Problem

Contributor onboarding information is spread across multiple markdown files, but several pages have incomplete or inconsistent details.

Current gaps observed:

• Missing Meeting Time details in multiple focus-group pages.
• Inconsistent subgroup lead information formatting across files.
• Some subgroup pages have minimal context, while others have rich details.
• New contributors don’t have one clear onboarding entry-point for “where to start”.

This creates friction for first-time contributors and increases repeated questions in community channels.

Why this matters

CHAOSS Africa positions itself as newcomer-friendly and community-first. Better documentation consistency directly improves contributor activation and retention.

Scope

Standardize onboarding docs for all focus groups and create one clear navigation path for contributors.

In scope

1. Update all files under FOCUS GROUPS/ with a consistent template:
   • About
   • What the group works on
   • Meeting time/timezone
   • Group lead(s) + contact handle
   • How to join and first 3 tasks
2. Add a single onboarding index section in README.md linking all focus groups.
3. Fix obvious wording/formatting inconsistencies in focus-group docs.
4. Ensure links are valid and accessible (where possible).

Out of scope

• Creating new programs/events
• Large content rewrite of Hacktoberfest guides

Acceptance Criteria

• All focus-group files follow a common structure.
• No focus-group page has blank “Meeting Time”.
• README has a clear “Start Here / Focus Groups” section with links.
• Lead/contact details are consistently formatted.
• Documentation pass completed for grammar/clarity.

Files likely impacted

• README.md
• FOCUS GROUPS/developer-group.md
• FOCUS GROUPS/designers-group.md
• FOCUS GROUPS/communitymanagers-group.md
• FOCUS GROUPS/researchers-group.md
• FOCUS GROUPS/technicalwriters-group.md

Labels (suggested)

documentation, good first issue, onboarding, help wanted