Children between 6 years and 12 years old from different upper primary schools will have an opportunity to improve their writing skills as they publish their children stories in a new children magazine dubbed “TOTAfest”. Initiated by Mutesi Gasana -who is the founder of Ubuntu publishers and Arise Education Rwanda, the magazine that encourages children to read and write their own stories will be issued quarterly. She said at least 5,000 copies will be published every year with a target to reach 10,000 copies and distributed across the country. “The first copies are already out. The magazine will have children stories about different sctors. The magazine will also promote learning of science and mathematics, puzzles, Covid-19 prevention in their homes, tourism, sports and many others. It will also be inculcating superheros’ values in children,” she said. TOTAfest, she said, will be in three languages namely English, French and Kinyarwanda. “It will have between 32 pages and 42 pages depending on the content and be issued once per three months,” she said. The project, Gasana noted, was created based on Gira Igitabo Aho Uri ‘’ literacy campaign which loosely translates to “have a book wherever you are ‘’ that mainly targets school going children. “Under the programme, children wrote stories and published their books. However, later we realised that there was huge demand to the extent that we could not publish every child’s book. That is why we thought of a platform that could give children the opportunity to write and publish their stories. That platform is TOTAfest magazine,” she explained. She said that every year after publishing four times, the best children stories could be selected from magazines and be translated into their own children books. “We have identified 24 destinations for distributing the magazine copies with 24 sales people in different parts of country including Musanze, Rubavu, Muhanga, Huye, Karongi, Kayonza, Nyagatare, Bugesera, Rwamagana and Kigali city as well as book shops, supermarkets and others,” she said. She said that in partnership with United States African Development Foundation, (USADF), they also got a grant to publish 20 books on cultural tourism. “We have to work with different partners such as RDB and the sports and youth ministry to promote tourism, cultural heritage and others,” she said. What parents say Different parents say that promoting writing and reading skills in kids at such a young age sharpens their skills and talent. “This is a very good initiative. This will improve children’s thinking, discovering, reading and writing their own stories. As parents we have to play a big role in helping children with such talents. Parents should also buy such children books for their children,” said Marie Diane Mukangaba, a parent whose child (Keza Sangwa Sandra) wrote some of the published magazine stories. Alphonse Uwimana Nshuti another parent said: “Currently, the reading culture among the youth is low. Promoting a reading and writing culture starting with kids is the best strategy.” He added that their stories should also be promoting Rwandan culture and Kinyarwanda language.
