My Journey with the AWA Digitalise Youth Project 2026 – Diff

The internet has become one of the most powerful spaces for civic engagement, storytelling, and advocacy. Yet, across many parts of Africa, there are still significant gaps in how issues like digital rights, online freedom, and civic participation are documented and represented on open knowledge platforms.

I am excited to share that I have been selected as a fellow for the AWA Digitalise Youth Project 2026, an initiative by Code for Africa in partnership with the African Wikipedian Alliance. This project aims to empower experienced African Wikimedians to amplify youth voices and contribute to critical conversations around digital rights on Wikimedia platforms.

My name is Robert Obiri (User: Robertjamal12), a Wikimedia volunteer since 2019. I am a member of the Wikimedia Ghana User Group and the Founder and Lead of the Fante Wikimedians Community. I also contribute to the broader Wikimedia movement through my roles as a member of the Affiliations Committee and the Conference Grants Committee, supporting the growth of affiliates and community initiatives globally.

Digital rights are human rights. From freedom of expression to access to information, the ability to safely participate online shapes how individuals and communities engage with society. However, topics such as online disinformation, internet shutdowns, surveillance, and digital activism remain underrepresented—especially in the context of African countries.

Through this fellowship, I will focus on addressing these gaps by contributing content related to:

Digital rights and freedom of expression
E-democracy and civic technology
Online activism and social movements
SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions)
Disinformation, censorship, and surveillance

My regional focus will be on South Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea—countries where digital rights challenges are significant yet underrepresented on Wikimedia platforms.

This project directly contributes to the broader goals of the Wikimedia movement in several key ways

A key part of my work will involve engaging contributors to translate content into Ghanaian languages. Language plays a crucial role in accessibility, and by localizing knowledge, we make information more inclusive and relevant to diverse audiences.

This effort builds on my work with the Fante Wikimedians Community, where we continue to promote indigenous language contributions and strengthen participation within the Wikimedia movement.

Beyond content creation, this project is about people. Over the next six months, I will be working with a growing community of volunteers—new and experienced editors alike—through: