When Mervat discovered Wikipedia, it felt like finding a home for a dream she had already started – building her own encyclopedia by hand. “I ended up with about 400 handwritten pages, driven by a simple yet powerful urge to document and organize what I was learning,” she recalls from the early 2000s. Today, Mervat is one of the most experienced and dedicated contributors to Arabic Wikipedia, and we are happy to WikiCelebrate her!
Finding a Home on Wikipedia
Mervat joined the Wikimedia movement in August 2012. Just a year later, she became an administrator on Arabic Wikipedia – reflecting not only her technical skills with managing the encyclopedia, but also the trust she had earned within the community. Since then, her contributions have grown to more than 239,000 global edits, including over 193,000 edits on Arabic Wikipedia alone.
“I stay motivated because I truly believe in the mission. I see every edit as a contribution to the grandest collective effort in human history: documenting the sum of all knowledge. For me, this is more than volunteering; it is a responsibility. I feel a duty to ensure my language, our history, and our perspectives are represented. I am profoundly grateful that Wikipedia is part of my life.”
“I take great pride in both the quantitative and qualitative impact of my work. On a personal level, I am honored to be ranked 9th overall in terms of edits on Arabic Wikipedia, and 1st among female contributors. I see every edit as a contribution to the grandest collective effort in human history: documenting the sum of all knowledge,” Mervat says.
Impact Beyond the Edit Count
In 2015, Mervat co-founded the Wikimedians of the Levant User Group, supporting the regional contributors for over a decade. More recently, she launched “Wiki for She”, an initiative dedicated to empowering women contributors and ensuring that the future of free knowledge reflects the diversity of the world itself.
Beyond statistics and the formal roles, Mervat treasures something equally important: the global network of “wiki-friends” she has built over the years. “I am deeply grateful for this global family; knowing that I have colleagues in every corner of the world who share the same values makes this journey incredibly rewarding,” she says.
Mervat’s dedication to Wikimedia goes far beyond content creation. She has also been deeply involved in movement governance and community health, volunteering in the Movement Strategy Community Health working group, the Elections Committee and serving as a facilitator for the Universal Code of Conduct in the past. Today, she brings this experience to the Global Resource Distribution Committee and the Conference Grants Committee. “I strive to volunteer wherever I can add value, ensuring our movement remains equitable, healthy, and resilient,” she says.
The Human Heartbeat Behind Wikipedia
One thing Mervat wishes everyone understood about Wikimedia is simple, yet often overlooked: “I wish people knew that behind every sentence they read on Wikipedia, there is a human heartbeat. Wikipedia isn’t maintained by magic or algorithms; it is built on the incredible time and effort of thousands of volunteers who are the true backbone of this movement,” she remembers.
“What happens ‘backstage’ is a rigorous process of care and devotion. In an era where misinformation and fake news spread with a single click, wiki-volunteers are the silent guardians of truth. They meticulously verify sources, challenge bias, and insist on citations to ensure that knowledge remains trustworthy and accurate. It is a labor of love and faith in the power of truth. So, whenever you find the answer you’re looking for, remember to salute the wiki-volunteers – the people who care enough to document our world with integrity.”
Looking ahead, Mervat sees one of the movement’s greatest challenges in the rise of artificial intelligence. “Our challenge is to remain the first, most trusted source of human-verified knowledge. We cannot stop the AI revolution, but it is our responsibility to ensure the information sources it pulls from remain verified and neutral,” she says.
Thank you, Mervat, for all that you do. We celebrate your work today and every day! And if you know any other Wikimedians who should be celebrated, recommend them for celebration!
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