Wikimedians from nine different language communities in Ghana have gathered in Tamale for a two-day conference aimed at bridging the digital divide and preserving indigenous languages. The event seeks to bring together Wikimedians who are working on the indigenous language Wikipedias in Ghana. The conference offers a platform for participants to brainstorm on how to distinguish language platforms and learn from others what has worked and what has not worked.
For the most part, the meet up is aimed at boosting the confidence of participants in digitising their languages to prevent them from going extinct. Around 60 Wikimedians from different Ghanaian language Wikimedian communities including Kusaal, Ewe, Dagare, Twi, Dagbani, Ghanaian Pidgin, Gurune, Fante, and Moore, are expected to attend the event.
Sadik Shahadu, the founder of the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group, encouraged participants to provide a helping hand to one another despite coming from different backgrounds. He underscored that while each community has distinctive skills and experience, bringing them together would allow them to learn from one another in areas such as community development, volunteer retention, and leadership development, among others.
In summary, the conference would help to bridge the digital divide that keeps people from accessing the internet due to language barriers. It is the first of its kind, designed to bring Wikimedians together who are working on the indigenous languages Wikipedias in Ghana. The conference would also help to recruit new volunteers and create awareness about the existence of Wikimedia volunteers.