A best-selling children’s book author, Olamidotun Votu-Obada, has flagged off the writing of books under the ‘Be Inspired By The Greats’ (BIG) series in a bid to retell stories and history of inspiring African legends beyond the boundaries of the African continent to children across the world.
Votu-Obada, in a virtual interview, said that her “vision is to write the stories to connect young readers to the lives of inspiring African characters to enable them to see beyond the characters, learn from them, and recreate the experiences of their lives.
Her picture book, “Be Inspired by Me,” is a beautifully illustrated book that inspires self-identity, and cultural diversity and creates awareness of personal uniqueness in a child’s mind.
Another book in the series, ‘Be Inspired by MKO Abiola,’ delves into the life of the late Chief MoshoodKashimawoOlawale (M.K.O.)Abiola, who, through many obstacles, achieved great things in life despite his humble upbringing and became a successful businessman recognised globally.
Speaking on the MKO Abiola book, Votu-Obada said: “So, the idea for me is to be able to retell inspiring African people’s stories for children. For instance, the MKO story was written for children in a way that a child can understand, and coincidentally, it has done so well, and it was presented to the Canadian Prime Minister recently.”
Another one from the series is also a book titled ‘Be Inspired by Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf,’ an eye-opening book about the first female President of Liberia. ‘Be Inspired By Fela’ is about the great Fela, who, at a young age, developed interest in topical political issues, Agreat musician who used music to speak about social issues that touched people’s lives and fight for justice and peace.
“With permission from the Estate of Fela AnikuIapo-Kuti, I have also retold Fela’s story, the Afrobeat legend, for children to understand. I am not only writing about Nigerian stories, there are several other characters with African heritage whose stories I am going to tell. At the moment, I am working on stories about Kofi Annan, Desmond Tutu, just to mention a few.
“My goal is for our children across the world to be able to read about inspiring African people, regardless of where they are, and be proud of their heritage and who they are. I remember growing up in England and thinking how proud I was when I heard the names of notable African characters.”
Votu-Obadanoted that she wants children with African heritage to reconnect with legendary African characters and learn from their lives, saying: “For instance, in America, if you ask a seven-year-old child, he or she will tell you about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and their roles in their societies. But I find that a lot of African children who are in their 20s and below don’t know about their people and culture and the roles they played in their society.”
She, therefore, said that she was inspired to start writing these stories after she migrated abroad and her children asked questions about Nigerian history and African history.
“When I was younger, my parents told me many stories about our culture and history. This helped me pass this culture down to my children, and I felt I needed to do the same for other African children worldwide.
“It is crucial for children to know and appreciate culture. Parents must ensure their children are educated about history and never forget it.
“Children are learning a lot about foreign culture and history, but if you ask them who MKO Abiola was or who Fela was, they will probably be clueless. It will be nice for them to know a lot more about African history. I think for me, that was what inspired the journey into writing.
“I have always loved to write. When I realised there was a gap in telling African stories and culture to children, I saw it as a great opportunity to take advantage of this and retell these inspiring stories in a fun and educative way to children worldwide.”
She, therefore, advised parents to inspire their children to read about African heritage and the people who shaped history, saying that we, as Africans, should be proud to tell our stories the way Indians and Chinese do so that the present generation and the next would never forget.
The President of Network of Nigerians in Canada, UcheUkogu, presented a copy of the book to the prime minister to showcase Nigeria’s independence during the Black History Month.
