What do you do when you want to read how a specific class works in a framework? You look it up using AI… What did you do 3 years ago? You checked the documentation (I often do these days too hahaha). Well, this is all requires Internet, but can you imagine just not being able to access it?
The number might surprise you, but still to this day, 50% of the world’s population lacks reliable internet access either due to cost, infrastructure, or censorship.
This creates a digital divide, which I find unacceptable, especially as someone who thanks most of their academic achievements to free information. I remember reading books after hearing about them in a TED-ed video, or listening to TED talks. Thankfully, I’m not the only one, Team Kiwix thinks the same, their mission being: to bridge the digital divide and provide access to knowledge for as many people as possible worldwide.
This goal is so noble and dear to my hearth, so I owe them at least one article!
What is Kiwix?
Kiwix is a whole ecosystem, built around a free, open-source reader powered by innovative compression technology, called ZIM.
This allows Kiwix to supply people from villages and refugee camps to submarines and aircraft carriers with Wikipedia, Project Gutenberg and other useful information.
Fun Fact: You can fit the entirety of Wikipedia on your phone, and access its information anywhere, at anytime!
The non-profit behind the project – Kiwix Association – is located in Lausanne, Switzerland. Most of their revenue comes from donations, large and small and they display no ads and collect no personal data.
Kiwix’s main webpage
What is ZIM?
It’s an open file format that stores website content for offline usage. The format is defined by the openZIM project (which also supports Kiwix reader).
ZIM is primarily used to store the contents of Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, including articles, full-text search indices and auxiliary files. Since 2021, the library defaults to Zstandard file compression, allowing for great state of the art compression of these files.
To put it bluntly: ZIM file is an offline website in one file, like a zipped folder, but here it’s a whole website. So, while ZIP is a compressed collection of files, ZIM is a whole compressed, searchable offline website.
Connecting the Underserved: Education and Digital Inclusion
In places where data is expensive, unavailable, or higly limited, Kiwix becomes takes its place, and becomes the library.
Teachers can load content easily onto tablets or laptops and share it with students, or set up a local server, that serves the students’ devices without the need to dowlnoad each package onto students’ devices.
Kiwix also offers a hotspot solution, but a local network (no internet, but communication through then hotspot network) and serve from that.
Not just for secluded areas!
Disaster zones often have no power or phone lines. When tragedy hits and the infrastructure fails, information becomes hard to find.
Humanitarian workers can use this tool to store medical guides, maps, and safety manuals.
Safe to say, having this data on hand saves lives when communication is impossible, making it a vital tool for NGOs. They can easily carry a complete library of survival and medical information that functions anywhere.
Personal Knowledge Growth: For Travellers and Lifelong Learners
If travellers choose a place with limited network access, or when roaming is highly expensive, travellers can easily access maps, and travel guides without immediately hunting for an internet café.
Lifelong learners also benefit! Let’s say you want to learn history. You can download a history course you like, allowing you to study on a train or a bus without the distractions of the web. It’s an effective way to pick up new skills or read classic works during your daily commute!
Beyond Wikipedia: Exploring Diverse Kiwix Content
As I mentioned earlier, Kiwix is not just for WikiPedia, it offers a ton of content out of the box, from which I want to highlight some:
- Project Gutenberg and Literary Classics: Project Gutenberg is a massive part of Kiwix’s offerings. It holds thousands of classic books that are now public domain. You can read authors like Dickens, Sheakespeare, and Camus for free! Perfect companion, if you’re commuting on a train for example, with no Wi-Fi going through a no-internet zone…
- Educational Resources and Courses: TED talks, TED-ed videos, MOOCs (or Massive Open Online Courses), allowing you to pick up new skills or work towards a certification without a constant internet connection. You can learn about computer science, biology, or art history. Even Khan Academy and FreeCodeCamp offer some courses throught Kiwix!
- Specialized Knowledge From Medical Information to Coding: Allows you to access documentations, even the good old Stack Overflow! This helps professionals in isolated areas stay on top of their game. A field doctor can check a symptom guide without a hospital database. A coder can check the syntax for a language without an online forum. These packages allow professionals to access vital information wherever they are.
Discover the available content HERE
Becoming a Kiwix Contributor
Anyone with interest can contribute. If you have the technical skills, you can create new ZIM files, for example, with a tool like zimit. This means taking public data and converting it into the format the app can read.
If you see the need, you can also improve existing files. Let’s say, you notice an error, or want to add more content, you’re free to suggest changes. The community relies on people to check for errors and expand the library.
It is a great way to help people access information that they would otherwise never see! If you want to contribute, you can read more here at hub.kiwix.org
Get involved at hub.kiwix.org
Supporting the Project
Donations keep the servers running and the software updated. The project is non-profit, so every bit of support helps.
You can donate some money to keep the project alive, but if you lack the funds, spreading the word helps a lot too!
Talk about it in your school, at your workplace, because the bigger the community, the better this tool becomes!
Empower Your Offline Life with Kiwix!
Kiwix proves that knowledge does not need a n Internet connection to be useful! It helps bridge the divide between those with fast internet and those without any data.
By using this tool, you can carry a library in your pocket, a practical solution for students, travellers, and professionals.
It shows that the wholesome part of the internet, separating knowledge from the wires and the signals.
Learn, read, and explore wherever you go, your potential is no longer limited by your location!
