WHY WE READ TO OUR KIDS : 5 Kenyan moms speak out
We sought to learn what some of your thoughts are on Kenya’s reading culture and how your journey has been. Here are some of the amazing thoughts (verbatim) some of you shared with us and we hope your thoughts will inspire other families to pick up a book today and start this amazing journey.
Photo Courtesy: Maimouna Jallow reads with her kids
Maimouna Jallow:Media Trainer turned Storyteller and mom of two
“In a world where many children live in restricted spaces, from congested urban neighborhoods to inhospitable refugee camps, to have the gift of stories is also to have a certain freedom that no one can take away. So we need to have more literary festivals, more read-a-thons and more publishers focusing on books that represent the diversity of the world that we live in. We also need more parents and guardians to cuddle up with their little ones and create the space for stories.”
Dr.Amakove Wala with her children
Amakove Wala:Doctor, farmer, blogger and mom of four
“I have a nine-year-old son and triplet girls turning seven in a few weeks. I write occasionally on www.lizwala.wordpress.com. We read almost daily at home, a practice we started shortly after my son was born. I remember as a child, my dad, an English literature teacher, would carry storybooks home and we would get so engrossed in them. I want my children to have the same experience I had, getting lost in rich stories. We select a book on rotational basis and purchase books during our monthly home shopping.”
Mama Bobo:Kitchenpreneur and mom of one
Photo Courtesy: Kitchenpreneur Mama Bobo reading with her daughter
“I am an entrepreneur, cookbooks author and a mother to an amazing daughter. I believe reading aloud to your kids stimulates their imagination and expands their understanding of the world. I started reading to my daughter at an early age and usually just before bedtime. From fairy tales to African short stories, our selection is not limited. I encourage parents to consistently read to their kids. Eventually, they’ll start to view books as an indulgence, not a chore.”
Alice Muthoni Gichuru:Burt award winner, teacher and mom of three
Photo Courtesy :Award winning author Alice Gichuru and her youngest reading together
“I have two teenage boys and a four-year-old girl. Reading in our household is not only a big deal but a ritual that we started pretty early, as soon as the kids could speak. Stories are fascinating and they encourage imagination and creativity. My boys are now good artists and write beautiful stories as well. It has definitely brought us closer. I would urge mothers to read to their children anytime.”
Dr. Esther Dindi aka Dr. Fitness:Physician, fitness expert and mom of three
“I am a medical doctor, a fitness expert and a mother of three, with my youngest son having just turned two. I write a lot for my fitness blog, and am currently writing a book that will help women in their fitness journeys. In our household, reading to the children is a family affair! My husband and I started the habit when my children were very young. I think wide reading is the least expensive way to travel the world. We wanted to raise children that are not only knowledgeable, but children who are curious and creative as well. Reading nurtures that curiosity and creativity by exposing the children to diverse cultures, ideas, possibilities and people from the comfort of our house!”
Through the Stories For Life six-part series of stories, mothers can read to their children easily. Get the Geisha Stories For Life free by downloading the set of stories from your phone from the site www.geishastories.com or dialing *436*2#