It is sad that there seems to be more “Emmanuel’s” that can’t read than “Patrick’s” in Africa, because the “book maths” of creating a reading culture is really quite simple: We need great, fun stories that are well-illustrated and feature places, people, images and situations that Africa’s children can relate to. A vibrant, positive, “BOOKS ARE TOYS TOO,” reading culture in Africa is achievable.

“Did you see the reading materials we gave Abel last week?” asked the headteacher. “I kept them safe in my suitcase, Mr Headteacher,” answered Abel’s father. Mr Headteacher knew that the reading materials had not served the intended purpose of aiding home study to accelerate learning in post-covid education. He shares this story to reinforce our argument about the reality that many times in homes where parents have no understanding of reading as a key competence to lifelong learning and success, books are treated as ritual objects which can only be used for some sort of occasion.

In 2020, as a response to the pandemic school closures, STEPi collaborated with Spiritual Playdate to create Uplift. Uplift is a training programme for adults that support them in offering social, emotional and spiritual life skills to kids. Using STEPi and Spiritual Playdate resources that are socially-conscious and culturally relevant, Uplift activities are designed to inspire a love for reading and develop peace-building skills.

STEPi stands for Squaring The Education Pyramid Institute. Our manifesto is inspired by the belief to "square the pyramid” which means each child should have access to the same resources as those born into privilege. Society spends significantly more resources on those who reach the top of the pyramid; they spend more on higher education and an elite workforce, while the others aren’t prioritised. Beginning in early childhood, the needs of all children need to be met no matter if it is something as simple as a pencil or a book.

It was a long trek to Jupamatho village in the Lendu community in a hard-to-reach area of Uganda to visit a community school. It was a hustle to reach the school, even with a car; we had to leave the car and trek for three kilometers.

Children and books deserve to be together, have a right to be together, and we are slowly bridging the gap. Bringing books to children and children to books; putting them on the same page to make learning and reading fun again!

Through the forests of pages in jollity, rolling their eyes in admiration of the pictures and colours, reading to comprehend is but a luxury very few children can afford in Alelelele, a village in a once war ravaged part of Uganda. It is here that the new addition of STEPi children's books in 2022 is being read for the first time in East Africa. Smelly Fish Island has arrived in Alelelele village before the internet connection.

On 12 February 2022, I finally got to see the Skateistan Book Picnic for children and their parents come alive. I could feel the excitement vibrating from the children into the air and infecting me too as my mood began to climb upwards. The music was energising and the parents looked so settled with being in the space their children spend innumerable hours learning how to skate, being taught arts, crafts, and life skills.