Ghanaian Pidgin Wikimedia Community has launched its project to digitize Ghanaian pidgin on Wikipedia and its sister projects.
The community is co-founded by Maxwell Beganim, Faisal Ali and Stephen Dakyi.
The launch at Accra Digital Centre hosted both new and old Wikimedia editors with presentations from story writer and poet, Fui Can-Tamakloe, West African Indigenous Language Coordinator for Art+Feminism, Sadik Shahadu, Language strategist at Wikimedia Foundation, Amir Aharoni, Barcamp Ghana Michael Sarfo, and Sara Petti.
Fui Can-Tamakloe debunked the misconception about Ghanaian Pidgin causing low proficiency in British English used by Ghanaians in their formal communication.
He argued that “I prefer to call Pidgin a language because we fit dey communicate inside, and it has all the characteristics of a language. As we fit use that as a medium to communicate, I dey see am as something we for push. So I no dey see am as sub-standard. English be English wey Pidgin be Pidgin. Difference no dey, hierarchy no dey, superiority no dey so I dey see am full-blown language.”
On the issue of the standardization of the language, he called for “more writers to improve the language where institutions such as the Ghana Institute of Languages” can assist with its standardization.
Stephen Dakyi in an interview with Citi News explained that “we dey sey say we fit document the Ghana Pidgin. For some time now, the pidgin language be sometin wey e dey for street. If I talk street, I no dey mean say kuborlor or bad boys but ebi language we dey talk for schools den things. Even the big men dey use am. As we dey use am we pipo are free den things why we no fit digitize am so sey e no go die?”
He added that “people fit contribute to am. The more we dey write am e dey help make we standardize am wey we fit to preserve the language”.
About Ghanaian Pidgin Wikimedians Community
Ghanaian Pidgin Wikimedians Community be a group of Wikimedians wey be committed to work so say dem go develop, improve de Ghanaian Pidgin Wikipedia den other related Wikimedia projects wey dey de community inside. De community ein aim be say ego promote de use of Ghanaian Pidgin language related Wikimedia projects for various outreach efforts den support menez for Ghana inside sure say dem go contribute to de knowledge gap for Ghanaian Pidgin Language inside.
Ghana-Pidgin
Chaw data dey show say 5 million menez dey speak Ghanaian Pidgin English for Ghana den beyond. De language be influenced by wona indigenous language wey dey express unity but stigma barb da langauge as we dey speak am especially among wona girliz. History dey show say colonization be rooted in de West African Pidgin English inside for dat time.
De digital space provide we opportunity wey we go fi develop den document da Ghanaian Pidgin Language for short stories, movies den songs inside. Dis be why we start da Pidgin Community sure say ego have impact for Ghana inside den beyond.