Today our regular contributor and Nigerian author Ayo Oyeku talks to Dele Olafuyi about how he co-founded Kunda Kids with his wife, Louisa. Launched three years ago, this unique publishing house aims to bridge the diversity and inclusion gap by focusing on books and animations that introduce little ones to Africans and their cultures.

World Kid Lit: How did it all start?

Dele Olafuyi: Kunda Kids started during the 2020 global lockdown period. My wife and I wanted our son to use the period to read as many children’s books as possible. Surprisingly, we discovered there were few children’s books in the UK with Black/African characters. This became a huge gap we wanted covered, so we turned the problem into passion. Much like we wanted for our son, we also want every child to read beautifully illustrated and fun-filled books that they can see themselves in. This became the focus of our brand.

WKL: What exactly does Kunda Kids do?

DO: We are a children’s publishing and media company. We tell stories about people of African descents and their cultures. We publish both paperback and digital books. Our digital books are available on our app. We also make music and animations for children.

WKL: What’s the production process like?

DO: We start by finding the right angle for the story. We research themes and identify what we want to connect with. We accept submissions and offer publishing contracts. Editors work on the manuscripts, while our illustrators bring the words to life in detailed illustrations. At the end, we print, distribute and put them up for sale.

WKL: Tell us more about Kunda Kids 2.0 App?

DO: We’ve created an app, which is available on Apple Store and Google Play store. This is our digital e-reader. On the app are stories around different things. You’ll learn about African legends, heroes and world changers. The app is broken into themes and sections. Inside, you’ll find stories related to finance; bedtime stories; STEM stories and many more.

WKL: What is Kunda and Friends all about?

DO: We are the first African publishing house to do this. Kunda and Friends was launched last week as a music animation channel for kids. Kunda and Friends is anchored around friendship. The story is set in African utopia. Kunda—a bold 4-year-old explorer with roots in Uganda and Nigeria and a heart full of fun—has both human and animal friends and they go on adventures. They read and play. These are exciting 3D animations, laced with good music – drawing inspirations from popular African sounds like Afrobeats and Amapiano. This is for preschoolers and every other child. Kunda and Friends can be streamed from our YouTube Channel. There is also a link on our website to know about these animations.

WKL: What has the general response to your products been like?

DO: The response has been mind-blowing. We have sold over 20,000 books, and the demands keep increasing. Our app has been downloaded by over 10,000 people in more than 130 countries. We get positive feedback that reminds us that we are touching lives in a positive way. During World Book Day, we are always thrilled to see kids dressed in outfits inspired by Kunda Kids characters, like Queen Moremi, Shaka Zulu, and many others. We won the Channels Book Club award. One of our titles, Mansa Musa Builds a School was listed amongst the top ten diverse children’s book in the UK by The Independent. We are happy to be recognized and embraced for bridging the diversity gap.

WKL: Should we anticipate a Kunda Kids Carnival in the near future?

DO: Absolutely. We run merch events. We did one in Ghana and the turn up was fantastic. We intend to do these in many more cities in Africa and around the world.

WKL: Being an African living in Europe, how has this experience influenced you and your company?

DO: This experience gives me a lot of energy to keep doing what I’m doing. An average child in Europe struggles to name five African countries. To raise global citizens, we need to teach about a continent with over one billion people. We are continuing our efforts to get the books in libraries and schools. We are open to offering licenses to other publishing houses to help spread our important books.

WKL: What current or upcoming books should readers look out for.

DO: We have a new book titled, Astronauts to the Moon. It explores the concept of space and teaches children to have a big imagination. We have another one, Afam and the New Yam Festival. This story celebrates a popular cultural festival in Nigeria.

WKL: Finally, what does Kunda mean?

DO: Kunda means love in Uganda. This means what we do is driven by the labour of love. We are passionate about what we do. We want children all over the world to read about their culture and that of others. Children that grow up with a fine understanding of diversity will connect better with the world.

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Dele Olafuyi is a wonderful husband to Ugandan Queen, Louisa. Together, they have an amazing son, Ire, who is fondly called Kunda by his Ugandan grandparents. Dele is a marketing professional with over ten years of experience working in various marketing roles with FMCG companies and in Fintech. He holds a MBA degree from the University of Cambridge’s Judge Business School. Dele’s passion for changing the narrative around Africans around the world motivated him to create Kunda Kids, a publishing and creative media studio that illuminates African stories through books, songs, animations and games. Outside of work, Dele loves to play tennis, piano and watch sports.

Ayo Oyeku is a Fellow of Ebedi International Writers Residency. He has authored eight children’s books, and some of his books have won notable awards, including the Association of Nigerian Authors Prize for Children’s Literature. He loves reading books to children, meeting writers, and speaking at literary panels. He is the Founder of Eleventh House Publishing.