Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/General Support Fund/ACEI 2025 Annual Grant

statusDraft

Wikimedia Community Fund

ACEI 2025 Annual Grant

Fluxx IDR-GS-2409-16884

start date2025-01-01

end date2025-12-31

budget (local currency)

grant typeNonprofit organization with Wikimedia mission

funding regionunknown region

decision fiscal year2024-25

funding program roundundefined round

organization (if applicable)Afroyanga Cultural Enlightenment Initiative

give feedback

Friendly Space Policy

Universal Code of Conduct

Application Privacy Statement

Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/General Support Fund/ACEI 2025 Annual Grant

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 application. 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.

Applicant information

Organization name or Wikimedia Username for individuals. (required): Afroyanga Cultural Enlightenment Initiative

Do you have any approved General Support Fund requests? (required): Yes, I have already applied and received a General Support Fund

You are applying as a(n). (required): Nonprofit organization with Wikimedia mission

Are your group or organization legally registered in your country? (required): Yes

Do you have a fiscal sponsor?: Yes

Fiscal organization name.: N/A

Please provide links to the following documents if they are available

These documentation can be provided in your local language(s), no translations required.

Organizational website
Detailed financial reporting and/or audits
Documentation of the governance structure, board list, governance processes
Documentation of the general assembly decision on your plan

- Organizational website: https://africanandproud.org/

Detailed financial reporting and/or audits - https://drive.google.com/file/d/166XXMiRfFqrZ0U1Qpy8NGCH3ZM0xwn11/view?usp=drivesdk
Annual Reports: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/African_%26_Proud_(AP)/Annual_Reports/2023

Main proposal

1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be a title for the Meta-Wiki page. (required): ACEI 2025 Annual Grant

2. Do you want to apply for the multi-year base funding for 3 years? (required) (only for returning applicants): No

2.1. Provide a brief overview of Year 2 and Year 3 of the proposed plan and how this relates to the current proposal and your strategic plan? (required)

N/A

3. Proposed start date. (required): 2025-01-01

4. Proposed end date. (required): 2025-12-31

5. Does your organization or group have an Affiliate or Organizational Annual Plan that can help us understand your proposal? If yes, please provide it. (required): Yes; https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13hKfOyfFzUEnRzauNjvLxPvdzj6jez0nbstIohlpyEU/edit?usp=sharing

6. Does your affiliate, organization or group have a Strategic Plan that can help us understand your proposal? If yes, please provide it. (required): Yes; https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/African_%26_Proud_(AP)/_Strategic_Plan_for_African_%26_Proud_2025

7. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required): Regional (more than one country in the same continent or region); Nigeria and Ghana

8. What are your programs, approaches, and strategies? What are the challenges that you are trying to address and how will your strategies support you in addressing these challenges? (required)

THEORY OF CHANGE

At African & Proud, our primary goal is to empower African youth and communities through capacity building by ensuring that African culture is accurately represented, preserved, and celebrated on global platforms. We aim to close the digital and cultural knowledge gaps by promoting active participation in knowledge-sharing projects. Through this approach, we strive to:

Enhance Cultural Representation: Address the underrepresentation of African culture on Wikimedia platforms by creating diverse content that reflects our heritage, languages, and traditions.
Promote Digital Literacy and Youth Empowerment: Equip young Africans with essential digital skills, fostering a generation of leaders who actively contribute to global knowledge platforms and their local communities.
Democratize Access to Knowledge: Make reliable information on African culture, legal resources, and educational materials accessible to all, fostering a more informed and engaged society.

We believe that by implementing the projects below, we can achieve these objectives, ensuring African voices are amplified, cultural heritage is preserved, and access to reliable information is democratized.

