EENHANA – Namibian children need to start reading books seriously and should read books with images and pictures that they can relate to, says Namibia’s award-winning author, Helvi Wheeler, who writes children books and has just returned from one of the world’s largest book fairs, the Frankfurt Book Fair 2013.
“The issue is bigger than we can imagine. Let’s catch them young. If your ask an African child to draw you a princess, it is 9 out of 10 children who are likely to draw a blue eyed and blond hair princess. Why? This is because it is what they are being taught in schools, see on today TV programmes, read in books and on the internet. It is about time our governments in Africa should also use local story books, and also have book programmes on our radio and TV channels, especially for the youths all over Africa,” she views.
This year’s book fair which took place on the 9th – 13th October attracted more than 7, 300 international exhibitors. Wheeler (36) who has authored several children books under Yambeka Children Media in Namibia, participated on the invitation of the German Office of Foreign Affairs who co-sponsored the trip in cooperation with a special progamme from Litprome V, another German organization. She informs that she was proud to represent Namibia at such an international platform where she exchanged notes with international and renowned authors, publishers and journalists. “In total, we had more than 275, 500 visitors from 100 countries and over 9, 000 journalists who went to cover the Frankfurt Book Fair 2013 from all over the world. I feel extremely honoured since I took part in the panel discussion and was interviewed by a journalist from the German newspaper, Allgemeine Zeitung where they published my story,” she says
Before the actual event, participants had a five day workshop at which they discussed copyrights, eBooks, designs and trades in the publishing industry, among others. “On Sunday night, we were taken for a dinner on a boat cruise where I was then spotted by a German journalist who then published my story in their popular newspaper, Allgemeine Zeitung,” says an excited Wheeler. She participated and debated in a panel discussion titled Friends with Benefits, Book Donations and the Indigenous Publishing Industries. She further informs that the discussion platform brought together some ideas on how Africa has been on a receiving end when it comes to book donations. “For many decades, countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America have been receiving book donations. For how long shall Africa depend on book donations for their education and literacy? Our panel discussion focused on how African states are depending and losing on their literacy. It is true that without these donations, some of our African countries would even be worse. It is also true that generosity of overseas donors has led to many governments to abandoned national initiatives to create a functional publishing industry,” Wheeler bemoans. She believes that
At the German’s Frankfurt Book Fair 2013, she had an opportunity to narrate and tell some of her childhood favourite fairytale books Kishikishi the Bad Monster and Nehoya and the Crocodile at kid’s bubble where she read and recited some of the chapters from her books. “Some of the German children came to my stand and passed and shouted at the book titles “Look at Kishikishi and the Bad Monster”. That was my own proud moments in German my dear,” she says.
Wheeler also exchanged notes with librarians from Switzerland, Sweden and other parts of the world who purchased the Yambeka Children Books. The books from Namibia’s Yambeka Children Media are now selling in many European countries and are being read in more than ten countries. Books published by Wheeler under Yambeka Children Media include, Kishikishi and the bad Monster, Nehoya and the Crocodile, The Jackal and the Hyena, Iinmwenyo/Animals, Princess Makena while others titles like Wantama/Animals are published in Swahili.
By Clemence Tashaya