About us
Our Story
The founder of Little Zebra Books, David Ker, began his career in Mozambique in Bible translation assisting Nyungwe-speaking pastors as they translated the New Testament into their language. “I began to realize that when the Bible was published in Nyungwe it was going to be the only book available in that language,” he recalls. “How would Nyungwe-speaking children grow up to be confident readers of the Bible when there was nothing to read in their language?”
In 2013, David & Hilary started Little Zebra Books to address the critical lack of children’s books in the mother tongue in Africa. Since that time, more than 1.5 million books have been distributed in languages spoken across Southern Africa. And 40 original book titles developed by Little Zebra Books are being shared and translated into languages across Africa.
Our Vision and Mission
Vision
Little Zebra Books exists to inspire children in Africa to grow in their love of reading and love for the Lord.
Mission
To promote a reading culture in print-scarce African communities through the development of affordable high-quality, culturally-rich children’s books.
Objectives
Our objectives are to:
- Create high-quality children’s books in African Languages;
- Distribute children’s books and promote a reading culture in print-scarce African communities;
- Contribute to the number of African-language books by sharing our books and expertise; and
- Partner with individuals and organisations who share these objectives.
Our Team
It takes a dedicated team to put Little Zebra Books into the hands of children
Robyn Beere
is our Managing Director and leads our team with over 15 years’ experience leading non-profit organisations in the education sector.
Hilary Ker
loves to design book layouts and work with new translations. She coordinates production, printing, and shipping.
Ntsikie Sigcu
works in our Masifunde Sidlala programme as our Community Reading Programme Facilitator, supporting our programme partners.
Gillian Basson
helps to coordinate our Masifunde Sidlala programme and uses her graphic design and computing skills in our media and communications work.
Jeni Bister
volunteers as our language and literacy specialist sharing her knowledge and passion for reading to empower those who use our books across Southern Africa.
Our Board
Our committed Board actively guides Little Zebra Books, ensuring strong governance and strategic direction.
Minah Koela
is the Chair of the Board, providing solid leadership and wisdom gained for her experience as Executive Director of Beautiful Gate.
David Ker
is the visionary, and founder of Little Zebra Books. He also helps to develop new titles and works with the artists hired by Little Zebra Books.
Kate Patience
is the head of donor development at the SOZO Foundation and brings her resource mobilisation and donor engagement skills to our Board, as well as her passionate commitment to the vision of Little Zebra Books.
Jeni Bister
has been a part of Little Zebra Books since its inception and her extensive experience fostering mother tongue reading in rural African communities is a valued contribution to our Board.
Charlene Petersen
is the Executive Director of the Learning Trust in South Africa and provides valuable insight into the after-school programme space and the non-profit education sector.
Partner Organisations
Community-based organisations across Southern Africa use and distribute our books on a scale we could never attain by ourselves. These organisations run after school programmes, community reading groups, and Bible club programs for children where they share our books with children and encourage a love of reading.
Little Zebra Books depends on feedback and input from these front-line workers to develop new book titles which are culturally relevant for the children in their regions.
We produce beautiful books, and then local activists provide enthusiasm, a passion for literacy, and direct mentorship to thousands of kids in a way we never could without them.
Our Supporters
The mission of Little Zebra Books is made possible thanks to the generous support of our supporters. The donations of our supporters have made it possible for us to give books free of charge to African communities that need them.
Our supporters give. Generous regular giving allows Little Zebra Books to place beautiful books in the hands of children across Africa. Little Zebra Books Partners commit to give monthly. And many others respond generously to occasional fundraisers.
Our supporters pray. Little Zebra Books wouldn’t be what it is without the churches and individuals who pray faithfully for our staff, our operations, and our partner organisations.
Our supporters share. One of the most important things our supporters do is to tell their friends about Little Zebra Books. As more and more people learn about what we’re doing, it brings new opportunities, new funding and new partners for Little Zebra Books.
Annual Reports