Project 1: Culture Connect Africa Project

The Culture Connect Africa Project by African & Proud is a comprehensive initiative aimed at enhancing the representation of African culture across multiple Wikimedia projects, including Wikipedia (in various languages such as English, Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Swahili, French, and Ghanaian languages), Wikidata, and Wikibooks. The project includes sub-projects focused on African film, cuisine, and festivals. Launched in 2024 with a focus on Nigeria, the project involved over 340 participants in the African Film & Cinema sub-project alone. Contributors from across Africa—including Malawi, Ghana, Tanzania, Ivory Coast, Benin Republic, South Africa, Kenya, Senegal, Uganda, Ethiopia, and more—played vital roles. For 2025, the project will expand to Ghana, in partnership with the Dagbani user group, adopting a decentralized approach to better manage regional diversity and logistical challenges.

Importance and Challenges Addressed:

The Culture Connect Africa Project addresses several key challenges:

Underrepresentation of African Culture: African cultural elements are often underrepresented or misrepresented on global platforms. This project aims to enrich Wikimedia content with accurate and diverse information on African culture.
Cultural Preservation: As globalization threatens many African traditions, this project ensures that cultural practices are documented, preserved, and shared for future generations.
Regional and Linguistic Diversity: The centralized model in 2024 revealed challenges such as language barriers, time zone differences, and logistical issues in managing participants from various countries. These challenges informed the decision to decentralize the project in 2025, allowing for regional teams to handle local participants, thus improving management and participant experience.

Strategies:

Decentralized Implementation: Partnering with the Dagbani user group in Ghana, the project will decentralize its operations to better manage regional differences, including language barriers and logistical challenges.
Community Engagement: Engaging local communities through workshops, edit-a-thons, and cultural events will ensure that contributions are authentic and reflect the cultural nuances of each region.
Collaborations with Cultural Institutions: Partnering with cultural institutions, film archives, culinary experts, and festival organizers will provide access to credible information and resources for content creation.
Training Across Multiple Wikimedia Platforms: Providing training on how to contribute to various Wikimedia projects, including Wikipedia in multiple languages, Wikidata, and Wikibooks, to ensure a broad and diverse contribution base.

Content Curation and Verification: Implementing a robust content curation and verification process will ensure that contributions are accurate, reliable, and truly representative of African culture.

Sub-Projects 1. African Film & Cinema: This sub-project is dedicated to documenting the history, achievements, and impact of African cinema across various Wikimedia platforms. It will focus on creating comprehensive articles and data entries about African filmmakers, film movements, and cinema history. 2. AfroCuisine: AfroCuisine aims to document and celebrate Africa’s diverse culinary traditions by creating detailed entries on various dishes, ingredients, and cooking techniques across Wikimedia platforms, ensuring that this knowledge is preserved and accessible globally. 3. AfroFestival: AfroFestival focuses on cataloging African festivals, which are central to the cultural life of many African communities. This includes documenting religious, agricultural, and traditional festivals, ensuring they are well represented across Wikimedia platforms.

The decentralized approach for the 2025 edition is expected to provide a more tailored and effective framework for managing diverse and rich cultural contributions from various regions across Africa.

Link with GLAM Projects:

Cultural Preservation: Visual documentation of festivals preserves and shares the rich, diverse cultural heritage of Africa.
Accessibility: Making these visual records available on Wikimedia Commons ensures global access, enhancing knowledge and appreciation of African traditions.
Educational Value: It supports educational and research purposes, aligning with GLAM’s goal of increasing public access to cultural content.

Project 2: Afroyanga Bootcamp 3.0

The Afroyanga Bootcamp is an annual fully residential bootcamp aimed at empowering young Africans by equipping them with the skills and knowledge to contribute to Wikimedia projects. Over the years, the bootcamp has seen significant growth, both in terms of participant numbers and the scope of activities offered.

First Edition (2023): The inaugural bootcamp hosted 30 participants, including 25 delegates and 5 members of the Core Organizing Team (COT).
Second Edition (2024): The bootcamp expanded to include 40 participants—35 delegates and 5 COT members—representing a 33% increase in delegates from the previous year.
Third Edition (2025): Building on this growth, the 2025 bootcamp aims to host 50 participants, with 45 delegates and 5 COT members, marking a 28.6% increase in delegates compared to the 2024 edition.

