When I moved to Tete, Mozambique, in 1998 it was a sleepy town that most people avoided in the hottest part of Mozambique’s interior. The Nyungwe people there were not very interested in writing and reading in their language. Things have changed so much in the past 20 years! Tete is now home to international coal mining companies and the town has grown to a sprawling city. Despite all the development and international influence, most people still speak Nyungwe every day. Five minutes from the edge of town, Nyungwe is the only language for most people.
In the last five years, Little Zebra Books has made a great impact in this area by providing beautiful, engaging and accessible books for kids in the language they understand well. People who never imagined reading in Nyungwe are actively sharing Little Zebra Books with churches and in their communities each week. With the pandemic, things have slowed down but books have been sent to many homes even when people can’t meet.
What I love most about Little Zebra Books is that the programs are locally run and community based. The people that minister to the children are known by their families and have a long term connection with them. Kids who regularly read or are read to in their own language become aware that the written word has meaning (something that is lacking when they read in Portuguese or English). Seeing their own language in print makes them proud of their identity and elevates their self-worth and the esteem of their own culture and heritage. The illustrations in Little Zebra Books are carefully curated to respect and reflect local culture in a way that most mass produced material can’t replicate.
Over seventy churches and local groups have received Little Zebra Books to share each month. This provides a great incentive to read and learn to read better. The content of the books easily connects local values to Biblical truth through the caring teaching or volunteers. Families can read together. Communities see literature as their own and not a foreign thing when they gather with Little Zebra Books. We believe we will see the impact of these books and programs well into the future. I think that is something to be excited about!
~Jeni