Planning Wikimedia community user group the Gambia
| Home | History | Objectives | Activities | Contact Persons | Interested participants |
|---|
| Planning Wikimedia Community User Group the Gambia | |
|---|---|
.svg) The Gambia | |
| Location |  The Gambia |
| Country code | GMB |
| Official language(s) | English |
| Other language(s) | Mandinka, Fula, Wollof |
| Key people | Gayo Bah(talk) Ramatoulie Touray(talk) |
| E-mail address | wikimediausergroupthegambia@gmail.com |
| Wikimedia User Group The Gambia | |
- CH Wikimedia CH
- GB Wikimedia UK
- KR 위키미디어 한국
- US-NYC Wikimedia New York City
- CAT Amical Wikimedia
- ESP-WE Wikiesfera Grupo de Usuarixs
- H-GAPS H-GAPS User Group
- MK-SK Shared Knowledge
- NGA-HA Hausa Wikimedians User Group
- NGA-IG Igbo Wikimedians User Group
- RU-Don Don Wikimedians User Group
- US-NE New England Wikimedians
- WJ WikiJournal
- WK? Whose Knowledge?
Planning Wikimedia Community User Group the Gambia is as a result of our volunteers (Gayo Bah and Ramatoulie Touray) experience at the WikiIndaba conferences. We recognize the transformative power of Wikimedia projects in providing free and open knowledge to communities and individuals.
The aim of this group is to serve as a hub for promoting Wikimedia projects in the Gambia and fostering collaboration among volunteers, educators, librarians, researchers, and anyone passionate about knowledge sharing. Through collectives efforts, the group seeks to support the growth and accessibility of knowledge while encouraging active participation in various Wikimedia initiatives.
History
[edit]The founders of this group were inspired by experiences and collaborations gained from participating in various Wikimedia events, particularly the WikiIndaba Conferences held in 2023 ( Morocco) and 2024 (Johannesburg); Wikidata training sessions and the AFLIA 1Lib 1Ref campaigns. Members of the group were moved by the dynamic contributions of other Wikimedia user groups across Africa, experiencing firsthand the positive impact they make in their respective communities.
Objectives
[edit]- To raise awareness and actively promote Wikimedia projects in The Gambia in order to increase public understanding and engagement with free knowledge platforms.
- Encourage the use, contribution, and promotion of Wikimedia platforms such as Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikisource within The Gambia.
- Collaborate with schools, universities, and research institutions to integrate Wikimedia projects into educational and academic activities.
- Advocate for open access to information and resources in alignment with the global Wikimedia movement’s mission.
- Forge partnership with Wikimedia User Groups and organizations across Africa and globally to exchange best practices and collaborate on mutually beneficial projects.
- The group will establish structures for the long-term sustainability of Wikimedia activities in The Gambia, including securing partnerships and funding.
Activities
[edit]2024 Activities
The first activity of this group is to organize a campaign which run from December 2024 to January, 2025 with the aim to enhance the quality and depth of Wikipedia articles about Gambians. With over 598 stub-level articles and 389 start-level articles, most of the Gambia’s rich history, culture, and contributions remain underrepresented. The campaign aims to enhance the quality of these articles by incorporating reliable reference and enriching them with comprehensive detailed contents. This was a pilot project to bring together Wikimedia volunteers and give them firsthand knowledge about participating in Wikimedia campaigns.
2025 Planned/ Upcoming Events
[edit]April-June
Wiki Loves Africa in the Gambia,
We want organize a two-month edit-a-thon from April to June 2025. During this period, participants will be encouraged to contribute to Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, with a particular focus on improving and creating articles about the Gambia. We will particularly try to improve articles in the WikiProject Gambia where we have so many articles that needs to be improve.