Do you want to help us use Wikipedia to fight mis/disinformation related to Kenya’s 2022 elections?

Code for Africa (CfA) in partnership with the United Nations is seeking Wikipedia contributors, editors, and wiki writers interested in contributing quality, credible, and verified information on the recently concluded Kenyan elections to Wikipedia.

This volunteer opportunity is part of fighting hate speech/incitement and mis/disinformation related Kenya’s 2022 elections led by a group of CfA’s Wikimedia-in-Residence fellows from Kenya. Contributors will collaboratively work with our fact-checking team from PesaCheck, investigative analysts from the iLAB, and Wikimedia-in-Residence fellows to tackle mis/disinformation related to Kenya’s 2022 elections on Wikipedia.

Selected volunteers will be involved in Wikipedia editing, research, and uploading of elections-related information on a weekly basis. More specifically, the volunteers will participate by;

  1. Helping to review and update/correct existing content on the recently concluded Kenyan elections. 
  2. Helping to identify coordinated edits/uploads that distort information on the 2022 Kenyan elections on Wikipedia.
  3. Helping to research and upload debunks/clarifications/corrections on persistent misinformation on the 2022 Kenyan elections.
  4. Helping to research and upload new relevant and topical information relating to the 2022 Kenyan elections on Wikipedia.

This is an honorary, non-compensated position. Contributors will benefit from:

  • WiR Community: Upon ‘completion’ you will be inducted into Code for Africa’s Wikipedian-in-residence (WiR) community, a pan-African network of volunteer Wikipedia editors and contributors across Africa. 
  • Mentorship: You will receive intensive mentoring from our in-country PesaCheck/iLAB investigators and international ISD/climate experts.
  • Fellowships: You will have the opportunity to collaborate with CfA technical teams at PesaCheck and iLAB on capstone projects. 
  • Networking: You will be invited to participate and speak at CfA’s network events or to present at major continental conferences.
  • Certificate: Fellows will receive a certificate of participation, depending on their level of engagement. 

Are you interested? Please join the campaign by completing this form. Application is on an ongoing basis. The deadline for applications to join the first cohort of volunteers is 30 November 2022.