“It’s not that children don’t like to read. It’s that they haven’t found the right book yet” says Tina Akuoko of Ethnikids.
Johannesburg, South Africa (08 July 2022) – Most South African children do not have access to books representing their backgrounds, cultural customs or even themselves, according to experts in children’s literature at a recent book launch in Johannesburg.
Adel van Niekerk spoke to Tina Akuoko of Ethnikids, an organisation trying to change that.
“Ethnikids is an online bookstore specialising in children’s books which features characters that are inclusive and diverse in various South African languages! We are passionate about igniting a love of reading in our children, and providing diverse material that more children can relate to and identify with. We have the widest selection of books featuring representative protagonists in South Africa.”
“Ethnikids was founded by 5 moms! After years of searching for books with characters that look like our children (without much luck), we set out to to find books that have protagonists of colour, from all corners of the world and bring them to you! Our mission is to empower the African child by exposing them to diversity in the books they read!”
Take a look at the inspiring report by GroundUp below.