Residential Nature and Associated Costs:

The bootcamp is akin to a large-scale conference, with all expenses covered for participants:

Accommodation: Delegates are provided with hotel lodging as it’s a residential bootcamp
Meals: Three meals per day are provided to all participants.
Transportation Scholarships: Full travel scholarships (covering both air and road travel) are offered to participants from outside Lagos to ensure equal access.

No Ticket Sales:

Currently, participation in the bootcamp is entirely free; we do not sell tickets or have an income stream from attendees. This ensures inclusivity but also means that the program relies solely on funding from the foundation. Introducing ticket sales is being considered for future editions to help offset costs.

Importance and Growth of the Bootcamp:

The Afroyanga Bootcamp is not just about training participants on how to contribute to Wikimedia projects; it also focuses heavily on capacity building. Each edition of the bootcamp has included a range of activities designed to equip delegates with broader skills that are crucial for their personal and professional development:

Edition 1.0 (2023):

1. EI Sessions: The Emotional Intelligence (EI) sessions were designed to help delegates develop self-awareness, empathy, and effective communication skills, which are critical for collaboration in both personal and professional settings. 2. LinkedIn Optimization: This session focused on helping delegates optimize their LinkedIn profiles to enhance their professional online presence, increasing their visibility and opportunities in the job market. 3. Networking Sessions: Delegates were provided with structured opportunities to network with each other and with professionals, fostering connections that could lead to future collaborations and career opportunities.

Edition 2.0 (2024):

1. Panel Discussions: This edition introduced panel discussions featuring top professionals from various sectors. Delegates had the opportunity to engage in open discussions, ask questions, and gain insights directly from industry leaders. This not only expanded their knowledge but also gave them access to valuable mentorship and advice. 2. Enhanced Capacity Building: Building on the success of the first edition, additional workshops and interactive sessions were introduced to further develop the delegates’ skills in areas such as leadership, project management, and digital literacy.

Looking Ahead to Edition 3.0 (2025):

For the 2025 edition, the Afroyanga Bootcamp will host 50 Delegates compared to the 2024 edition where we hosted 40 Delegates, and we will also continue to build on the successes of previous years, introducing new elements to further enhance the learning experience for delegates:

1. Advanced Capacity Building: The bootcamp will introduce more specialized workshops tailored to the evolving needs of young African professionals, including sessions on entrepreneurship, digital storytelling, and advanced data management for Wikimedia projects. 2. Peer Mentorship Program: A new peer mentorship program will be launched, pairing experienced delegates from previous editions with new participants to provide guidance, support, and continuity. 3. Expanded Panel Discussions: The panel discussions will be expanded to include more sectors and topics, ensuring that delegates have access to a wider range of professional insights and experiences.

Importance and Challenges Addressed

The Afroyanga Bootcamp addresses the critical need for youth empowerment and capacity building within the African community. By equipping young Africans with the skills to contribute to Wikimedia projects, the bootcamp not only helps close the content gap on these platforms but also fosters professional development in participants. Challenges faced in previous editions include managing increased participant numbers, ensuring diverse representation, and providing tailored training that meets the varying needs of delegates.

The importance of this bootcamp lies in its holistic approach to youth development. By combining technical training with personal and professional growth opportunities—such as Emotional Intelligence (EI) sessions, LinkedIn optimization, networking, and panel discussions—the bootcamp ensures that participants leave with a well-rounded skill set. This approach not only benefits the individuals involved but also contributes to the broader goal of enriching African representation on global knowledge platforms.

