This page outlines the projects and initiatives undertaken by the Wikimedia Morocco User Group in 2024.
Executive Summary
2024 in Numbers: Goals vs. Achievements
Metric
Target
Achieved
Participants
500
1,130
New editors
30
44
Wikipedia articles
3,000
2,280
Commons files
1,000
3,383
Wikidata items
1,000
1,454
Active organizers
15
17
In 2024, Wikimedia Morocco User Group achieved significant growth across all programs, exceeding most targets set in our multi-annual grant proposal. Key highlights include:
Education Program: Trained 400 teachers with 110 graduates completing all modules
Technical Development: Organized first Mini-Hackathon with 8 participants developing innovative tools
Documentation Project: Generated 2,407 new media files covering 51 Moroccan communes
Outreach: Produced 12 podcast episodes and 5 newsletters engaging diverse audiences
Content Creation: Organized multiple writing contests and photo competitions
Strategic Planning: Conducted comprehensive planning retreat to develop 2025-2028 strategy
International Engagement: Participated in global conferences and established cross-community partnerships
These achievements reflect our commitment to expanding free knowledge in Morocco while building a sustainable and diverse community.
Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom
Teachers participating at the in-person final event for the Education program, in Mohammedia, August 2024
Project Status
Status:
Done
Start date:
January 2024
End date:
August 2024
Target participants:
300 teachers
Actual participants:
400 teachers
Graduated teachers:
110
Quick summary: The fourth edition of our flagship education program introduced Wikipedia as a classroom resource to teachers across Morocco, providing comprehensive training on digital literacy and critical research skills.
The program faced several challenges but also yielded important insights:
Challenges
Teacher strikes affected participation rates
Team coordination issues delayed some module implementations
Technical difficulties during some training sessions
Limited follow-up mechanisms for graduates
Key Learnings
Need for improved promotional strategies
Importance of enhanced technical support
Value of post-program follow-up
Benefits of blending online and in-person activities
These insights have informed our planning for the 2025 program iteration, with a focus on sustainability and continued engagement.
Technical Project and Mini-Hackathon
Participants at the Mini-Hackathon organized in Tangier in November 2024.
Project Status
Status:
Done
Duration:
Ongoing (2024-2026)
Team Members:
7
Bot Tasks Created/Improved:
10
New Wikidata Items:
634
Technical Edits:
21,370
Quick summary: The technical team focused on developing automated tools, bots, and data enrichment activities to support various Wikimedia Morocco projects, with special emphasis on local languages (Darija, Amazigh) and Moroccan content.
The Wikimedia Morocco Mini-Hackathon, our first local technical gathering, took place on November 8-10, 2024, in Tangier. The event brought together 5 in-person and 3 remote participants for intensive technical collaboration and learning.
Template Fixes on Darija Wikipedia: Improved infobox templates, fixed alignment of infobox election template and missing borders for main infobox and commons category templates
Moroccan Village Bot: Generated 1,272 draft articles for Moroccan villages using adjusted T1 script
Mosque Dataset Integration: Added 587 new mosques to Wikidata, updated 233 existing mosque entries
2024 Census Data Integration: Updated geographical entities with new population data for 6 administrative levels
Infobox Template for Tamazight Wikipedia: Created television infobox that fetches data from Wikidata or accepts manual entries
Spelling Corrector for Amazigh Wikipedia: Created "Amssghti" tool for text correction
SuggestBot Development: Worked on article recommendation functionality for Arabic Wikipedia
Website Rebuilding: Started redesign of wikimorocco.org
Event Structure
Saturday: Introduction, project presentations, SPARQL session by Wikimedia Libya and Arabic Wikidata Community
Hourly update of editor ranking on Darija Wikipedia homepage (migrated to Toolforge)
In total, these bots added over 10,000 automated contributions to various projects, significantly enhancing content quality and quantity.
