I’m a volunteer with the Wikimedia Tanzania community, contributing to Wikimedia Commons, Lingua Libre, Wikidata, and Swahili Wikipedia. I also work as a Program Coordinator for the Digital Youth Clubs Program in Tanzania. I attended Wikimania 2026 in Paris on a Tandem Scholarship funded by Wikimedia Deutschland, and here is a report of my experience.
Pre-Conference Experience: WikiWomen Summit and Wikimedia Deutschland Dinner
A pre-conference for women across Wikimedia communities. One of the things I gained from the pre-conference was discovering the Wiki Women Conference. I had never known that such a conference existed within the Wikimedia movement. It was inspiring to see a dedicated space where women could openly share experiences, and encourage one another to take on leadership roles and contribute to closing gender gaps across Wikimedia projects.
The summit continued after lunch on gender equity, I learned about the #VisibleWikiWomen campaign which inspired to give women the visibility and acknowledgement they deserve by uploading quality images to Wikimedia commons.
Later, Wikimedia Deutschland hosted a dinner with Tandem partners, creating another opportunity to connect. The pre-conference and dinner expanded my network and inspired me to contribute more in Wikimedia. Many thanks to Wikimedia Deutschland for generous sponsorship.
An Impactful Session: Learn How to Grow Your Local Wikimedia Project Initiatives
One of the most impactful sessions I attended at Wikimania 2026 was “Learn How to Grow Your Local Wikimedia Project Initiatives,” facilitated by Mattia L. Nappi, board member of Wikimedia Italia, and Ferdinando Traversa, President of Wikimedia Italia. I chose it because I want to strengthen Wikimedia initiatives in my local community and learn practical ways to build a sustainable team.
The message that stayed with me most: you don’t need to know everything before starting. The facilitators encouraged us to begin with the skills and resources we already have, and improve as we go. It was a reminder that progress starts with a first step, not a perfect plan.
The workshop included a group exercise where we designed an imaginary local group and planned its first activity. As writer and mentor for my group, I documented our ideas and guided discussion. We focused on building a community around GLAM and universities, proposing an online event for students, with mentorship and partnerships with university leaders to attract new contributors. I then presented our work to the room my first time presenting at Wikimania, and it gave me real confidence speaking to an international Wikimedia audience.
The session pushed me to think harder about improving the Digital Youth Clubs program, which just finished its pilot phase in Tanzania. Successful projects don’t need big resources at the start, they need commitment, teamwork, and people willing to act.
This experience reinforced how much collaboration and international connections matter in growing Wikimedia communities lessons I hope to apply to empower more contributors locally.
What I personally gained and what I can pass on to others
Wikimania 2026 introduced me to new ways of contributing to free knowledge. Beyond the sessions, I built friendships with international Wikimedians, gained mentors and collaborators, and discovered ideas to bring home.
One highlight was learning about Open Food Facts, a project I had never encountered before. I learned how to contribute, installed the app, and exchanged contacts with the team for future guidance. I was also introduced to the Wikidata tools Cradle and TABernacle.
In return, I shared my Wikimedia work in Tanzania with participants, connected fellow Tanzanians with my Tandem partner and Mattia L. Nappi, and invited another participant to a session that led to a valuable discussion with Asaf Bartov. I also shared Tanzanian Kilimanjaro Premium Blend tea with attendees. I returned home inspired to strengthen my contributions and share what I learned with the Youth Digital Clubs Program, where I serve as Program Coordinator.
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