African & Proud (AP)/Strategic Plans/2025

African & Proud (Afroyanga Cultural Enlightenment Initiative) is committed to empowering African youth by preserving cultural heritage, promoting knowledge sharing, and fostering meaningful participation through open-source platforms. Our 2025 strategic plan aims to expand our impact by enhancing existing projects and launching new initiatives that align with our youth-focused mission.

Theory of change

The why

African youth often lack opportunities and platforms to tell their stories and share their knowledge with the world. By empowering them to contribute culturally diverse content, we aim to reshape the narrative about Africa, promote cultural pride, and democratize access to reliable information.

Theory of change

If we build capacity, provide opportunities, and create platforms for African youth to share their stories and knowledge, then we will see an increase in culturally accurate and diverse content on global platforms, leading to a greater representation, appreciation and understanding of African heritage worldwide.

Strategic priorities for 2025

Expand youth engagement and regional impact

Decentralize projects to engage youth across Nigeria and Ghana in partnership with groups like the Dagbani User Group.
Scale up initiatives to increase youth participation and deepen community engagement.

Capacity building and leadership development for youths and communities

Develop local capacity through youth mentorship programs, targeting skill-building and leadership development.
Enhance digital literacy and advocacy skills through structured bootcamps and workshops.

Promote youth-driven cultural representation on global platforms

Encourage youth to create content in various African languages and document diverse cultural expressions on Wikimedia platforms.
Incorporate visual documentation projects to capture underrepresented aspects of African culture, such as local festivals.

Ensure sustainability through community-building and retention

Build long-term relationships with youth organizations, educational institutions, and cultural bodies.
Retain youth contributors through post-project activities, sustained mentorship, and community engagement.

Key projects and objectives for 2025

Culture connect africa (Nigeria and Ghana)

Expand project to involve youth in Nigeria and Ghana, focusing on African Film & Cinema, AfroCuisine, and AfroFestival (with visual documentation).
Objectives: Engage 1,000 youth participants, create 500+ new media files, and add content in 5-7 African languages.

Afroyanga bootcamp 3.0

Host a residential bootcamp in Lagos with 50 youth participants, focusing on capacity building, mentorship, and professional development.
Objectives: Achieve a 50% mentorship conversion rate, foster youth leadership, and sustain community engagement.

WikiClassroom project

Relaunch in multiple Nigerian states (Anambra, Abuja, Ibadan) to promote Wikimedia as a research tool among high school youth.
Objectives: Engage 300+ high school students, train 50+ teachers, and recruit 100 new youth contributors.

Legal accessibility initiative (Nigeria)

Make Nigerian Supreme Court cases accessible through Wikidata, engaging young legal professionals and law students.
Objectives: Digitize and upload 200+ legal documents, engage with 100+ youth contributors, and raise public awareness.

Community engagement and training initiatives

Quarterly catch-Up meetings

We will organize quarterly meetings to engage with our community, provide updates, and maintain active participation. Out of the four sessions planned for the year, at least one will be a physical meet-up to foster deeper connections and collaboration.

Bi-monthly onboarding trainings

Our volunteers will host training sessions every two months to support new members in the community, providing them with guidance, resources, and a soft landing into our projects and initiatives. Objectives: Strengthen community bonds, ensure sustained engagement, and support new contributors, maintaining at least 70% active participation throughout the year.

Partnerships and collaboration

Internal partnerships

Collaborate with Wikimedia communities like the Dagbani User Group to enhance youth engagement and content diversity.

External partnerships

Partner with youth organizations, educational institutions, and cultural bodies to support project implementation and sustainability.

Monitoring and evaluation

Develop metrics focused on youth and community engagement, new content creation, mentorship conversion rates, and community retention. Conduct mid-year and end-of-year reviews to evaluate impact, gather feedback, and adjust strategies.

Financial strategy

Diversify funding through grants, youth-focused sponsorships, and community contributions to ensure financial sustainability.

Future directions

Plan for expansion to other African countries based on insights gained in 2025.
Focus on new opportunities like digital storytelling, advanced data management, and youth advocacy training.