The Afroyanga Bootcamp is designed to address several significant challenges within African communities:

Lack of Digital Literacy and Wikimedia Engagement: Many young Africans have limited opportunities to develop digital literacy skills, particularly in contributing to global knowledge platforms like Wikimedia. This bootcamp bridges that gap by providing training and resources that empower participants to actively engage and contribute.
Youth Unemployment and Underemployment: With high rates of unemployment among African youth, the bootcamp offers capacity-building sessions that enhance employability. Workshops on LinkedIn optimization, networking, and career development are designed to improve participants’ job prospects by equipping them with essential skills for the digital economy.
Need for Leadership and Community Engagement: The bootcamp fosters leadership and community engagement by encouraging participants to take active roles in their local communities. Through peer-to-peer learning, mentorship, and panel discussions with industry leaders, delegates gain the confidence and skills to become community leaders and advocates for knowledge sharing.
Retention and Sustained Volunteerism: One challenge in volunteer-driven initiatives is retaining participants beyond the initial engagement. The bootcamp addresses this by offering post-bootcamp activities that keep delegates from all editions active and engaged, ensuring long-term participation in Wikimedia projects and community initiatives.

Strategies

To address these challenges and enhance the bootcamp’s impact, the following strategies will be implemented:

Increased Capacity and Participant Management: The bootcamp will expand to accommodate 50 participants, with a specific focus on managing this growth effectively. This includes a well-structured delegate management system to ensure personalized attention and support for each participant.
Tailored Training Programs: Building on the success of previous editions, the 2025 bootcamp will introduce specialized workshops that cater to the evolving needs of delegates. This includes sessions on advanced Wikimedia contributions, digital storytelling, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills.
Capacity Building and Professional Development: Through workshops on LinkedIn optimization, networking, and career development, the bootcamp will enhance participants’ employability and professional skills, addressing youth unemployment and underemployment.
Peer Mentorship Program: Experienced delegates from previous editions will be paired with new participants in a peer mentorship program, providing guidance, support, and continuity. This will help new delegates acclimate quickly and make the most of their bootcamp experience.
Expanded Panel Discussions: The bootcamp will continue to offer panel discussions with top professionals, expanding the range of sectors and topics covered. This ensures that delegates receive diverse perspectives and insights, helping them navigate their career paths more effectively.
Regional Focus Groups: To address the challenges of coordinating across different time zones and languages, the bootcamp will introduce regional focus groups. These groups will allow for more localized discussions and tailored training sessions, ensuring that all delegates, regardless of their location, receive relevant and timely support.
Enhanced Networking Opportunities: Networking will be a central theme, with structured sessions designed to foster connections between delegates, professionals, and mentors. This will help build a strong community of young African leaders who can continue to support each other beyond the bootcamp.
Residential Bootcamp with Full Scholarships: The Afroyanga Bootcamp is a residential program, providing a fully immersive learning environment. Scholarships will be provided for all participants coming from outside Lagos, covering both air and road travel depending on their location. Accommodation in hotels and three meals a day will be provided to ensure that delegates can focus entirely on their learning and development. The residential nature of the bootcamp is crucial for fostering a sense of community among participants, enabling them to network, collaborate, and fully engage in the bootcamp activities without external distractions.
Post-Bootcamp Engagement and Retention: To ensure sustained participation, the bootcamp will offer post-bootcamp activities that keep delegates from all editions (1.0, 2.0, and 3.0) active in the community. This strategy will foster a strong, ongoing network of contributors who continue to engage with Wikimedia projects and support each other’s growth.
Leadership Development: The bootcamp will include leadership-focused activities such as peer-to-peer learning and mentorship programs, cultivating leadership qualities in participants and enabling them to take on active roles in their communities.

Project 3: WikiClassroom Project

Mission Statement: WikiClassroom is a promotional initiative by African & Proud that aims to educate students and teachers on Wikipedia and its sister projects, highlighting their potential as reliable learning resources. The project seeks to integrate Wikimedia platforms into African high school education, fostering a more informed and engaged academic community. Through these efforts listed below, WikiClassroom aims to transform the perception of Wikipedia in African educational contexts, promoting it as a powerful and reliable academic resource while building a community of young, informed contributors.

