Nothing warms my heart more than to see Mambo making his way into African classrooms. We started this trip with a logistical challenge, because we couldn’t ship the book in time for this school visit. Luckily, thanks to the ingenious suggestion of our Studio Director, Franck Mensah, we opted for a digital storytelling experience.
The kids were exhilarated, first to have a digital presentation (which was their first) and also to meet Mambo, a character that they could relate to. His school experience and surroundings were quite familiar to them.
The students and their teacher in this first grade classroom were fascinated by Mambo’s first day of school. As they hovered around their storyteller, Ms. Suzanne Mamakwe, they listened, giggled and asked questions such as: “What neighborhood does Mambo live in?” “What did he bring for lunch?”
At the end, they gathered like bees around a beehive as they surrounded the laptop to take a closer look at Mambo. They look forward to a follow up visit, where they will be dancing and learning Mambo’s school song about body parts.
We are very thankful to ASEC International Complex of Nkozoa and their wonderful staff for the warm welcome we received. Special thanks to the school director, Mr. Charles Zizin, and to Ms Suzanne Makamwe, our storyteller, for an engaging session.
