BY SHARON SIBINDI
UNITED STATES-BASED Zimbabwean writer Yeve Sibanda has penned a children’s book My First Book of Shona and Ndebele Words which is aimed at promoting indigenous languages.
Sibanda, who is also an attorney, told NewsDay Life & Style that she aimed to help readers learn Zimbabwe’s two primary indigenous languages using an engaging format.
“My First Book of Shona and Ndebele Words is an easy-to-read book which follows the life of lead character Rufaro and her sibling on their daily adventures, offering a view into their world using Shona and Ndebele,” she said.
Sibanda said she was motivated to write the book by the absence of adequate reading material which made her struggle to teach her daughter her native languages.
“I found it hard to come across books in our languages for kids in the diaspora. I noticed a lack of diversity of books with black characters in them. People have given positive feedback on the quality of the book and illustrations,” she said.
“The fact that the book features an African black family and has positive images about Zimbabwe being great too. People are also thrilled to have an all-in-one resource to learn and teach Shona and Ndebele with a lot of non-Zimbabweans also enjoying it as a way to learn about another culture and country.”
Sibanda, a public speaker and cultural curator said she aimed to reach a wider readership in promoting an exchange of culture, beyond Zimbabwean communities.
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“I am very intentional with every decision and product. It is also very intentional that the family in the book lives in the city and is not depicting an impoverished image of ‘Africa’. I was also very careful to choose what I considered basic words in both languages because this book is an introduction to the languages,” she said.
The book is accompanied by the customised My First Shona and Ndebele calendar that promotes Zimbabwean heritage sites and the months are in Shona and Ndebele.
“I am very focused on products that accompany the book and that is why I created a fun Shona and Ndebele calendar as well with amazing images of Zimbabwean landmarks and iconic scenery,” she said.
“I hope that people get interested in learning more about other cultures. I am inspired by the idea that BIPOC (black, indigenous and people of colour) children can read books with characters that resemble them. Specifically, I am excited to create a book that resonates with boys and girls of African descent.”
Sibanda said through the book she sought to instil national and cultural values from a tender age by complementing calls for more expansive promotion of local languages.
- Follow Sharon on Twitter @SibindiSharon