Activities:

Phase One (Completed October 2022):

The inaugural phase was implemented in 2022 in Nigeria, where 10 high schools were visited in Ikeja LGA, Lagos. Students and teachers were introduced to using Wikipedia as a research tool, exploring its vast array of verified articles for academic use.

Phase Two (Planned 2025):

With increased team capacity and newly onboarded volunteers, the project will expand to other Nigerian states, including Anambra, Abuja, and Ibadan. Volunteers will lead sessions in various high schools, training both students and educators on how to effectively utilize Wikipedia and its sister projects.

Importance and Challenges Addressed:

Lack of Awareness: Many African students and educators are unaware of Wikipedia’s potential as a reliable source for academic research. WikiClassroom addresses this gap by directly engaging with high schools to inform and train them.
Educational Barriers: Access to up-to-date and verified information is often limited in many African schools. WikiClassroom provides students with a reliable and accessible resource, promoting equitable access to quality information.
Building Digital Literacy: By engaging students and teachers with Wikimedia projects, the initiative also builds digital literacy skills, empowering participants to contribute to and make the most of open knowledge platforms.

Strategies:

Targeted Outreach: The project will focus on expanding outreach to various Nigerian states, ensuring a wide and diverse impact.
Volunteer-Driven Implementation: Newly onboarded volunteers will lead sessions in schools, supported by the African & Proud team to ensure consistent and effective program delivery.
Workshops and Hands-On Training: The project will provide practical, hands-on workshops that teach students and educators how to navigate Wikipedia, conduct research, and verify information.
Sustainability and Follow-Up: Post-session follow-ups will be conducted to assess the impact and provide ongoing support to schools, ensuring long-term engagement and sustained use of Wikipedia as a learning tool.

Project 4: Legal Accessibility Initiative (Nigeria)

The Legal Accessibility Initiative (Nigeria) is an innovative project by African & Proud, aimed at democratizing access to Nigeria's Supreme Court cases through Wikidata. This initiative is our first effort to make legal information more accessible and serves as a critical resource for legal professionals, scholars, students, and the general public.

Importance and Challenges Addressed:

Limited Access to Legal Information: Nigeria's Supreme Court cases are often difficult to access, limiting their potential for legal research, education, and public understanding. This project aims to bridge that gap by making these cases freely accessible online, thereby promoting transparency and better-informed legal practices.
Educational Empowerment: By providing open access to these legal precedents, the initiative will support the education of law students and young professionals, offering them the opportunity to study real cases and better understand the application of law in Nigeria.
Public Empowerment and Legal Awareness: The project also aims to empower the public by increasing their understanding of legal processes and decisions that affect their lives, thus fostering greater civic engagement and legal literacy.

Strategies:

Comprehensive Data Collection and Digitization: The project will begin with the collection and digitization of Supreme Court cases, sourced from legal archives, libraries, and partnerships with legal institutions. This effort is critical for creating a broad and diverse repository of legal cases.
Engagement with Legal and Tech Communities: To ensure the success of this initiative, we will organize gatherings and workshops to engage with legal professionals, scholars, and tech communities. These events will introduce participants to Wikidata and the project's goals, encouraging active contribution and usage of the platform.
Training and Capacity Building: We will offer comprehensive training programs to contributors, focusing on Wikidata, data entry standards, and the importance of maintaining high data accuracy. This training is essential for ensuring that the legal information added to the platform is reliable and accessible.
Quality Assurance and Feedback Mechanism: The project will implement a robust quality assurance process, including regular updates to the database to ensure the accuracy and functionality of the information. Additionally, a feedback mechanism will be established to gather input from users and continuously refine the platform.
Community Engagement and Sustainability: Post-launch, we will focus on sustained community engagement, including outreach to legal professionals and educational institutions to ensure ongoing contributions and the long-term sustainability of the database.

