As announced on Diff in July and August 2024, January 9 remains a symbolic date for the Lingála version of Wikipedia. This date marks the 20th anniversary of its creation, celebrated in person for the first time after previous online celebrations. This event aims to honor the essential contributions of the two first administrators of this language version, Moyogo and Bombo (or Eruedin), who played a crucial role in its development since its beginnings. Their work allowed Lingála Wikipedia to thrive, with its first contribution dating back to January 9, 2005, as indicated by this archive. They also initiated the first celebrations of this community, which likely took place between 2006 and 2013.

12 years later, the January 9, 2025 celebration, led by CapitainAfrika, the most recent administrator of this encyclopedia appointed by the community in 2023, and the team of the WikiLinguila Community, aims to highlight one of Congo’s national languages, which is also the mother tongue of many Congolese people. This effort underscores the importance of taking the necessary time to organize a visible and meaningful event. Currently, Lingála Wikipedia has 4,636 articles and 43 active contributors—a modest number that reflects the lack of engaged contributors. However, the community hopes for substantial improvement over the next ten years.

This celebration is also part of a ceremony for exchanging New Year’s wishes among members of the WikiLinguila Community, further strengthening community ties and commitment to promoting local languages through collaborative and educational projects.

Additionally, it marks the conclusion of the Wiki100Impact campaign-contest, which lasted three months, from October to December 2024. It achieved an impressive output of 1,400 articles created, 600 articles improved, and active participation from around 36 contributors across three wikis (lnwiki, kgwiki, and luawiki-incubator), this led to a rapid growth in the number of articles on these wikis within a short period. These results demonstrate exceptional mobilization and lay the groundwork for a promising future. The campaign serves as a springboard for the International Month of Contribution to Mother Tongue in February 2025.

During this anniversary, the honor of cutting the cake was given to OtikolenoiL, the winner of the Wiki100Impact contest for the Lingala branch. This event will aim to bring together a larger audience, strengthen partnerships with educational and cultural institutions, and develop innovative techniques for documenting languages. By relying on inclusive and participatory approaches, such as workshops, training sessions, and strategic collaborations, the community hopes to transform these platforms into essential pillars for preserving and promoting local languages in the global digital space.