In an increasingly connected world, the representation of African heritage in the digital universe is becoming essential. Our South African press, Press Mltimedia (PTY) LTD, has discovered an entrepreneur like no other. From Togo comes Kossi Evenunye VIDEKE, also known as Thierry VIDEKE. He’s part of this dynamic, offering digital solutions to enhance the value of African cultures. Born on May 27, 1990, in Agu-Nyogbo-Dzidzole, Togo. He is the son of Koffi Joseph VIDEKE, a surveyor and former head of the regional office of the Direction de la cartographie nationale et du cadastre in Sokodé, and Afua DOH, a seamstress originally from Ghana.
Her work is rooted in a deep commitment to the digital representation of Africa’s cultural heritage. In 2023, his efforts earned him major awards, including first place in Togo and third place in Africa at African Librarians’ Week (#AfLibWk) in Ghana, as well as an award from AfroCROWD in the USA for promoting African content.
With WikiTatafrik, a collaborative platform he founded, Thierry VIDEKE offers a space designed to document and preserve oral narratives, cultural traditions, and local innovations. Unlike traditional encyclopedias, which focus on written sources, WikiTatafrik adapts to the African context by emphasizing written sources and focusing more on oral traditions, an essential form of knowledge transmission on the continent.
With particular emphasis on the inclusion of African languages. This approach strengthens the link between local communities and their heritage while making the content useful and understandable to a diverse audience.
“I want to offer hands-on training in digital tools such as PHP, SQL, Python, and WikiCode, which I have been able to master during my 15 years of experience on Wikipedia. My aim is to prepare an editorial validation committee and African contributors to use these technologies independently. I want to give them the skills they need to manage and enhance their content while respecting international standards adapted to local realities” says Thierry VIDEKE.
With WikiTatafrik, he wants to highlight the importance of local innovation in meeting the needs of the continent. This project is also in line with the vision of his multi-dimensional media TATAFRIK, which includes a WebTV, a WebRadio, and a print magazine promoting African talent.
By proposing an inclusive and accessible alternative, Thierry VIDEKE is outlining a promising future in which Africa’s cultural wealth and local knowledge take center stage online, despite Africa’s complex media sphere. This hopeful initiative offers an opportunity to preserve and pass on African cultural heritages to future generations.
He appeals for the collective support of leaders, institutions and citizens across Africa to realize WikiTatafrik’s potential. By uniting the continent’s efforts, the platform can redefine the digital representation of Africa, offering an authentic voice to its cultures, languages and history.
Source: www.wiki.tatafrik.pro
