Fatiha Zahra

A Moroccan social entrepreneur who revolutionized education access in rural areas through innovative mobile libraries

Fatiha Zahra (born 1985) is a Moroccan educator and social innovator whose mobile library initiative has transformed literacy rates in remote regions of North Africa. Recognizing the lack of access to books in rural areas, she pioneered the Zahra Mobile Libraries project in 2012, using converted buses to deliver books, technology, and educational programs to underserved communities. This initiative has directly impacted over 50,000 children across Morocco and inspired similar projects in Algeria and Tunisia.

Zahra's work combines traditional education with modern technology through her digital literacy programs, which teach basic coding and internet skills alongside classic literature. Her 2018 TEDx talk "Books on Wheels: Bridging the Education Divide" (available on YouTube) highlights her innovative approach. In 2020, she launched the first Arabic-language children's book crowdfunding platform, Kitabati, addressing the scarcity of culturally relevant reading materials.

Her advocacy extends to gender equality, establishing girls-only reading clubs in conservative regions where female education is restricted. The UNICEF partnership with her organization has expanded services to Syrian refugee camps in the region. Zahra's 2021 book "Wheels of Knowledge" details her journey and methods, now used in global development courses at institutions like Oxfam.

Key partnerships with tech companies like Samsung Mena have enabled tablet distribution programs, while her Storytellers Without Borders initiative connects Moroccan authors with global audiences through bilingual publications. Zahra's work was recognized with the 2019 UNESCO Confucius Prize for literacy innovation. Current projects include solar-powered mobile libraries for desert regions and a pan-African teacher training program.