Pupil (10) launches books

Iyaloo, who is currently a Grade 4 pupil at the Deutsche Höhere Privatschule Windhoek (DHPS), launched the books, written in Afrikaans, Oshiwambo and English, at the Mekenificent Wellness Centre in Klein Windhoek recently.

Her books are titled; ‘Iyaloo’s Neat Cat’, ‘Okambishi KaIyaloo kOkafuuli’, and ‘Iyaloo se Netjiese Kat’.

Speaking at the launch of the books, Iyaloo said she had the idea of writing her first book about a neat cat in 2020 when she was just eight years old.

“During the lockdown of Covid-19, I came up with the idea when my mother was teaching me and my brother Oshiwambo. We were learning about animals and when we were done, I drew a cat. I showed it to Mom and she was so impressed, she asked me to tell her more about the cat. I told her her name and what the cat was like,” she said.

Guest of honour at the launch author Popyeni Kaxuxwena said although children are in a social media age, the art of storytelling should not be lost.

“We should allow them to connect with us through conversations by encouraging them to tell us their story. Iyaloo is a perfect example. A story by a child for children,” says Kaxuxwena.

According to the founder of Mekenificent Wellness Centre, Meke Namindo, it is becoming a challenge for many people to keep their indigenous languages alive.

“Once school takes over, oftentimes traditional languages get lost. English is taking over and unfortunately, we sometimes make the mistake of not speaking our languages to our kids,” says Namindo.

She said often African children are not encouraged to be innovative, due to social media distractions.

“We need to identify talent at a young age. Why can’t a 10-year-old become an entrepreneur sooner rather than later?”