Tshivenda, ChiNdau, Shangani, ChiTonga, Nambya, Chichewa and other local indigenous languages will be represented in an upcoming children's book series titled ‘The Adventures Of Nyenyedzi’ which is set to be released in August.
The book, published by Tales of Dzimbahwe, was translated into a record-breaking fifteen languages and was written by Chengeto Mayowe, daughter of the late national hero, Ambassador John George Mayowe. The series is made up of a total of five books and will target children aged between 0 and 8 years. It will introduce familial relationships, cultural customs and proverbs while instilling a sense of ethnic pride in them.
Announcing the release last week, the author said that eleven of the languages are indigenous to Zimbabwe and the Sadc region. The book has also been translated into Portuguese, English, French and German.
The series follows a little girl, Nyenyedzi (Star), from Vumba, an area in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe. She navigates daily life with her family whilst traveling around the country, learning about familial relationships, why names are so important and fighting the dark.
Mayowe conveyed her strong interest in matters of national significance, particularly those about cultural heritage, inclusion, and representation. “Many a time, we tend to drive Shona and Ndebele narratives and yet Zimbabwe is made up of a plethora of beautiful ethnic groups. I can’t champion inclusivity if I ignore all the colours of the nation,” she explained.
Her childhood had a great influence on her love of culture as she grew up in a loving cultural home. Cultural pride and heritage are what she is trying to evoke in children by stimulating their sense of ethnic pride, starting from their names through to their customs.
“I had to do something to help the efforts in preserving culture which predominantly starts with language. I finished the book in August last year. The quickest way to kill a culture is to kill the language and so I had to ensure that most of our languages are captured by stimulating this sense of inclusion.”
Having never seen herself being represented in books, particularly children's books, Mayowe said she wanted to create something that any Zimbabwean boy or girl could relate to.
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“The books do not just support the cultural and family values subject that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education introduced a few years ago, but they also complement those values through their dedication to represent at the grassroots level.”
The author says her wish is to fully engage as an ambassador to ensure ‘our people and our stories are not only heard but also seen and read, both locally and internationally.’
The books will be available for pre-order in August and will be distributed in areas where the languages are spoken the most. “Mainly, for the sake of inclusion and representation, ensuring that the stories get told in their mother tongue,” she said.
