Photo of Daniel Abugre Anyorigya, provided by Daniel Abugre Anyorigya, used with permission
By Umasoye Franca Igwe
This interview is part of a series to highlight the personal journeys of language activists who are also Wikimedians, exploring how they are preserving, promoting, and revitalizing their languages through Wikimedia projects, using digital tools to support their broader goals. In this article, Umasoye Franca Igwe interviews Daniel Abugre Anyoriga, a journalist, language advocate, and co-founder of theGurene Wikimedia community, as he shares his story on empowering members of the Gurene community to document and share knowledge using their language, Gurene, also known as Farfare and spoken by over660,000 speakers.
Rising Voices (RV): Please tell us about yourself
Daniel Abugre Anyoriga (DAA): My name is Daniel Abugre Anyorigya, and I am a journalist, language advocate, and co-founder of the Gurene Wikimedia Community. My passion lies in preserving and promoting Indigenous languages through digital platforms. Through my work, I focus on empowering communities to document and share knowledge in their native language, particularly Mole-Dagbani languages especially my mother tongue Gurene, one of the Gur languages spoken in Ghana.
RV: What is the current status of your language on the internet and offline?
DAA: Gurene, like many Indigenous African languages, faces challenges both online and offline. While people actively speak it in parts of northern Ghana and parts of southern Burkina Faso, its presence in digital spaces is still limited. However, efforts are being made to change this through initiatives such as the Gurene Wikimedia Community, which seeks to increase the availability of Gurene-language content on Wikipedia and other digital platforms. Additionally, Paul Azunre added the Gurene language to his language learning app called the Khaya App.
From an educational perspective, Gurene was taught at the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana, for several years. However, it was only about two years ago that the government approved its inclusion in the basic school curriculum. Within its communities, Gurene is spoken in daily conversations and is recognized in some local media and educational settings, but it lacks widespread formal documentation and institutional support.
RV: What motivates you personally to engage in digital activism for your language?
DAA: Language is a powerful tool for identity, culture, and knowledge preservation. The digital world is becoming the primary space where information is shared, and if our language does not have a presence there, it risks being forgotten by future generations. My motivation stems from the belief that every language deserves a space in the digital landscape. Seeing how other Indigenous languages have been marginalized in online spaces reinforces my commitment to ensuring that Gurene thrives digitally.
RV: Can you describe your online language activism in more detail, including how Wikimedia projects contribute to your efforts?
DAA: My online language activism is centered on creating and promoting Gurene-language content on digital platforms, with a strong focus on open knowledge platforms. As part of the Gurene Wikimedia Community, we actively work to develop Gurene Wikipedia by translating articles, improving existing content, and encouraging community participation in editing and contentCreation.
Additionally, we leverage Wikimedia Commons, a sister project of Wikipedia's, to upload media related to Gurene culture, including audio pronunciations, videos, and images that reflect our heritage. Wikidata, another sister project of Wikipedia's, also plays a crucial role in structuring information about Gurene, linking it to other languages and knowledge bases.
Beyond Wikimedia, we engage in digital literacy programs, workshops, and outreach efforts to encourage young people and community members to contribute to online language activism. The goal is to build a vibrant digital ecosystem where Gurene can thrive and be recognized globally.
RV: What are some of the challenges you face in preserving your language on Wikimedia Foundation projects, and how have you overcome some of them?
DAA: The challenges we face include the lack of secondary sources to support our edits on English Wikipedia, leading to frequent rejections from editors and administrators. Additionally, there is a lack of technical on-wiki tools for editors of our local language wiki, most of whom are students in tertiary institutions in Ghana. Furthermore, inadequate funding remains a significant challenge for Indigenous-language focused groups such as the Gurene Wikimedia Community.
However, we have found ways to overcome some of these challenges. To address the issue of secondary sources, we encourage our community members to write and publish articles, thereby increasing the availability of literature online and on other publication platforms. We also rely on partnerships with other Indigenous language communities to amplify our impact, including our collaboration with our parent organization, the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group. Additionally, we provide continuous mentorship to strengthen our editor base, recognizing that our work is driven entirely by volunteers in Ghana.