9. What categories are your main programs and related activities under? Please select all that apply. (required)


Category	Yes/No
Education	Yes
Culture, heritage or GLAM	Yes
Gender and diversity	Yes
Community support and engagement	Yes
Participation in campaigns and contests	Yes
Public policy advocacy	No
Other	No

Education

9.1.1. Select all your programs and activities for Education. (required): Wiki Camp, Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom or other Reading/Evaluating Wikipedia Training, Editing Wikipedia Training, Translation, Wikidata programs, Wikimedia Commons programs, Other Wikimedia project programs; Other programs and activities if any: N/A
9.1.2. Select all relevant audience groups for Education. (required): Secondary school students, Teachers or professors; Other groups if any: N/A

Culture, heritage or GLAM

9.2. Select all your programs and activities for Culture, heritage or GLAM. (required): Documenting or incubating languages on Wikimedia projects, Introducing new approaches to underrepresented culture and heritage, e.g. decolonising or reparative work; oral and visual knowledge; outreach to communities of origin, indigenous and first nations self-determination; Other programs and activities if any: N/A

Gender and diversity

9.3. Select all your programs and activities for Gender and diversity.: Bringing in women and/or gender diverse participants and editors, Focusing on creating content about marginalized (underrepresented) communities and their knowledge, Focusing on knowledge equity by bringing in contributors from underrepresented communities, Building organizer skills in women and diversity groups, Fomenting female leadership within the movement (either staff, members or boards); Other programs and activities if any: N/A

Community support and engagement

9.4. Select all your programs and activities for Community support and engagement.: On-wiki training of community members, Off-wiki training of community members, Organizing meetups, conferences, and community events; Other programs and activities if any: N/A

Participation in campaigns and contests

9.5. Select all campaigns that apply. (required): Not applicable; Other programs and activities if any: N/A
10. Please include a link to or upload a timeline (operational calendar) for your programs and activities. (required): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13hKfOyfFzUEnRzauNjvLxPvdzj6jez0nbstIohlpyEU/edit?usp=sharing

11. Describe your team. (required)

0.8 FTE Staff:

1. Richard Edozie (@Edriiic) is our cofounder and Operations & Strategy Director. In 2025, he will lead 1) the strategic plan development described in our timeline above, 2) operations (bookkeeping, payroll, reporting, and compliance), 3) Developing partnerships with key stakeholders, including cultural organizations, educational institutions, and media outlets, to amplify the impact of African & Proud’s initiatives and foster community engagement, and 4) storytelling and public outreach, including social media, narrative campaigns, original content, and public speaking.

2. Kolawole Oyewole (@B.kholar) is our cofounder and Programs Director. In 2025, he will lead 1) the research portion of strategic plan development, including implementing aspects of our Afroyanga Bootcamp, Culture Connect, Wiki Classroom, and Legal Accessibility Initiative (Nigeria) sections of the Strategic Plan final draft, 2) general programs administration, and 3) supporting interns and volunteers, and 4) storytelling and public outreach, including social media, narrative campaigns, original content, and public speaking.

3. Newton Kayode (Part-time Contract Staff), Social Media/Growth Manager In 2025, Newton Kayode will lead our digital and community growth initiatives by:1)Managing the online presence for the Culture Connect Africa Project, promoting sub-projects such as AfroFestival, AfroCuisine, and African Film & Cinema, 2)Overseeing the engagement strategy for the WikiClassroom initiative, enhancing outreach to high schools across Nigeria, and 3)Coordinating content and community engagement efforts for the Legal Accessibility Initiative, fostering participation and visibility across Wikimedia platforms.

Advisory Board: This African and Proud Advisory Board is a volunteer committee of field experts who support our staff in program development and implementation. The composition of our Advisory Board in 2025 is not yet clear as we are in the process of setting up our board, but we intend to source more members from the Wikimedia movement to help inform our strategic plan review. However, we have identified two individuals and reached out to them; Alex Stinson and Laurie Bridges and they will serve on the board.

