Ndoto Kids, an innovative edtech company creating children’s content in African languages, is thrilled to announce the launch of its latest initiative, Nyaya dze Vana (translated as “Children’s Heritage”).
Funded by the European Union through the Culture Fund’s Creative Actions 2 programme, this landmark project aims to nurture cultural pride and early literacy among African children through the creation and distribution of beautifully illustrated books in chiShona and isiNdebele.
The initiative builds on Ndoto Kids’ earlier project, Nyaya dzeVana, which was supported by the Zimbabwe German Society through their Das Kollectiv initiative.
That phase saw the creation of video book versions of these stories, which are now being transformed into beautifully printed hard copies under the EU’s CreativeActions 2 programme via Culture Fund.
At its core, Nyaya dzeVana is about reconnecting young readers, particularly those in the African diaspora, with their roots, languages, and stories.
Designed for children aged 0–7 years, the books are culturally relevant, visually engaging, and rooted in local contexts, making them a powerful tool for both education and identity formation.
“We believe that every African child deserves to see themselves, their language, and their culture reflected in the stories they read,” says Batsirai Freddy, founder and creative director of Ndoto Kids.
“Nyaya dze Vana is our love letter to future generations, and a way to pass down our collective memory through play and imagination.”
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With four books already developed in partnership with Ngoma Yorira, and a vibrant library of animated videos and nursery rhymes online, Ndoto Kids continues to build a rich multimedia ecosystem for early childhood development in African languages.
This project further cements their position as trailblazers in culturally grounded edutainment.
The Nyaya dze Vana book launch is scheduled for this month and will include community reading sessions, interactive storytelling experiences, and a one-off book drive to distribute copies to selected organisations.
The broader goal is to raise awareness about children’s literature written in African languages.
Thereafter, the books will be made available for purchase on Amazon and in selected local outlets, with full details shared on Ndoto Kids’ platforms.
