Nairobi, Kenya: The annual celebration of the Wikimedia movement, Wikimania 2025, is being held this year in Nairobi, Kenya from August 6 to 9, marking the 20th edition of the conference. The gathering has brought together contributors from around the globe, including active Odia and Santali Wikimedians from Odisha, India.
Representing the Odia Wikimedians User Group, Chinmayee Mishra and Sangram Keshari Senapati attended the event in person. Chinmayee, an engineer by profession, began her Wikimedia journey in 2015. She is well known for her efforts to create inclusive spaces free from bias, ensuring equal opportunities for all. At this year’s Wikimania, she participated in multiple sessions and organized a special edition of the Wiki Women’s Camp, building on her earlier work in hosting the Wiki Women’s Camp India 2023 to encourage active participation of women in Wikimedia projects.
Sangram Keshari Senapati, an active Wikimedian since 2014, contributes regularly to Odia Wikipedia, Odia Wikisource, Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, and Lingua Libre. Since 2017, he has maintained a remarkable streak of writing a featured article every day on Odia Wikipedia and has continued till now by crossing 3000 days. With more than 5 lacs edits on the Wikimedia projects, he currently serves as an administrator on Odia Wikisource.
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Joining them virtually was Subhashish Panigrahi, an administrator of Odia Wikipedia and a long-time Wikimedian active since 2011. He presented on OpenSpeaks Archives: A Digital Museum of Languages for Wikimedia Projects, focusing on the preservation and accessibility of linguistic heritage through open platforms.
From the Santali Wikipedia, Durga Soren represented the community in Nairobi. A dedicated contributor since 2017, Durga has played a key role in the creation and rapid growth of Santali Wikipedia. He has collaborated with national and international organizations to build Santali language datasets for AI/ML models, translation tools, and linguistic research. Currently, he works as a project assistant at NIT Jamshedpur.
The Odia Wikimedians are also showcasing a poster presentation highlighting the various initiatives and milestones of Odia Wikipedia, scheduled for display on August 8.
The participation of these Odia and Santali Wikimedians at Wikimania 2025 underscores the growing contributions of both language communities in the global Wikimedia movement. Their presence offers a platform to share experiences, learn from the international community, and further strengthen Wikimedia’s multilingual and inclusive mission.
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