Interns, Volunteers, and Contributors: Afroyanga Cultural Enlightenment Initiate (African and Proud) is powered by interns and volunteer contributors throughout the year.

Intern Roles (Volunteer) 1. Lawretta Kwageh (Programs Intern): She will 1) Assist in coordinating the implementation of all African & Proud projects, including Culture Connect Africa, WikiClassroom, and the Legal Accessibility Initiative, 2) Manage communication with project participants and stakeholders. 3) Support in organizing events such as edit-a-thons, workshops, and community engagement activities, and 4) Track project progress and assist in preparing reports. 2. Demilade Ajala (Operations Assistant) she will 1) Provide administrative support, including handling bookkeeping, payroll, and compliance tasks, 2) Assist in managing logistics for events and training sessions, 3) Support Richard Edozie in operations management and strategic planning activities, and 4) Coordinate internal communications and volunteer scheduling.

Volunteer Roles with Active Leadership 1. Dorcas (Yoruba Contributors): She will lead the WikiClassroom project in Yoruba-speaking regions, organizing outreach in high schools and managing local volunteer efforts. 2. Senator Choko (East): He will drive the WikiClassroom initiative in Eastern Nigeria, coordinating with local schools and community groups to promote Wikimedia projects. 3. Hilary (Abuja): He will facilitate the WikiClassroom project in Abuja, ensuring effective engagement with educational institutions and local communities. 4. Gwanki (North): He will oversee the WikiClassroom project in Northern Nigeria, managing volunteer activities and fostering collaboration with schools in the region. 5. Ipjaja (Wikipedia New Editors Support): He will manage onboarding and training of new Wikipedia editors, providing support to help them contribute effectively to Wikimedia projects. 6. Franca Umasoye (African Language Advocate): She will promote the use and integration of African languages on Wikimedia platforms, supporting language-related projects and content creation efforts.

12. Will you be working with any internal (Wikimedia) or external partners? Describe the characteristics of these partnerships and bring a few examples of the most significant partnerships. (required)

Internal Partnerships:

Dagbani User Group (Ghana): They will play a critical role in implementing the Culture Connect Africa Project in Ghana, helping with regional engagement, organizing local edit-a-thons, and providing insights into local cultural content.

External Partnerships:

Nigerian Library Association: We are partnering with the Lagos State University Librarian team who will assist in reaching out to high schools and integrating the WikiClassroom project into school curricula, promoting Wikipedia as a reliable academic resource.
Film and Broadcast Academies: Partners like Nigeria's National Film Institute will collaborate on the African Film & Cinema sub-project, providing expertise and support in documenting African film history.

-Creative Arts and Cultural Institutions: Organizations like the Centre for Contemporary Arts, Lagos, will support the visual documentation of cultural heritage under the AfroFestival project by providing access to cultural events and resources.

13. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select all that apply. (required): Increase the Sustainability of Our Movement, Improve User Experience, Provide for Safety and Inclusion, Invest in Skills and Leadership Development, Innovate in Free Knowledge

Metrics

Wikimedia Metrics

14. Please select and fill out Wikimedia Metrics for your proposal. (recommended)

14.1. Number of participants, editors, and organizers.

All metrics provided are optional, please fill them out if they are aligned with your programs and activities.

