Wikimedia Blog/Drafts/A Ghanaian chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation in discussion.

This has been posted at https://blog.wikimedia.org/2012/08/31/ghanaian-wikimedia-chapter/

Draft post

Discussions and planning for a Ghanaian Wikimedia chapter

Planning Wikimedia Ghana (PWMGH), which consists of Ghanaian Wikimedians is currently undertaking projects that encourage participation and contribution from Ghanaians to the various Wikimedia wikis. This is being done to aid the possible creation of a local chapter in the west African country, a milestone for Wikimedians here.

According to Wikimedia Foundation’s Statistics from the last 12 months, Ghana has not performed well in contributing, editing and even using the wikis. Contributions from the country were less than one percent of the total percentage of contributions made globally. (Wikimedia Traffic Analysis Report – Wikipedia Page Edits Per Country 2012).

Some factors that lead to the small number of contributions surely include limited internet access and limited access to and/or ownership of internet enabled devices. However, lack of awareness of Wikimedia and the concept of a wiki is a bigger factor. Planning Wikimedia Ghana seeks to rectify this by creating awareness as they lay the foundation for a Wikimedia chapter.

Many of Ghanaian children agree Wikipedia is a great homework resource. Planning Wikimedia Ghana seeks to get many of school children contributing to it. Earlier this August, the first two school children signed up to join this project and are contributing articles about some local topics they wish to see on Wikipedia. According to Sandister Tei, a Planning Wikimedia Ghana team member, these youngsters were recruited from her neighborhood in Accra after they interacted with the planning committee as part of pilot efforts.

Also through PWMGH's efforts Ghana is participating in Wiki Loves Monuments 2012. It has recently created the Wiki Loves Monuments 2012 Ghana page and hopes to curate about 51 monuments, forts and museums' photographs. The group seeks to run the WLM as its first project in Ghana.

Recently, a representative from the Planning Wikimedia Ghana,attended Innovation Week program in Accra, Ghana, organized by the Kofi Annan Technology Institute. He used the opportunity to make a presentation about Wikimedia Foundation project sites.

Rexford Nkansah, the initiator of the chapter-planning process in Ghana believes there is a lot of work to be done and a lot of fun in the projects. The most important thing is that the outreach must succeed in making Ghanaians contribute massively to Wikipedia and to get them excited about the creation of a local chapter.

Currently the group has 25 members and is open all Ghanaians who share the vision of free online educational resources for all. One can join PWMGH via the their meta page or send an email to wikimedia-ghlists.wikimedia.org

Akan

Planning Wikimedia Ghana (PWMGH), yɛ Wikimediafo kuw bi a wɔwɔ Ghana a wɔreyɛ nnwuma ahorow de atwe afoforo adwene aba Wikimedia dwumadi so na woatumi de wɔn ho ahyɛ mu. Wɔreyɛ eyi na abɔ kwan ama Wikimedia Akuw no bi wɔ Ghana, Africa atɔe fam no mu, bere a edi kan koraa.

Sɛnea Wikimedia Ahyehyɛde Kuw Nkontaabu kyerɛ no, bosome dumien a atwam kɔ no, Ghana Wikimediafo ammɔ wɔn ho mmɔden koraa wɔ mmoa a wɔde ma nkrataa ahorow kyerɛw no ho. Ɔha mu nkyem biako, ne nea esua sen saa koraa na wɔtumi de koe. (Wikimedia Nsrahwɛ Nkontaabu Ammaneɛbɔ - Wikipedia Nkrataa Nsesae Ma Ɔman Biara 2012)

Akwanside ahorow a ɛma mmoa a wɔde ma no sua no bi ne intanɛt a enni hɔ papa ne ɛho mfiri a ɛnnɔɔso a nnipa nni wɔ ɔman no mu. Ne nyinaa mu no, nnipa te a wɔntee Wikimedia ho asɛm no gyina nneɛma pii so. Ɛno nti na Wikimedia Ghana Nhyehyɛe Kuw no bɔ mmɔden biara sɛ wɔbɛma afoforo pii nso aso ate Wikimedia ho asɛm na akyiri no, wɔabɛyɛ Wikimedia Ghana ankasa.

Ghana sukuufo mmofra pii gye tom sɛ Wikipedia boa ma wɔyɛ wɔn sukuu dwumadi ahorow a wɔde ba fie no. Wikimedia Ghana Nhyehyɛe Kuw no pɛ sɛ wonya sukuufo mmofra pii ma wɔde wɔn ho hyem. Bosome yi mfiase no, sukuufo mmofra a wodi kan kyerɛw wɔn din sɛ wɔde wɔn ho bɛhyem bi a woafi ase rekyerɛw nsɛm a wɔn ani gye ho ato Wikipedia so. Sɛnea Sandister Tei a ɔyɛ Wikimedia Ghana Nhyehyɛe Kuw muni kyerɛ no, saa mmofra yi a ɔtoo nsa frɛɛ wɔn no fi ne mpɔtam pɛɛ.

Bio nso, PWMGH anya hokwan sɛ wɔde wɔn ho bɛhyɛ Wiki Loves Monuments 2012 mfonini akansie no wɔ afe 2012 mu. Nkyɛe pii na Ghana kyerɛw ne din wɔ WLM akansie yi mu na wɔwɔ anidaso sɛ wɔde mfonini bɛyɛ 51 bɛkɔ afe yi. Saa WLM no bɛyɛ PWMGH no dwumadi a edi wɔ Ghana.

Nnansa yi ara, Wikimedia Ghana Nhyehyɛe Kuw no muni biako nyaa hokwan kɔɔ Innovation Nnawɔtwe dwumadi a ɛkɔɔ so wɔ Accra, Ghana no, a Kofi Annan Technology Institute yɛɛ no. Wɔ saa dwumadi no ase no, ɔde mfonini ne sini de daa Wikimedia Ahyehyɛde no adi kyerɛe.

Rexford Nkansah, aberante a ɔhyɛɛ PWMGH no ase no gyidi yie sɛ adwuma pii wɔ hɔ a ɛwɔ sɛ wɔyɛ na emu wɔ anigye paa yie. Nea eho hia paa ne dwumadi ahorow a wɔbɛyɛ de atwe Ghanafo pii adwene aba Wikimedia so no ne nea Wikimedia Ghana Nhyehyɛe Kuw no reyɛ so.

Mprenpren de, atuhoamafo bɛyɛ 25 na wɔwom, na hokwan no nso abue ama obiara a ɔyɛ Ghanani, a n'ani gye sɛ ɔbɛtrɛw nimdeɛ mu sɛ ɔde ne ho bɛbɔ Wikimedia Ghana Nhyehyɛe Kuw no. Sɛ wopɛsɛ wobɛka ho a, wobetumi akɔ yɛn Krataa a ɛwɔ meta no so anaa wobetumi akyerɛw yɛn wɔ wikimedia-ghlists.wikimedia.org

Sandister Tei, Planning Wikimedia Ghana