Wikidata Enhancement
Our team made substantial contributions to Wikidata, focusing on Moroccan entities:
Major Data Projects
Added Moroccan geographical codes for all communes (4,460 statements) by Bonnjalal00
Updated municipality data with 2024 census information:
Added population and households data to 6 administrative levels
Added labels and aliases in Arabic, French, English
Created items for new circles and urban centers
Updated information about split or dissolved circles
Merged existing items of similar geographical objects
Enhanced mosque dataset:
587 new mosques added to Wikidata
233 existing mosque entries updated
Added labels and descriptions in multiple languages
Included administrative location information
Process and Quality Control
Data sourced from official Moroccan ministry statistics
Custom scripts for data cleaning and comparison
QuickStatements used for batch uploads
Verification systems to ensure data accuracy
TranslateWiki Contributions
Members of our technical team contributed to interface translations:
Bonnjalal00: 45 messages translated to Arabic for WikiLambda (Wikifunction) project
Essaidib2: 116 contributions (80 new translations)
Essaidib2: Added 3 template documentations for Standard Moroccan Tamazight
Workshop and Skills Development
TranslateWiki Workshop: September 22, 2024 via Zoom, with 8 participants
Focus on translating interfaces to adapt content to Moroccan context
Guidance from John Harald Soubai, Community Manager at Wikimedia Norway
Technical Workshops
Throughout the year, we organized technical skill development sessions:
Toolforge Workshop: (May 26, 2024) Led by Mounir Afifi, this specialized session addressed specific challenges team members encountered when using Toolforge. The workshop was designed to improve understanding of the platform and resolve particular difficulties faced by different team members.
TranslateWiki Workshop (September 22, 2024): 8 participants focused on interface translation to adapt Wikimedia interfaces to the Moroccan context. The workshop was conducted in English via Zoom, with Jon Harald Søby, Community Manager of Wikimedia Norway with over 50,000 contributions on TranslateWiki, serving as the trainer. Amina Titich from the Wikimedia Morocco technical team facilitated the session.
Commons Workshop (June 9, 2024): 10 participants learned about uploading and organizing media files
During the Mini-Hackathon, we conducted specialized sessions:
Wikifunctions Workshop by Mounir Afifi
Lua Workshop by Abdelilah Jalal
SPARQL Presentation by Wikimedia Libya and the Arabic Wikidata Community
These workshops helped build technical capacity within our community and prepared members for more advanced development work. The combination of online and in-person workshops provided flexible learning opportunities while addressing specific technical challenges faced by our contributors.
Mobile App Development
The technical team worked on mobile applications to expand access to Wikimedia content:
WikiLearn-AR (ويكي تعلم)
Android application adapting the WikiLearn website
Quick summary: Our documentation initiative created a rich visual record of Moroccan culture, heritage, landscapes, and events, significantly expanding free media resources available to illustrate Wikipedia articles and other educational materials.
Photo Contests
In 2024, we organized two major photography competitions:
These contests not only generated valuable visual content but also attracted new contributors to Wikimedia projects, with 44 first-time participants across both competitions.
Communes Documentation Project
Our most extensive documentation effort focused on capturing images of Moroccan communes, particularly targeting areas with limited visual representation online:
51 communes documented across Morocco
7 micro-grants provided to volunteer photographers
TP Mazembe celebrating winning the CAF women champions league in El Jadida
Rural weekly market in Ait Sedrate
Decorations in Asjen commune
Afifi theater in El Jadida
Overview of Fnideq city
Road to Ighil N'Oumgoun
Video of Sunrise over Moha Ouhammou Zayani Commune
Building of Rabat Commune
Oued El Maleh Dam - View from O Lac
Commune building - N'Zalat Bni Amar
House in Rabat old town
Communication Project
Episode 13 of WikiPodcast Morocco, discussing Arabic Wikipedia and the Palestinian cause with Wikimedia Levant members.
Project Status
Status:
Done
Start date:
January 2024
End date:
December 2024
Podcast episodes:
12/12 (100%)
Newsletters:
5/5 (100%)
Social media platforms:
3
Quick summary: Our communication initiatives kept the Wikimedia Morocco community connected and informed while raising awareness about free knowledge projects among broader Arabic-speaking audiences.
