When Taata Musa grew up in Uganda, the books he had access to were received by schools without much thought for the people who were going to read them. They were often inappropriately matched to the reading age or English level of the children, were old with outdated ideas and were physically worn. We want Ugandan communities and schools to access new books with innovative ideas that champion diversity and inclusion. Representation is incredibly important. Ugandan communities need to have books about people who look like them.

Stories started off at home in Uganda – entire communities would sit around the fire taking it in turns to tell folktales and stories. Gifting books to individual families helps include families back in to storytelling time. Additionally, with COVID-19, many Ugandan schools shut since for two full years. The doors of libraries shut for two years with no access to books. Encouraging families to share stories at home will empower communities to take up their role in promoting literacy.

English is an official language of Uganda. Schools teach nearly all subjects in English so most Ugandans will have a basic understanding of English or know someone who will. That also goes for being able to read. However, stories are more than the words written. For children, they are about sharing time with another person, looking at the illustrations as well as discussing what they can see and interpret. We have a brilliant team of storytellers and translators who guide our families on the books content and teach them simple skills to share the stories with their children.

We want books that feature and celebrate all different lived experiences, whether that’s relating to race, class, gender, sexuality, health and ability. We especially want to promote books set in African countries that honour the everyday lived experiences of Black people.