eKitabu

The creation of more than 250 books in Tumbuka and Malawian Sign Language for free use on the Global Digital Library.

eKitabu
Children in Kenya interact with accessible digital books created by eKitabu.

The creation of more than 250 books in Tumbuka and Malawian Sign Language for free use on the Global Digital Library.


Project Name

Open Books Malawi

Location Implemented

Malawi

Technology Used

Software/Apps

Competition Entered

Begin With Books

Reading Skill Targeted

Foundational, Pre-Reading

Status

Winner

Collaborators/Partners

Juárez & Associates, Malawi National Association of the Deaf (MANAD), Malawi Institute of Education (MIE)

The Challenge

In Malawi, the problem of access to high-quality, accessible books in local languages for pre-primary and primary grades is particularly acute: only 10 “narrative” story books exist in Tumbuka, a language spoken by more than 2 million people in northern Malawi. None of those books are in accessible formats; and no materials in Malawian Sign Language (MSL) exist at all.

The Big Idea

eKitabu will scale work begun in Kenya and Rwanda through ACR GCD’s Book Boost and Sign On For Literacy prizes to implement the Open Books Malawi initiative. The project will deliver a total of 270 books—220 in Tumbuka and 50 in Malawian Sign Language—to the GDL, which already houses more than 120 accessible African EPUBs digitized by eKitabu.

Blogs and Media

Research and Resources

Connect with the Innovator

Website

http://www.ekitabu.com

Organization Type

For Profit

Headquarters

Nairobi, Kenya