SWAKOPMUND – A special reading event for children aged 4-8 recently took place at the Community Library in Mondesa. 

The morning was full of imagination, colour and stories. 

The event was organised by the Goethe-Institut Namibia. 

Both institutions have been successfully collaborating for several years, including during last year’s We Learn Festival. 

This time, the focus was on a Kamishibai reading. 

Kamishibai is a traditional Japanese storytelling method where stories are brought to life using illustrated cards displayed in a wooden frame. 

The combination of spoken word and expressive images immediately captivated the young audience. 

With this reading event, the Goethe-Institut Namibia is making a strong statement for early childhood reading promotion and cultural participation. 

“Children need stories to dream, learn and develop their language,” said Detlef Pfeifer, head of library and information at the Goethe- Institut Namibia. 

About 50 children listened attentively to the three selected stories – the popular picture book story ‘Lieselotte Stays Awake’, the classic ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ and the Namibian children’s story ‘Open Your Eyes, Minda!’. 

The latter is part of the Booksprint Namibia project, initiated by the Goethe-Institut Namibia in cooperation with the German Embassy. 

The project aims to develop diverse, locally relevant stories for children, written, illustrated and told in Namibia. 

A special highlight of the event was that each child received a printed book from the Booksprint Namibia project as a gift – a lasting memory of the joy of shared reading. 

Booksprint books are available for free download or as e-books at www.booksprintnamibia.org. 

Many of the stories have been translated into eight different Namibian languages to provide children across the country with access to age-appropriate, identity-building literature. 

Free reading 

The Goethe-Institut Namibia invites kindergartens and primary schools throughout Namibia to host similar readings at their institutions. 

The events are free of charge, organised by the Goethe-Institut. 

Interested institutions can contact the Goethe-Institute directly to schedule a reading at library.windhoek@goethe.de.