Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/WikiTanzania Research Icons (ID: 22587148)
This is an automatically generated Meta-Wiki page. The page was copied from Fluxx, the web service of Wikimedia Foundation Funds 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 Details
edit- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Surv_Melch
- Organization
N/A
- If you are a group or organization leader, board member, president, executive director, or staff member at any Wikimedia group, affiliate, or Wikimedia Foundation, you are required to self-identify and present all roles. (required)
N/A
- Describe all relevant roles with the name of the group or organization and description of the role. (required)
Main Proposal
edit- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
WikiTanzania Research Icons
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2024-06-10 - 2024-07-10
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
Tanzania
- 5. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign, project, or event? If so, please select the relevant project or campaign. (required)
WikiGap
- 6. What is the change you are trying to bring? What are the main challenges or problems you are trying to solve? Describe this change or challenges, as well as main approaches to achieve it. (required)
I am an academician working for Mbeya University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Tanzania. The change we aim to bring through this rapid fund proposal is to significantly enhance the representation of distinguished Tanzanian academicians who have made notable contributions to Tanzania research industry on Wikipedia. Currently, we have a noticeable gap in Wikipedia's coverage of Tanzanian researchers, especially those who in one way or the other served as academicians (Lecturers and Professors). The gap hinders the dissemination of their achievements and knowledge to a global audience. This lack of representation not only undermines the recognition of their work but also deprives readers worldwide of valuable information and insights from Tanzanian academicians.
The main challenge we seek to address is the underrepresentation of Tanzanian researchers/academicians on Wikipedia. The reasons behind this have been limited resources, lack of awareness, and insufficient community engagement focused on highlighting the accomplishments of Tanzanian academics. Additionally, there may be barriers such as language barriers, technical hurdles, and unfamiliarity with Wikipedia editing processes that discourage potential contributors from sharing information about Tanzanian researchers and academicians.
The following are the main approaches towards tackling the above stated gap: 1. Outreach and Collaboration: We will collaborate with academic institutions (These are Mbeya University of Science and Technology, the University of Dodoma and University of Dar es Salaam), research organizations, and relevant stakeholders in Tanzania to identify and engage with distinguished academicians. By fostering partnerships and conducting outreach events, we aim to raise awareness about the importance of documenting Tanzanian researchers' contributions on Wikipedia. 2. Capacity Building: We will organize training workshops and online tutorials to equip Tanzanian editors with the necessary skills and knowledge to contribute effectively to Wikipedia. These capacity-building efforts will focus on Wikipedia editing techniques, sourcing reliable information, and adhering to Wikipedia's content guidelines. 3. Content Creation and Improvement: Through targeted efforts, we will create new Wikipedia articles or expand existing ones to showcase the achievements and research endeavors of Tanzanian academics. This includes compiling biographical information, summarizing their notable publications, highlighting their contributions to specific fields, and providing relevant citations to ensure the accuracy and verifiability of content. 4. Promotion and Recognition: We will actively promote the newly created or improved Wikipedia articles through social media campaigns, press releases, and academic networks to increase visibility and recognition for Tanzanian researchers. Recognizing their contributions on a global platform like Wikipedia can serve as a source of pride and encouragement for the academic community in Tanzania.
By implementing the above approaches, we aim to bridge the gap in Wikipedia's coverage of Tanzanian researchers and contribute to the democratization of knowledge by making information about their accomplishments accessible to a diverse audience worldwide. This initiative not only enriches Wikipedia's content but also fosters greater appreciation and recognition of Tanzania's academic excellence in the research industry.
- 7. What are the planned activities? (required) Please provide a list of main activities. You can also add a link to the public page for your project where details about your project can be found. Alternatively, you can upload a timeline document. When the activities include partnerships, include details about your partners and planned partnerships.
Here is a list of activities; 1. Public Awareness and Education: Conduct awareness campaigns and educational programs about the project. 2. Editathon for content availability in Wikipedia 3. Workshops and trainings: Organize workshops, seminars, and training sessions to showcase the project and it implementation strategies 4. Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with academic institutions particularly academicians as a way to letting them know about the project. 5. Photo taking
- 8. Describe your team. Please provide their roles, Wikimedia Usernames and other details. (required) Include more details of the team, including their roles, usernames, Wikimedia group, and whether they are salaried, volunteers, consultants/contractors, etc. Team members involved in the grant application need to be aware of their involvement in the project.
1. Surv_Melch; Project Lead, Organizer and Trainer 2. Themjoyce; Social Media Manager and Events' Organizer 3. Rwegobora; Project Advisor and Trainer
- 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? (required)
My Target participants are the following; 1. Notable academicians from three different universities in Tanzania namely; Mbeya University of Science and Technology, Dodoma University and University of Dar es Salaam. 2. Wikimedia community user group Tanzania. Engaging with wikimedians in articles editing.
- 10. Does your project involve work with children or youth? (required)
No
- 10.1. Please provide a link to your Youth Safety Policy. (required) If the proposal indicates direct contact with children or youth, you are required to outline compliance with international and local laws for working with children and youth, and provide a youth safety policy aligned with these laws. Read more here.
N/A
- 11. How did you discuss the idea of your project with your community members and/or any relevant groups? Please describe steps taken and provide links to any on-wiki community discussion(s) about the proposal. (required) You need to inform the community and/or group, discuss the project with them, and involve them in planning this proposal. You also need to align the activities with other projects happening in the planned area of implementation to ensure collaboration within the community.
The idea of the project on promoting notable academicians was firstly discussed with fellow wikimedians from Tanzania and Nigeria through AfroDemics Movement. We shared about the project with some few through their email addresses to discuss the need to impose this project in Tanzania.
- 12. Does your proposal aim to work to bridge any of the content knowledge gaps (Knowledge Inequity)? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Other Important Topics (topics considered to be of impact or important in the specific context)
- 13. Does your proposal include any of these areas or thematic focus? Select one option that most applies to your work. (required)
Education
- 14. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Not applicable
- 15. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select one that most applies. (required)
Innovate in Free Knowledge
Learning and metrics
edit- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
1. Understand the research finding materials to be incorporated in Wikipedia. 2. Making the Researches available in Wikipedia 3. Encourage the use of the available researches for sustainable innovations.
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 20 | |
| Number of editors | 20 | |
| Number of organizers | 3 |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | |
| Wikimedia Commons | |
| Wikidata | 100 |
| Wiktionary | |
| Wikisource | |
| Wikimedia Incubator | |
| Translatewiki | |
| MediaWiki | |
| Wikiquote | |
| Wikivoyage | |
| Wikibooks | |
| Wikiversity | |
| Wikinews | |
| Wikispecies | |
| Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia |
- Optional description for content contributions.
N/A
- 19. Do you have any other project targets in numbers (metrics)? (optional)
No
| Main Open Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
- 20. What tools would you use to measure each metrics? Please refer to the guide for a list of tools. You can also write that you are not sure and need support. (required)
1. Outreach Dashboard 2. Google Forms 3. Xtool
Financial proposal
edit- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VCxOndt29e05pvH3o_gmJtC0rf3j0D91mpb8Bv4N-Vo/edit?usp=sharing
- 22. and 22.1. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in your local currency. (required)
5350000 TZS
- 22.2. Convert the amount requested into USD using the Oanda converter. This is done only to help you assess the USD equivalent of the requested amount. Your request should be between 500 - 5,000 USD.
2134.66 USD
- We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.
Yes
Endorsements and Feedback
editPlease 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).