I WISH THAT A CHILD from a rural area can grow into an adult having read at least 50 books,” says Jean Maurice Murisa, author of 20 children books written in Kinyarwanda. According to Murisa, that will bridge reading culture gap that is seen in Rwanda and help new writers create better books – given that one can't write better when they don't read. The 35-year-old is the co-founder of Social Impact publishers, a local publishing house that focuses on children’s books. Murisa Social Work and Social Administration graduate. When he was young, he loved to read comic books and fairy tales that feature animal characters. Apart from his love for books, his realization that children's books written in Kinyarwanda were scarce also pushed him to write for children so that he could bridge the gap. He said that when a child reads in a language they understand; they clearly get a message. Murisa published his first book “Ubushuti bwa Mpyinsi na Ntama” in 2014. The book features a story of a hyena and a goat. “Many were used to knowing the two animals as enemies. Writing the book, I wanted to show that enemies can reconcile and become best friends and exemplars,” he said. Among his other books include ‘Muri Inshuti Nziza,’ ‘Inyoni mu Cyari,’ ‘Inkoko Yange,’ and ‘Tuzi Gukora Ubusitani.’ Today, I am happy that children love my books and that parents also buy books for them. Even though they are still few, they give me good feedback and encourage me to write more good books, he said. “My books carry lessons and children-friendly illustrations. They include stories that make children more curious.” Since he started writing, he has been able to earn some money and his talent secured him a job. Tackling his challenges, he said there is need for book policy in Rwanda to help authors earn a living from their works as they do in different countries. According to Murisa, some Rwandans, even the financially stable ones, still can't buy a book but want get it for free, which he said is a huge challenge. “There is need to raise awareness in the community because many Rwandans still don’t understand why their children should read books,” he said. Apart from writing in Kinyarwanda, Murisa has also written books in English and French. He urges different players in the book industry to work on establishing community libraries at every cell in the country, making it easy for any child to access a book.
