The beauty of Africa roots in the consolidation of rich cultures, and the sundry diverse lifestyles. This makes the continent an empire of lovely people, picturesque scenes from festivals, aesthetically pleasing views of Africans performing beautiful traditional ceremonies, playing sports, eating rich and nutritious food, speaking unique languages, and many more.
However, our culture is underrepresented on the internet. How well is the culture of Africa being represented on the web? How do you feel when you surf the internet to look for information on some aspects of our culture and find close to nothing?? Who will write our story for us if we don’t??
This is the perfect opportunity to help bridge the content gap about Africa on the web, specifically on Wikipedia. Considering the fact that as of 2021 Wikipedia ranked the number one (1) most visited encyclopedia in the world according to Similarweb.com, it is appalling to find content about Africa on Wikipedia scarcely.
The second edition of the Africa Wiki Challenge writing contest calls on the participation of organisers, individuals, and anyone interested in the proper representation of Africa on the web. In commemoration of the African Union Day which seeks to promote and defend African common positions on issues of interest to the continent and its people, Open Foundation West Africa is presenting the second edition of the Africa Wiki Challenge writing contest, which seeks to bridge the content gap in Africa on the web. The theme for this year is “Projecting African Culture”
Join us virtually for the official launch of the contest live on the 27th of May 2022 at 12: 00 UTC via Zoom for more information on the contest and how exactly you can participate in changing the narrative of Africa on Wikipedia.
The theme is targeted at not just projecting Africa’s culture as a whole but also serving as an inspiration to document our own story. Submissions will range from individuals, structures, activities, stories, and other elements that make up the culture of Africa. The contest runs from 27th March to 30th June 2022.
The contest calls on Africans in and outside Africa to contribute content about African cultures like the tribal groups of Ga Adangbe in Ghana, Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania to festival celebrations like the Sango Fire festival in Nigeria and Umkhosi Mhlanga in South Africa to origins and recipes of African food like Nigerian and Ghanian Jollof to the various African rites like birth rites, puberty rites, funeral rites and more.
The contest will solicit participation through, writing and improving articles and audiovisual uploads.
Visit and keep an eye on the campaign meta page for more information and visit our social media pages on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram on Open Foundation West Africa and on our website at ofwafrica.org