Episode 13 (January): Merfat Salman and Farah Jack Mustaklem, founding members of Wikimedia Levant User Group, discussed the Palestinian cause on Wikipedia, emphasizing the importance of sources and narratives in enriching the encyclopedia in different languages.
Episode 16 (April): Mounir Afifi explored the role of communities and individuals in building reliable content about Moroccan history and heritage on Wikipedia, addressing challenges in maintaining accuracy and handling conflicting narratives.
Episode 19 (July): Zayneb Takouti from Wikimedia Tunisia and Sandra Hanbo discussed women's participation in Arabic Wikimedia projects, sharing their experiences and achievements in organizing competitions and conferences.
Episode 22 (October): Ola Mahdi, founding member of Wikimedia Sudan, described their activities during crisis conditions, discussing the group's founding history, pre-conflict activities, current challenges, and ongoing work despite difficult circumstances.
The podcast was distributed across multiple platforms including YouTube, Spotify, and SoundCloud, reaching audiences throughout the Arabic-speaking world.
Monthly Newsletter
Starting in August 2024, we launched a monthly newsletter to keep members informed about activities and opportunities:
Newsletter Editions
August 2024: Welcomed new members, featured "Wikimedian of the Month" who reached 10,000 edits on Wikipedia, highlighted recent events such as the Amazigh language editing workshop, and covered participation of Wikimedia Morocco members at the global Wikimania conference in Poland.
September 2024: Featured a special interview with a distinguished volunteer, detailed recent activities, and spotlighted upcoming events and volunteer opportunities.
October 2024: Highlighted members' international representation at various events, recognized outstanding community contributors, and provided updates on ongoing projects.
November 2024: Included an interview with a volunteer, comprehensive coverage of recent events, and announcements of upcoming activities and contests.
December 2024: Released special end-of-year edition featuring a prominent figure from the Wikimedia community, enriching the newsletter with inspiring ideas and perspectives.
The newsletter was distributed via email to members and published on our communication channels.
Social Media and Community Engagement
Our comprehensive social media strategy included:
Content Categories
Event announcements and invitations
Live coverage of activities
Contest promotions and participant support
Member achievements and recognition
Educational content about Wikimedia projects
Weekly Team Meetings
Coordinated among communication team members
Planned social media content
Aligned messaging across channels
Evaluated campaign effectiveness
Platforms Utilized
Facebook: Primary platform for announcements and community engagement
Instagram: Visual storytelling and activity documentation
Twitter/X: connection with global Wikimedia community
Telegram: Internal coordination and support groups
This integrated approach helped bridge the gap between Wikimedia Morocco and both local and global communities while promoting volunteer engagement.
Regular Community Meetings
To maintain internal cohesion and coordination, we organized:
Monthly meetings for all Wikimedia Morocco members
Weekly communication team meetings
Project-specific coordination sessions
These regular touchpoints ensured alignment across all activities while providing opportunities for member feedback and engagement.
Episode 13: Arabic Wikipedia and the Palestinian Cause
Episode 14: Wikimedia Morocco 2023 Projects
Episode 15: Wikimedia UAE Projects
Episode 16: Moroccan Heritage and History Content
Episode 17: Wikimedia Commons
Episode 18: Standard Amazigh Wikipedia Project
Content Creation Initiatives
Participants at the Darija Wikipedia editing workshop in Rabat, November 2024.
Project Status
Status:
Done
Writing contests:
5
Edit-a-thons:
4
Total participants:
183
New articles created:
178
Articles improved:
380
New editors recruited:
29
Quick summary: We organized multiple content creation initiatives throughout 2024, including thematic writing contests, collaborative edit-a-thons, and cross-language projects to expand and improve content across different Wikimedia projects.
Writing Contests
In 2024, we organized five major writing contests targeting different topics and language communities:
Participants: 23 (professors and students interested in Moroccan Darija and open digital content)
Focus: Moroccan Darija language content development
Topics covered:
Introduction to Wikipedia roles and policies
Focus on Darija Wikipedia
Article writing and editing training
Content development in Moroccan Darija
Results:
7 new articles
9 improved articles
45 total edits
12.9 KB content added
416 article views
2 images uploaded
These initiatives significantly expanded content in Morocco's indigenous languages while creating opportunities for new contributors to join our community.
