.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6UsgSM-kYYo https://inyarwanda.com/inkuru/122473/wikimedia-rwanda-yateguye-inama-mpuzamahanga-yiswe-wikindaba-igamije-kongera-abanditsi-ama-122473.html https://www.africa-press.net/rwanda/all-news/wikigap-growing-womens-presence-on-worlds-largest-encyclopedia https://allafrica.com/stories/202101180111.html https://umuseke.rw/2022/11/mu-rwanda-hazabera-inama-yabanyafurika-bandika-kuri-wikipedia https://igihe.com/ikoranabuhanga/article/umuhate-w-urubyiruko-rwiyemeje-kumenyekanisha-amateka-y-u-rwanda-kuri-wikipedia https://www.ktpress.rw/2022/11/rwanda-to-host-wikipedia-conference/ https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/2346/news/women/wikimedians-to-increase-visibility-of-women-in-worlds-largest-encyclopedia https://www.kigalitoday.com/amakuru/amakuru-mu-rwanda/article/mu-rwanda-hagiye-kubera-inama-ya-wikipedia
Part 3: Metrics edit
13a. Open and additional metrics data
| Open Metrics | Description | Target | Results | Comments | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Additional Metrics | Description | Target | Results | Comments | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of editors that continue to participate/retained after activities | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Number of organizers that continue to participate/retained after activities | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Number of strategic partnerships that contribute to longer term growth, diversity and sustainability | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Feedback from participants on effective strategies for attracting and retaining contributors | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Diversity of participants brought in by grantees | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Number of people reached through social media publications | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Number of activities developed | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Number of volunteer hours | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
13b. Additional core metrics data.
| Core metrics | Description | Target | Results | Comments | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 1. Wiki Loves Earth 2022 2. Wiki Loves Monuments 2022 3. Wiki Loves folklore 2023 4. Wiki Loves Africa 2023 | 200 | 50 | Google registration forms and manual observation | |
| Number of editors | 1. Wiki In Africa Challenge 2022 2. Afrocine 2022 3. WPWPW campaign 2022 4. Wiki Loves sports 2022 5. Kinyarwanda Wikipedia Destubathon 2022
|
500 | 41 | Dashboard | |
| Number of organizers | 5 | 20 |
| Wikimedia Project | Description | Target | Results | Comments | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 1. Wiki In Africa Challenge 2022
2. Afrocine 2022 3. WPWPW campaign 2022 4. Wiki Loves sports 2022 5. Kinyarwanda Wikipedia Destubathon 2022
|
500 | 1200 | N/A | dashboard |
| Wikimedia Commons | .Wiki Loves Earth 2022.
.Wiki Loves Monuments 2022. .Wiki Loves folklore 2023. .Wiki Loves Africa 2023 |
2000 | 1299 | N/A | Wiki Loves Competitions Tools |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
14. Were there any metrics in your proposal that you could not collect or that you had to change?
No
15. If you have any difficulties collecting data to measure your results, please describe and add any recommendations on how to address them in the future.
no
16. Use this space to link or upload any additional documents that would be useful to understand your data collection (e.g., dashboards, surveys you have carried out, communications material, training material, etc).
- Upload Documents and Files
- Here is an additional field to type in URLs.
- N/A
Part 4: Organizational capacities & partnerships edit
17. Organizational Capacity
| A. Financial capacity and management | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| B. Conflict management or transformation | This has grown over the last year, the capacity is high |
| C. Leadership (i.e growing in potential leaders, leadership that fit organizational needs and values) | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| D. Partnership building | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| E. Strategic planning | This capacity is low, and we should prioritise developing it |
| F. Program design, implementation, and management | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| G. Scoping and testing new approaches, innovation | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| H. Recruiting new contributors (volunteer) | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| I. Support and growth path for different types of contributors (volunteers) | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| J. Governance | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| K. Communications, marketing, and social media | This has grown over the last year, the capacity is high |
| L. Staffing - hiring, monitoring, supporting in the areas needed for program implementation and sustainability | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| M. On-wiki technical skills | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| N. Accessing and using data | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| O. Evaluating and learning from our work | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| P. Communicating and sharing what we learn with our peers and other stakeholders | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| N/A | |
| N/A |
17a. Which of the following factors most helped you to build capacities? Please pick a MAXIMUM of the three most relevant factors.
Formal training provided by the Wikimedia Foundation, Formal training provided by a Wikimedia Movement organizing group (i.e., Affiliates, Grantees, Regional or Thematic Hub, etc.), Formal training provided from outside the Wikimedia Movement, Peer to peer learning with other community members in conferences/events, Peer to peer learning with other community members (but that is not continuous or structured), Using capacity building/training resources onlinee from sources OUTSIDE the Wikimedia Movement, Using capacity building/training resources online from sources WITHIN the Wikimedia Movement
17b. Which of the following factors hindered your ability to build capacities? Please pick a MAXIMUM of the three most relevant factors.
