Wiki Loves Africa (WLA) is an annual contest where people across Africa can contribute media (photographs, video and audio) about their environment on Wikimedia Commons for use on Wikipedia and other project websites of the Wikimedia Foundation. Wiki Loves Africa particularly encourages participants to contribute media that illustrate a specific theme for that year. Each year the theme changes and could include any universal, visually rich and culturally specific topic (for example, markets, rites of passage, festivals, public art, cuisine, natural history, urbanity, daily life, notable persons, etc).
Climate and Weather are considered long-term pattern of weather in a particular area. Weather can change from hour-to-hour, day-to-day, month-to-month or even year-to-year. A region's weather patterns, usually tracked for at least 30 years, are considered its climate. Different parts of the world have different climates. Some parts of Africa are hot and rainy nearly every day. Some are dry for longer times than others.
Wiki Loves Africa's theme for 2023 celebrates the prevailing climates and day-to-day weather conditions of various locations on the African continent. In what ways have people adapted to the climates in the area where you live? What weather conditions do you associate with your lieu or habitat or country? Have you observed any recent drastic changes in the climate or weather conditions of your location or another african location you visit often? Images, videos and audio clips can capture these climatic and atmospheric conditions – thunderstorms, floods, clouds, winds, hurricanes, fogs, rainfall, sunlight, scorched earth, erosion, change in water levels, landscape vegetations, extreme heat, snow, ice, extreme cold, etc.
What visuals are accepted under this theme?
Some elements that represent weather and climate may include but not limited to the following:
Shelter - sometimes mobile, often makeshift, shady area where residents cool in the hot, dry desert climate or protect coastal lands like a jetty.
Agriculture and livestock - farming techniques vary across climate conditions,the planting of certain crops and rearing of certain animals.
Global Warming - human activity that impacts climate causing rising temperatures and more intense weather phenomena like storms, sea level rise, inland flooding, and animal migration.
Natural disaster - droughts, hurricanes and typhoons, flooding in coastal areas, sand storms.
Natural Elements - Clouds, snow, the sun in different rise or set modes, storm clouds, lightning, thunder, landscapes, rainbows drainage systems, overflowing water bodies.
Weathering - of rocks, soil, metal elements, landslides, landforms, dunes, erosions.
8 years of Wiki Loves Africa
Wiki Loves Africa is an annual competition that crowdsources photographs, videos and recordings of Africa to form an open licensed archive of materials that tells the story of Africa on Wikipedia through the eyes of its people. Over the last 8 years, Wiki Loves Africa has achieved the following:
The project is run across the whole continent, however, some specific actions (training, communication etc.) are held in some countries with national organisers. Wiki Loves Africa has achieved much over 8 years:
Over 88,600 images have been entered by 9,269 competitors from up to 55 countries under a free licence (CC-BY-SA);
The images entered to Wiki Loves Africa are viewed 26 million times each month (Sept 2022);
Wiki Loves Africa's images submitted over the 8 years have been viewed 1.1 billion times (Sept 2022) altogether since Jan 2017;
Wikimedia communities from over 30 African communities in 24 countries have hosted over 330 participation events, information sessions and training workshops since 2014;
A Wiki Loves Africa winning image was included in the Journeys Through Our Fragile Heritage exhibition at the UNESCO Headquarters, Paris;
Wiki Loves Africa’s ISA tool won the Multimedia category at the WikiData Awards 2019; and
The project is a one-month competition which will start on the 1st March 2023 and end on the 30th April 2023. The project runs across the entire continent, however there are local and national groups of Wikimedians that have volunteered to host specific actions (training, upload events, communications, etc.) in their countries. In addition, there are several groups of individuals within Africa, and Wikimedia groups outside Africa that are (and encouraged to be) involved.
The project is a contest where, after the contest closes, the best media at the continental level are selected and prizes are awarded. An international jury will determine the best entries for the continental competition. Where there are local organising groups, they will decide to organise (or not) judging and local prizes for their country.
Wiki Loves Africa was created and developed, and is managed by the principals at Wiki in Africa, it is funded by the Wikimedia Foundation. Actions and activities in each country are supported by the Wikimedia community in the form of Usergroups and volunteers across Africa.
There will be several winners. The international prizes are:
Photography:
1st Prize : USD 2,000
2nd Prize : USD 1,500
3rd Prize : USD 1,000
Media (Video, Audio, Graphics, Photo Essays):
Best audio prize: USD 750
Best video prize : USD 1,000
Best graphics: USD 750
Africa Environment Video Prize: Best video representation of the impact of climate change : USD 2,000
Africa Environment Special Collection Prize: Best collections of images showing the impact of climate change : USD 500
In addition, some of the local national teams will host national ceremonies and national prizes.
Local teams can decide to award separate national prizes at their discretion. Please review the Countries page to see what is happening where and what prizes are available at a local level.
Press contacts per country
Global contacts
South Africa: Isla Haddow-Flood: isla@wikiinafrica.org
France: Florence Devouard: fdevouard@anthere.org
This space aims to link press contacts in countries where available.
Algeria: Mohammed Bachounda: bachounda@gmail.com or Reda Kerbouche: press@wikimedia-dz.org
Nigeria: Ayokanmi Oyeyemi: ayokanmi@wikimedia.org.ng, Ceslause Ogbonnaya: ceslause@wikiinafrica.org, and Musa Umar: umarmusaahmad77@)gmail.com, Obiageli Ezeilo: oby.ezeilo@gmail.com, Steve Kally: stephenjonah7@gmail.com, Mikael Sodiq: jerrykufang22@gmail.com