Regional Workshops
As part of the education program, we organized several regional workshops:
Date
Location
Participants
Focus
February 24, 2024
National Library, Rabat
80
Moroccan heritage content
April 20, 2024
Tafath Foundation, El Hajeb
73
Local content development
May 17, 2024
Nabil Institution, Temara
60
Wikipedia for student research
August 29, 2024
Technopark, Agadir
19
Amazigh language content
November 22, 2024
Madina Schools, Casablanca
66
Wikipedia introduction for students
November 24, 2024
Hassan Space, Rabat
23
Darija Wikipedia editing
December 18, 2024
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry School, Rabat
30
Arabic Wikipedia awareness
Workshop Highlights and Impact
February Workshop (National Library): Created 1 new article, improved 17 articles on Arabic Wikipedia, added 4.56K words, involved 15 editors, with additional contributions to French and English Wikipedias, comprehensive statistics from this workshop are available on the Programs & Events Dashboard.
April Workshop (El Hajeb): Conducted in partnership with the Regional Education Directorate, Reading Network Morocco, and Tafath Foundation for Education and Training, accommodating 73 participants (exceeding expected 40)
May Workshop (Temara): Focused on teaching students how to effectively use Wikipedia for research while encouraging contribution
August Workshop (Agadir): Created 30 new articles, improved 41 existing articles, made 229 edits, added 99.8K bytes of content, generated 1.77K article views, and uploaded 21 files to Commons
November Workshop (Casablanca): Led by Hayat Ahlamayn at Madina Schools, introduced 66 students to the Wikipedia platform, teaching them how to write articles, verify information, and make their first edits
November Workshop (Rabat): Created 7 new articles, improved 9 articles, made 45 edits, added 12.9K bytes and 3 references, generated 416 views, with 23 editors contributing
December Workshop (Rabat): Celebrated Arabic Cultural Week and World Arabic Language Day with 30 participants across two workshops, facilitated by Reda Benkhadra
Bioethics Program
In partnership with Hassan II University, we conducted a specialized academic editing program led by Rachida Roky, who organized these editathons with her students:
This program demonstrates the potential for high-impact academic collaboration in specialized knowledge areas, with faculty members like Rachida Roky integrating Wikipedia editing directly into their curriculum.
Weekly Editor Training
Throughout 2024, we conducted regular weekly training sessions to support both new and experienced editors:
Schedule: Every Sunday at 4 PM
Format: Remote sessions via Zoom
Instructor: Mounir Neddi
Organizers: Reading Network Morocco and Wikimedia Morocco
Target audience: New contributors and those interested in Wikipedia editing
Topics Covered
Reliable sources and citation methods
Encyclopedic style and neutral writing
Article formatting according to Wikipedia standards
These ongoing sessions formed the backbone of our community support system throughout the year.
Regional Distribution of Editorial Workshops
Workshops Across Morocco (2024)
Central Region
Rabat (3)
Casablanca (1)
Temara (1)
Bouznika (1)
Mohammedia (1)
South Region
Agadir (1)
East Region
El Hajeb (1)
Online Workshops
Weekly Editor Training (Every Sunday)
Commons Workshop (1)
TranslateWiki Workshop (1)
Toolforge Workshop (1)
Events and Community Building
Participants at the Mini WikiCamp in Rabat, December 22, 2024
Community Events
Strategic Retreat:
November 15-17, 2024
Mini WikiCamp:
December 22, 2024
Community Meetup:
June 23, 2024
Total participants:
40
New organizers:
6
Active volunteers:
17
Quick summary: Throughout 2024, we organized several key community events to strengthen our volunteer base, develop organizational capacity, and plan for future growth and sustainability.
