INTERESTING: "Only 2% of commercially published children's books in South Africa are in local languages"
Children relate to the storybooks they read and many times this is not a fully immersive experience due to the language used of the storybook.
As a purist, it is natural to want your children to grow up reading and finding the magic within books. The way a book can draw you in and develop a child's imagination is astounding in itself.
So when we find out that "only 2% of children’s books published commercially in South Africa are in local African languages" - it is concerning that our children are losing out on some sort of cultural offering that includes traditional and folk stories that have been handed down from generation to generation. (IOL)
A love of reading is sparked when children see themselves in stories and relate it to their lives, even more so when it is shared in their home language.
With this in mind, we note that in a country where the majority of households speak languages outside of English and Afrikaans, it emits a sense of despair for the African languages; considering the history, heritage, and beauty that the languages hold.
Cadbury Dairy Milk wants to be the driving force that changes this and has launched something quite interesting. The "In Our Own Words" Initiative all South African can be part of creating something unique and African language-centric.
According to Langa Khanyile, Chocolate Equity Lead, Sub Saharan Africa, (IOL)
Cadbury Dairy Milk has always been a brand that aims to bring people closer together, we are founded in the spirit of generosity and pioneering social impact.
Lara Sidersky, Mondelez SA Category Lead For Chocolate, adds, “That is why we want to impact the future of our children and are asking all South Africans to generously translate just one word to help co-author a library of children’s stories in African languages. We believe there’s a glass and a half of goodness in all South Africans and can’t wait to see what they share.’’ (IOL)
Cadbury's goal is to co-author 1500 children's stories in African Languages by the year 2023. South Africans can participate by sharing their one word as part of the "In Our Own Words" initiative.
Reading at a young age is important for the overall development of children, so make sure to encourage your kids to start reading, the earlier the better. You can find some good ideas on how to encourage them to read here.
Watch how you can get involved in this amazing project below (courtesy of Facebook):
Image Courtesy of Pixabay