Participants, editors, and organizers
Metrics name	Target	Description
Number of all participants	293	293 (Our existing community membership is about 293 people.)
Number of all editors	1000	To date, African & Proud has engaged 293 participants across our various initiatives, with 145 contributing to the African Film & Cinema sub-project in 2024. With the upcoming AfroFestival and AfroCuisine projects, and our expansion into the Ghanaian community in 2025, we project to engage around 1,000 participants throughout the year. Of these, we anticipate a ratio of 70% new editors (700) to 30% retained editors (300). This reflects our ongoing efforts to expand our contributor base while maintaining strong engagement with participants from previous years. The activities funded by our 2025 initiatives will support this growth, facilitating multiple edit-a-thons, training sessions, and community engagement events to ensure robust participation and retention.
Number of new editors	500
Number of retained editors	500
Number of all organizers	8	The WikiClassroom project will be supporting 4 outreach activities in 2025 across 4 different states in Nigeria (Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan and Kano), and the Culture Connect will support the Culture Connect Ghana edition in partnership with the Dagbani User Group.
Number of new organizers	6

14.2. Number of new content contributions to Wikimedia projects. (recommended)

Contributions to Wikimedia projects
Wikimedia project	Created	Edited or improved
Wikipedia	1500	2000
Wikimedia Commons	500
Wikidata	200	100
Wiktionary	100	100
Wikisource
Wikimedia Incubator
Translatewiki
MediaWiki
Wikiquote
Wikivoyage
Wikibooks	1000	100
Wikiversity
Wikinews
Wikispecies
Wikifunctions / Abstract Wikipedia

Description for Wikimedia projects contributions metrics. (optional)

- New mother-tongue word entries or definitions contributed through WikiClassroom sessions.

Contributions to active, incubator versions or newly approved Wikipedias in African languages such as Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Dagbani and English

Other Metrics

15. Do you have other quantitative and qualitative targets for your project (other metrics)? (required): Yes


Other Metrics	Description	Target
Languages added to Wikipedia	Contributions to active incubator versions or newly approved Wikipedias in African languages such as Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Dagbani, and Swahili. Target: 5-7	7
Content added to Wikimedia Commons	Visual documentation of cultural elements (festivals, cuisines) including images, videos, and audio recordings from AfroFestival and AfroCuisine projects. Target: 500+ media files	500
Mentorship Conversion Rate	40% of participants from Afroyanga 1.0 who transitioned to mentor roles in Afroyanga 2.0. In 2024, 100% of mentees from 2023 became mentors, with a target to maintain this rate or at least keep 50% conversion rate in 2025. Target: 50% or higher	50
Engagement Events Held	Number of workshops, edit-a-thons, and community events across Nigeria and Ghana.	15
Entries added to Wikidata	New entries or enhancements to existing entries related to African legal cases, cultural topics, and historical figures. Target: 200+ Items	200

Budget

16. Will you have any other revenue sources when implementing this proposal (e.g. other funding, membership contributions, donations)? (required)

16.1. List other revenue sources. (required)

N/A

16.2. Approximately how much revenue will you have from other sources in your local currency? (required): N/A

17. Your local currency. (required)

18. What is the total requested amount in your local currency? (required)

Multi-year funding request summary
Year	Amount (local currency)
Year 1	N/A
Year 2	N/A
Year 3	N/A

19. Does this proposal include compensation for staff or contractors? (required)

19.1. How many paid staff members do you plan to have? (required)

Include the number of staff and contractors during the proposal period. If you have short-term contractors or staff, please include them separately and mention their terms.

N/A

19.2. How many FTEs (full-time equivalents) in total? (required)

Include the total FTE of staff and contractors during the proposal period. If you have short-term contractors or staff, please include their FTEs with the terms separately.

N/A

19.3. Describe any staff or contractor changes compared to the current year / ongoing General Support Fund if any. (required only for returning grantees): N/A

20. Please provide an overview of your overall budget categories in your local currency. The budget breakdown should include only the amount requested with this General Support Fund (required).


Budget category	Amount in local currency
Staff and contractor costs
Operational costs
Programmatic costs

21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)

Additional information

22. In this optional space you can add any other additional information about your proposal or organization that you think can help us when reviewing your proposal. (optional)

By submitting your proposal/funding request you agree that you are in agreement with the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and the Universal Code of Conduct.

We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.

No

Feedback

Please add any feedback to the grant discussion page only. Any feedback added here will be removed.