Afek Ben Chahed is a librarian, Wikimedian, open knowledge advocate, and founder of Collective Youth Africvs, a youth-led initiative dedicated to the conservation and promotion of Tunisian heritage, both material and immaterial. As a librarian, she supports learners, researchers, and communities in accessing and sharing reliable information, promoting digital literacy, and ensuring knowledge is inclusive and widely accessible.
Afek is an active contributor to Wikimedia initiatives in Africa, including Wiki Loves Women, the #SheSaid campaign, and WikiChallenge ?coles d’Afrique. Through these projects, she works to address the gender gap in access to knowledge, amplify underrepresented voices—particularly those of women—and promote collaborative knowledge creation across the continent.
Through Collective Youth Africvs, Afek engages young people in documenting and safeguarding Tunisia’s heritage, ensuring that cultural memory is preserved and valued by both communities and future generations. Her work bridges libraries, digital platforms, and local communities, combining heritage preservation, open knowledge, and education to empower youth, foster cultural awareness, and strengthen African identity.
Afek is committed to building a more inclusive and equitable knowledge ecosystem in Africa, where access to information, heritage, and education serves as a tool for empowerment, social impact, and the advancement of women and girls.