Lack of awareness of capacity building needs, Lack of knowledge of available capacity building opportunities, Lack of staff time to participate in capacity building/training, Lack of volunteer time to participate in capacity building/training, Lack of training that fits contextual needs and interests, Lack of financial resources
18. Is there anything else you would like to share about how your organizational capacity has grown, and areas where you require support?
N/A
19. Partnerships over the funding period.
| A. We built strategic partnerships with other institutions or groups that will help us grow in the medium term (3 year time frame) | Strongly agree |
| B. The partnerships we built with other institutions or groups helped to bring in more contributors from underrepresented groups | Strongly agree |
| C. The partnerships we built with other institutions or groups helped to build out more content on underrepresented topics/groups | Strongly agree |
19a. Which of the following factors most helped you to build partnerships? Please pick a MAXIMUM of the three most relevant factors.
Board members’ outreach, Institutional support from the Wikimedia Foundation, Partners proactive interest
19b. Which of the following factors hindered your ability to build partnerships? Please pick a MAXIMUM of the three most relevant factors.
Lack of interest from partners, Difficulties specific to our context that hindered partnerships, Limited funding period, Lack of knowledge or capacities to reach out to strategic partners
20. Please share your learning about strategies to build partnerships with other institutions and groups and any other learning about working with partners?
We discovered the importance of initially gaining a clear understanding of a partner's role and its alignment with our work before initiating contact. Additionally, we recognized the significance of maintaining ongoing communication with partners even after a project's completion, as it greatly facilitates continuity.
Part 5: Sense of belonging and collaboration edit
21. What would it mean for your organization to feel a sense of belonging to the Wikimedia or free knowledge movement?
For Wikimedia Rwanda, feeling a sense of belonging to the Wikimedia or free knowledge movement means experiencing a deep connection and alignment with the values, goals, and principles that underlie the movement. It means feeling like an integral part of a global community that is dedicated to the mission of freely sharing knowledge for the betterment of humanity. This sense of belonging fosters a strong commitment to collaborative efforts, a shared responsibility for the dissemination of accurate and accessible information, and a belief in the transformative power of open knowledge. It also implies a recognition of the impact that Wikimedia Rwanda can have on the broader movement and a willingness to actively contribute to its growth and success. Overall, this sense of belonging brings a profound sense of purpose and identity to Wikimedia Rwanda as a participant in the Wikimedia and free knowledge movement.
22. How has your (for individual grantees) or your group/organization’s (for organizational grantees) sense of belonging to the Wikimedia or free knowledge movement changed over the fund period?
Increased significantly
23. If you would like to, please share why it has changed in this way.
N/A
24. How has your group/organization’s sense of personal investment in the Wikimedia or free knowledge movement changed over the fund period?
Increased significantly
25. If you would like to, please share why it has changed in this way.
N/A
26. Are there other movements besides the Wikimedia or free knowledge movement that play a central role in your motivation to contribute to Wikimedia projects? (for example, Black Lives Matter, Feminist movement, Climate Justice, or other activism spaces) If so, please describe it below.
Feminist movement and the climate justice
Supporting Peer Learning and Collaboration edit
We are interested in better supporting peer learning and collaboration in the movement.
27. Have you shared these results with Wikimedia affiliates or community members?
Partially
27a. Please describe how you have already shared them. Would you like to do more sharing, and if so how?
28. How often do you currently share what you have learned with other Wikimedia Foundation grantees, and learn from them?
We do this rarely (less than twice a year)
29. How does your organization currently share mutual learning with other grantees?
N/A
Part 6: Financial reporting and compliance edit
30. Please state the total amount spent in your local currency.
37000
31. Local currency type
RWF
32. Please report the funds received and spending in the currency of your fund.
- Upload Documents, Templates, and Files.
- Report funds received and spent, if template not used.
- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CJbuYrIbbunvTICpMkrfN-y6C2XEl5NNXE629Aq-0ww/edit?usp=sharing
33. If you have not already done so in your budget report, please provide information on changes in the budget in relation to your original proposal.
N/A
34. Do you have any unspent funds from the Fund?
34a. Please list the amount and currency you did not use and explain why.
N/A
34b. What are you planning to do with the underspent funds?
N/A
34c. Please provide details of hope to spend these funds.
N/A
35. Are you in compliance with the terms outlined in the fund agreement?
As required in the fund agreement, please report any deviations from your fund proposal here. Note that, among other things, any changes must be consistent with our WMF mission, must be for charitable purposes as defined in the grant agreement, and must otherwise comply with the grant agreement.
36. Are you in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations as outlined in the grant agreement?
Yes
37. 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.
No
38. If you have additional recommendations or reflections that don’t fit into the above sections, please write them here.