There are millions of subjects you can read about on Wikipedia. But of all those subjects, the ones relating to Africa have the least coverage. This is due to a number of reasons, but some are linked to the fact that many people do not know that they can have their knowledge and cultures reflected on Wikipedia by donating their images, videos, and audio to Wikipedia. The richness, diversity, and beauty of Africa deserve to be visually celebrated on Wikipedia. You can help to do this. Everyone is welcome to participate.
Looking for fully-funded opportunities, install the Youth Opportunities Android or iOS App here.
What is Wiki Loves Africa?
Wiki Loves Africa is an annual contest where anyone across Africa can contribute media that relates to that year’s theme to Wikimedia Commons for use on Wikipedia and other project websites of the Wikimedia Foundation. Wiki Loves Africa encourages participants to contribute to media (photographs, video, and audio) that illustrate the specific theme for that year. Each year the theme changes. Each year’s theme is chosen by the community to be a universal, visually-rich and culturally-specific topics (for example, markets, rites of passage, festivals, public art, cuisine, natural history, urbanity, daily life, notable persons, etc).
The theme for the 2020 contest is… Africa on the Move or Transport.
What should be in Contribution?
Pictures! audios! videos !
The theme of Africa on the Move! encourages the submission of visual representations of movement, migration or transportation, whether local or regional, by path, road, sea, or air, self-propelled, or by an animal, natural or mechanical means. Submissions could also capture the historical or contemporary structures that have been created to facilitate movement or the transportation of people, goods, or animals.
Benefits
- There are several prizes up for grabs, both nationally and internationally. For national prizes, please see what events are being held locally in your country.
- At the international level, there are 3 main prizes for Wiki Loves Africa, and as with last year, there will be two additional prize categories for photos and media.
The international prizes are:- 1st prize: US$1000
- 2nd prize: US$800
- 3rd prize: US$500
Additional categories are:
- Culturally specific or traditional representations of transport or structures that facilitate transportation: US$500
- The prize for best quality video (audio and visual quality and storytelling will be taken into account): $500
Each winner will also receive a pack of goodies (proposed: a hat “I edit Wikipedia from Africa”, a branded battery, stickers)
Eligibilities
There are a few rules to respect for the images to be eligible.
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- Rule 1: All photos must be taken by the person submitting them. They can be uploaded by you or uploaded during a registered mass upload session. Your image must have your name or nom de plume on the uploaded file.
- Rule 2: Entries will only be accepted if uploaded between the 15th February to 15th April 2020. You can enter media that was taken at any time, even historical photographs (as long as you own the copyright on these photographs or they are in the public domain), but they must be uploaded during those dates.
- Rule 3: Images with watermarks or embedded signatures will not be eligible. All entries submitted to the contest will automatically be licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 (CC-BY-SA 4.0) (or those in the public domain). Read more about the cc-by-sa license.
- Rule 4: All eligible pictures will be categorised under Images from Wiki Loves Africa 2020, this will be automatically assigned during the upload process. (Feel free to add other relevant categories and descriptions to make the images more usable on the projects.)
- Rule 5: Participants must registered on Wikimedia Commons and be contactable. Please enable e-mail on Wikimedia Commons so we can contact you should your image be chosen for a prize.
- Rule 6: To be considered for the video prize, the file must be uploaded in the video format (.ogg, .ogv, or .webm) that is required for Wikimedia Commons. Please note the audio and visual quality and storytelling will be taken into account for your file to be eligible for a prize.
Application Process
- Take photos!
This is the fun part! You can enter media (photos, video clips or audio files) that cover the theme of people, vehicles, animals, and infrastructure that help to move people, goods, animals and things across Africa. Think rare and unusual ways of looking at those items we might take for granted around us. - Select the best!
Your media could go onto Wikipedia to illustrate an article. Choose photos and media where the subject matter is clear and in focus. - Register on Commons
You have to be registered on Wikimedia Commons to enter the competition. Make sure your email is enabled so that we can contact you if you are a winner! - Read the rules
Read the rules listed below. It is really important that you follow the rules, otherwise your effort will be wasted. - Enter your photos!
Enter your photographs using the link to go directly to the upload page. Remember to describe the photo and add relevant categories to the image. - There are many things you can do!
- Take more amazing photos and enter them!
- Add your photo to the relevant article on Wikipedia in your language.
- If you see that a subject that you are passionate about is not yet on Wikipedia, then you might want to consider writing an article about that subject.
Looking for fully-funded opportunities, install the Youth Opportunities Android or iOS App here.
Application Deadline: April 15, 2020
Application ClosedOfficial link
