Jump to content

GLAM/Newsletter/October 2025/Contents/Sustainable CultureConnect Project report

Add links
From Outreach Wiki


Sustainable CultureConnect Project report

Sustainable CultureConnect: Empowering Youth and Preserving Heritage through Open Knowledge and Leadership

By Royalesignature

Summary

The Sustainable CultureConnect Project is a global, youth-driven initiative that bridges education, cultural preservation, and digital inclusion through Wikimedia platforms. Spearheaded by Prince Salako Lukman Olamilekan (Royalesignature), Unite President of the Rotaract Club of Offa Metropolitan, the project connects Rotaractors, Rotarians, and Wikimedia enthusiasts across continents to document and digitize cultural heritage in multiple languages. In partnership with the Rotaract Club of Delhi South Central (RID 3011, India) and nine other institutional-based clubs from Africa and Asia, the initiative has trained over 162 emerging editors to contribute to Yoruba, English, Hindi, and other Wikimedia projects. Through peer mentorship, workshops, and global collaboration, Sustainable CultureConnect exemplifies the power of youth leadership in advancing education, cultural awareness, and open knowledge—proving that one edit can connect cultures and inspire generations.

Education and Leadership

Education and leadership are the cornerstones of every progressive society. In an age where digital literacy defines global influence, empowering young people to merge knowledge with service has become a catalyst for sustainable change. Guided by this belief, I have led initiatives that integrate open knowledge, youth leadership, and community development—cultivating a generation of culturally grounded, digitally skilled changemakers.

My journey into open knowledge began with the founding of the Yoruba Wikipedia Fan Club Offa, a youth-centered Wikimedia community dedicated to advancing digital literacy, language preservation, and inclusive education. Through this platform, my team and I have trained over 162 emerging editors to contribute across multiple Wikimedia projects—including Yoruba, English, Hindi, and other global language Wikipedias, as well as Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and Meta-Wiki. These contributors have documented local histories, traditional festivals, biographies of notable figures, and social development stories from diverse communities, ensuring that knowledge is preserved and accessible to all.

Building upon this foundation, I spearheaded the Sustainable CultureConnect Project—a global movement that unites Rotaractors, Rotarians, and Wikimedia volunteers in promoting open knowledge, cultural preservation, and youth empowerment. The initiative reflects both Rotary’s ideals of service above self and Wikimedia’s mission of free access to knowledge for all.

This project was championed through the Rotaract Club of Offa Metropolitan (RID 9126, Nigeria) in partnership with the Rotaract Club of Delhi South Central (RID 3011, India) and in collaboration with nine additional Rotaract and Interact clubs across Africa and Asia, including:

  • Rotaract Club of Khulna University, RID 3281 (Bangladesh)
  • Rotaract Club of Delhi Genesis Midwest, RID 3011 (India)
  • Rotaract Club of Galgotias Educational Institution, RID 3011 (India)
  • Rotaract Club of Panjim, RID 3170 (India)
  • Rotaract Club of Ilorin, RID 9126 (Nigeria)
  • Rotaract Club of JDCOEM, RID 3030 (India)
  • Interact Club of Prudence, RID 3011 (India) and several others across Eastern and Southern Africa.

Many of these institutional-based clubs had never encountered Wikipedia or the Wikimedia ecosystem before this collaboration. Through a series of virtual workshops, my team from the Yoruba Wikipedia Fan Club Offa guided participants step-by-step—creating accounts, contributing to multilingual Wikipedia projects, uploading cultural media, and exploring the power of collaborative digital knowledge. Participants were also encouraged to establish Wikipedia Fan Clubs within their institutions, turning their Rotaract clubs into hubs for open knowledge learning and peer mentorship.

Between October 1 and 14, 2025, the project recorded 75 official registrations and over 126 active participants, engaging in live edit-a-thons, storytelling sessions, and community documentation drives. To ensure sustainability, we created a dedicated mentorship and follow-up system via WhatsApp, offering real-time technical guidance, peer learning, and continuous support for new editors worldwide.

The impact has been profound. Participants have gone on to contribute in multiple languages, representing their communities on global Wikimedia platforms while amplifying their local stories. They are now documenting indigenous knowledge from India, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and beyond—showing that open knowledge truly transcends language, culture, and geography.

As the project initiator and lead trainer, I am proud to see this network of over 162 trained editors evolving into a vibrant, self-sustaining community of young leaders and knowledge ambassadors. Sustainable CultureConnect stands as proof that collaboration between Rotary and Wikimedia movements can foster innovation, empathy, and education-driven impact.

In essence, this project is not just about editing Wikipedia—it is about transforming lives through learning, service, and storytelling. Together, we are proving that every young person can be a bridge between heritage and technology, between local and global knowledge—one edit, one culture, and one act of service at time.

About the Author

Prince Salako Lukman Olamilekan (Royalesignature) is a Wikimedia leader, Rotaract President, and youth empowerment advocate from Nigeria. He is the Unite President of the Rotaract Club of Offa Metropolitan, and founder of both the Offa Youth Impact Initiative and Yoruba Wikipedia Fan Club Offa. His work focuses on bridging culture, education, and open knowledge to empower young people across Africa and beyond.


Retrieved from "https://outreach.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=GLAM/Newsletter/October_2025/Contents/Sustainable_CultureConnect_Project_report&oldid=274145"