Strategic Planning Retreat
Strategic retreat session in Tangier, November 2024
The Strategic Planning Retreat, held in Tangier from November 15-17, 2024, brought together 6 core team members to evaluate past activities and develop a strategic vision for 2025-2028.
Key Activities
Day 1 (November 15): Establishing ground rules and documentation processes
Day 3 (November 17): Developing vision and strategic objectives, defining implementation methods
Outcomes
Draft Strategic Plan 2025-2028
Five key strategic objectives identified:
Community growth
Legal status development
Strategic partnership building
Content development
Organizational structure establishment
Important decisions made regarding:
Human resources and staffing
Office space
Governance and internal guidelines
Community growth
Project future and sustainability
This retreat was pivotal in setting a clear direction for our group's future development and sustainability.
Mini WikiCamp
The Mini WikiCamp, held on December 22, 2024, at Ibis Hotel Agdal in Rabat, was a concentrated version of our planned larger WikiCamp, bringing together 17 active contributors from various Wikimedia Morocco projects.
Activities
Presentation of Wikimedia Morocco 2024 activities summary
Experience-sharing session
Workshop on Amazigh language in Wikimedia projects
Multilingual editing workshop
Discussion on Wikimedia Morocco's future
Palestinian book categorization editing session
Outcomes
Sharing of the strategic plan for the coming year
Development of Amazigh content on Wikipedia
Improvement of categories related to Palestinian books
Strengthened community bonds among participants
This event provided a valuable opportunity for face-to-face collaboration in an otherwise predominantly online community.
Community Meetup
Community meetup in Mohammedia, June 2024
Our first community meetup of 2024 took place on June 23 at the 5 October Space in Mohammedia, bringing together members of Wikimedia Morocco and the Reading Network in Morocco.
Activities
Discussion of collaboration between the network and Wikimedia
Sharing of volunteer experiences
Canva workshop led by Loubna Ait Oumaste
Presentation on color appeal in websites by Omar Belghiti
Wikipedia editing workshop
Outcomes
Enriched Moroccan content on Wikipedia
Strengthened partnership with the Reading Network
Skill development for participants
New volunteer recruitment
This meetup exemplified our commitment to building community connections while developing practical skills among participants.
Staff and Volunteer Development
In 2024, we focused on strengthening our organizational capacity through targeted recruitment and training:
New Staff Recruitment
3 new team members hired:
1 for the Communication Project team
2 for the Technical team
Transparent hiring process including:
Public job announcements
Technical assessments
Personal interviews
Volunteer Engagement
6 new organizers onboarded
17 total active organizers:
Hayat Ahlaamin
Atika Hashimi
Loubna Ait Oumaste
Bilal El Idrissi
Rachid Baya
Mustafa Mellou
Reda Benkhadra
Fatima Zahra
Mounir Neddi
Rachida Roky
Omar Belghiti
Abdelilah Jalal
Farah Ouazizou
Lhoussine Ait Tayfst
Mounir Afifi
Brahim Essaidi
Anass Sedrati
Training provided in:
Event coordination
Content development
Technical skills
Community management
Challenges and Learnings
Managing multiple projects with limited resources
Balancing volunteer and professional work
Importance of continuous feedback and adaptation
Need for clear role definitions and expectations
These developments have strengthened our organizational foundation while preparing us for sustainable growth.
Participants at Mini WikiCamp in Rabat
Community meetup in Mohammedia
Strategic planning session in Tangier
International Engagement
Wikimedia Morocco members presenting Darija Wiktionary at the 8th Congress of Moroccan Arabic at the University of Navarra.
International Events
Conference presentations:
7
Collaborative projects:
3
Research presentations:
1
Countries involved:
12+
Participating members:
14
Knowledge sharing sessions:
3
Quick summary: Throughout 2024, Wikimedia Morocco members actively participated in global Wikimedia events, collaborative projects, and knowledge-sharing initiatives, strengthening our international connections while sharing our experiences with the broader movement.
