When I first came across the call for applications for the Wiki Afrodemics Mentorship Programme, I almost scrolled past it. I had seen calls like this before, applied to a few, and heard nothing back. But something about this one felt different maybe it was the clarity of the focus countries, or maybe it was simply timing. I applied anyway, not expecting much, and a few weeks later found my name on the list of Cohort 1 fellows for the Anglophone group.

That single email changed the next three months of my life on Wikimedia.

The Application and the Wait

Applying was straightforward enough: a form, a short statement of interest, a bit about prior contributions. The harder part was the waiting. Mentorship programmes like this one are competitive, and I remember refreshing my inbox more often than I’d like to admit. When the selection list finally came out, and I saw my name among the twenty participants chosen from across the five focus countries, it felt like validation not just of my interest in Wikimedia, but of the small, scattered edits I had been making before anyone was watching.

A Setback I Didn’t See Coming

Not long into the programme, I ran into a wall I genuinely didn’t expect: I was temporarily blocked on Wikimedia. I won’t pretend that moment didn’t sting. For a brief period, I couldn’t edit directly, and I had to sit with the uncomfortable feeling of being sidelined from the very project I had just been selected to contribute more to.

But this is where the structure of the programme and the patience of the mentors made all the difference. Instead of treating the block as a dead end, I learned to treat it as a detour. I kept writing. I drafted articles offline and in my sandbox, and submitted them for review by experienced Wikimedians who could push them through on my behalf or guide me on how to get back in good standing. It taught me something I didn’t expect to learn from a mentorship programme: that contributing to Wikimedia isn’t only about the edit button. It’s about the work itself: the research, the sourcing, the drafting, and there is always a way to keep that work moving, even when the front door is temporarily closed.

Mentors Who Knew How to Teach, Not Just Tell

If there’s one thing that stood out across the three months, it’s the quality of the mentorship itself. It’s one thing to know Wikimedia inside and out; it’s another to be able to teach it well. Our mentors managed both.

The Wikidata sessions, in particular, stretched my thinking. Wikidata isn’t always intuitive when you’re coming from a Wikipedia-first mindset, but the structured, month-long training broke it down in a way that made the structured data side of the movement click for me. Moving between Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wikimedia diff and Wikimedia Commons over the course of the programme gave me a much fuller picture of how the projects connect, how an image uploaded to Commons, a claim modeled on Wikidata, and an article written on Wikipedia all reinforce each other.

The Lesson I’m Taking With Me: Notability

Of everything covered across the cohort – content gaps, gender representation, cross-regional collaboration – the single most valuable thing I walked away with is a real, working understanding of Notability.

Before this programme, notability was a word I associated with rejection, articles I have seen tagged for deletion, drafts that sat untouched because I wasn’t sure they would survive scrutiny. Now I understand it as a framework rather than a gatekeeping obstacle. Knowing how to evaluate whether a subject meets Wikipedia’s notability guidelines, and how that maps differently onto Wikidata’s notability expectations, has changed how I choose what to write about in the first place. I no longer draft and hope. I check first, source deliberately, and build a stronger case for inclusion from the very first sentence.

That shift alone from guessing to evaluating is worth everything else I gained from this cohort.

Looking Ahead

As Cohort 1 closes out for 2026, I am left with a mix of gratitude and momentum. Gratitude for mentors who gave their time generously over three months of training, listening, and patient correction. Momentum because I now have both the skills and the confidence to keep contributing, blocks, setbacks, and all.

I am already looking forward to the 2027 cohort, not as a participant this time, perhaps, but as someone who might be in a position to give back the same kind of guidance I received.

Before joining the On‑Wiki Skills mentorship program, my engagement with Wikimedia projects was mostly as a reader. I was curious about open knowledge but unfamiliar with how data works or how contributors actively build and maintain Wikimedia projects.

Through the mentorship, I was introduced to Wikimedia as a collaborative ecosystem that offers structured ways of organizing and connecting knowledge. The learning curve was initially challenging especially understanding items, properties, statements, and references but with guidance from mentors and hands‑on practice, these concepts gradually became clearer.

Skill Acquired

During the training, I developed skills in sourcing and referencing information and understanding structured data. These experiences changed how I view knowledge creation and reinforced the idea that learning continues beyond formal lessons.

Some of my image uploads

Participating in practical exercises and guided contributions helped build my confidence and showed me that I could engage meaningfully with a global open‑knowledge communication.

My Gratitude

I am grateful to the Wikimedia community, mentors, and program organizers for their support and encouragement. Completing the mentorship marked a new beginning for me, and I look forward to continuing to explore and contribute to open knowledge

For close to two years, my involvement in the Wikimedia ecosystem was mostly technical. I contributed through code during hackathons as a member of Wiki Mentor Africa. I understood the connections among platforms such as Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons. I knew their importance, but I also felt there was more I could do. Something was missing in how I was contributing.

That changed when I joined Africa Wiki Women and was introduced to the On-Wiki Skills Mentorship Program.

Entering Wikimedia Beyond the Technical Layer

I came into the program with one clear goal: to gain a deeper, practical understanding of how to contribute beyond the technical side of Wikimedia. I wanted to move from simply supporting the ecosystem to actively building knowledge within it.

The training opened my eyes to the structure and responsibility behind Wikimedia contributions. I learned that every Wikimedia project is guided by strong principles that protect the quality and reliability of information.

On Wikipedia, content must be notable, verifiable, and supported by reliable sources. On Wikidata, data must be structured, accurate, and referenced. On Wikimedia Commons, files must follow copyright and licensing policies.

These are not just guidelines; they are what make Wikimedia a trusted global knowledge resource.

Learning Through Practice

One of the strongest aspects of the mentorship program was its practical training. The program did not simply explain policies and standards; it required us to apply them through real contributions.

I learned how to properly reference articles, structure content, improve neutrality, and contribute according to Wikimedia standards. At first, this process was challenging. Finding reliable sources, understanding notability requirements, and writing neutrally required patience and attention to detail.

However, through continuous practice and guidance from the trainers, these concepts gradually became clearer and easier to apply.

The trainers also played a major role in making the experience impactful. Complex policies and technical concepts were broken down into simple, understandable steps, making the learning process accessible and encouraging.

Milestones That Changed My Confidence

One major milestone for me during the program was creating two articles and receiving a barnstar in recognition of my contributions.

That moment shifted my confidence completely.

For the first time, I felt that I was no longer just observing how open knowledge is built behind the scenes. I was actively contributing to the preservation and sharing of knowledge myself.

The experience helped me see Wikimedia differently. It became more than a technical ecosystem I contributed to during hackathons. It became a collaborative space where I could directly improve content, document knowledge, and support representation online.

Growing Beyond the Program

Beyond technical editing skills, the mentorship program also changed my perspective on community contribution and leadership.

Looking ahead, I plan to share what I have learned with my community and support the onboarding of new contributors. I am also stepping into a new role as a trainer for an April editathon, which reflects how much this experience has shaped my growth within the Wikimedia movement.

This journey has been both challenging and rewarding. It pushed me to learn, adapt, and contribute more meaningfully.

Wikimedia is more than a platform. It is a collective effort to make knowledge accessible to everyone.

And now, I am fully part of that effort.

Happy editing.