Open Foundation West Africa/About
Open education, African culture and heritage, technology and free knowledge across West Africa.
Building an open knowledge future shaped by Africans.
Open Foundation West Africa works with communities to strengthen participation in open knowledge, expand access to information and support Africans to create, preserve and share their own narratives.
OFWA works at the intersection of open knowledge, education, technology, African culture and heritage, and community development.
Through Wikimedia and other open platforms, we create opportunities for people to contribute knowledge, strengthen digital skills and increase the representation of African experiences online.
An equitable digital landscape where African knowledge is freely shared by Africans, for everyone.
We envision a digital knowledge ecosystem in which Africans are not only consumers of information, but active creators, custodians and sharers of knowledge about their communities, histories and experiences.
Co-creating the future of African open knowledge.
Co-creating the future of African open knowledge by building inclusive platforms and equipping communities with the tools to share their narratives.
Our values guide how we work with communities, partners and the wider open movement.
We take pride in African identity and support African narratives to be owned, shaped and told by Africans.
We work to remove barriers to participation and create spaces where diverse voices are respected, represented and heard.
We work openly and with integrity, encouraging accountability and visibility in our decisions, processes and use of resources.
We explore forward-looking approaches and technologies that help communities capture, preserve and share knowledge.
We believe lasting impact comes through collective action, co-creation and meaningful partnerships.
By 2030, OFWA aims to deepen the creation and sharing of African knowledge while building a stronger, more sustainable organisation capable of supporting communities for the long term.
Support more people and communities to create, improve and preserve knowledge about Africa.
Strengthen the skills, confidence and capacity needed for meaningful participation in open knowledge.
Increase opportunities for underserved communities to access knowledge, tools and learning resources.
Develop stronger systems, partnerships and resources that support the organisation and its communities over time.
Strengthen the visibility of African open knowledge work and the communities making it possible.
Build meaningful partnerships and explore new approaches that strengthen the wider open knowledge ecosystem.
OFWA's governance brings together organisational leadership and community representation. Community-elected representatives provide an additional connection between OFWA's wider community and its Board.
Learn more about the Board, community-elected representatives, Core Team and the wider OFWA community.