Conference Participation
Our members represented Wikimedia Morocco at several major international events:
8th International Congress of Moroccan Darija (Pamplona, Spain)
Date: April 25-26, 2024
Location: Institute of Culture and Society, University of Navarra
Historical development of Darija Wikipedia since 2020
Volunteer management in small wikis
Bot usage and contest organization to attract editors
Standardization of spelling and grammar through community consensus
Community sustainability challenges and vandalism prevention
Academic Connections
Networking with researchers from Poland, France, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Morocco
Documentation of academic figures for Wikipedia
Exploration of collaboration opportunities with language researchers
These activities positioned Wikimedia Morocco as a valuable partner in academic research on language diversity and digital knowledge preservation.
Knowledge Sharing Sessions
Our members participated in several peer-learning opportunities:
May 27, 2024: Rachida Roky presented on building partnerships at "Let's Connect" session, sharing strategies for establishing strong partnerships within and outside the Wikimedia movement.
September 3, 2024: Reda Benkhadra and Mounir Afifi shared experiences about Wikimedia Morocco activities and projects during a "Let's Connect" session, highlighting our community's achievements and methodologies.
December 13, 2024: Loubna Ait Oumaste participated in WikiAfrica Hour, highlighting the achievements of the African Wikimedia community with emphasis on Wikimedia Morocco's contributions.
These sessions expanded our global connections and shared valuable insights with the broader Wikimedia movement.
Cross-Community Collaborations
We engaged in several productive collaborations with other Wikimedia communities:
26 articles created across three Wikipedias (14 on Darija Wikipedia, 10 on Maltese Wikipedia, 2 on Arabic Wikipedia)
Two virtual edit-a-thons completed
Cultural exchange and skill sharing
Plans for continued collaboration
These collaborations expanded our international network while allowing us to share our experiences with the broader Wikimedia movement.
Collaboration at Wikimedia Hackathon 2024
Attendees at the 8th Congress of Moroccan Arabic
Conference poster at the University of Navarra
Ideophagous at the AI Sauna in Finland
Acknowledgments
We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed to our success in 2024:
Organizational Team
Role
Contribution
Leadership Team
Strategic direction, governance, and oversight of all Wikimedia Morocco activities
Education Program Team
Development and implementation of educational initiatives, teacher training, and classroom resources
Technical Project Team
Bot development, technical infrastructure maintenance, and innovative tool creation
Documentation Project Team
Visual content creation, photography coordination, and heritage documentation
Communication Team
Podcast production, newsletter creation, and social media management
Content Development Team
Writing contests, edit-a-thons, and content quality improvement initiatives
Key Partners
Reading Network in Morocco
National Library of Morocco
Casa Memoire Association
Hassan II University
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry School
Tafath Foundation for Education and Training
Madina Schools, Casablanca
Nabil Institution Temara
Funders
Wikimedia Foundation (Multi-Year Grant program)
Project Participants
All 1,130 participants in our various programs
Contest contributors
Workshop attendees
Photography volunteers
Technical contributors
Global Wikimedia Community
Wikimedia Malta
Wikimedia Emirates
Arabic Wikimedia community
Worldwide technical contributors
Foundation staff and support teams
The collective efforts, dedication, and contributions of all these individuals and organizations have made our 2024 achievements possible. We are deeply grateful to our volunteers whose commitment to free knowledge continues to drive our mission forward.
Done
_Wikimedia_Hackathon_2024_-_Group_photo_(Kynnap).jpg)
TP Mazembe celebrating winning the CAF women champions league in El Jadida
Rural weekly market in Ait Sedrate
Decorations in Asjen commune
Afifi theater in El Jadida
Overview of Fnideq city
Road to Ighil N'Oumgoun
Building of Rabat Commune
Oued El Maleh Dam - View from O Lac
Commune building - N'Zalat Bni Amar
House in Rabat old town
Participants at Mini WikiCamp in Rabat
Community meetup in Mohammedia
Strategic planning session in Tangier
Collaboration at Wikimedia Hackathon 2024
Attendees at the 8th Congress of Moroccan Arabic
Conference poster at the University of Navarra
Ideophagous at the AI Sauna in Finland
