• Articles
  • Collections
  • Videos
  • Explore HP

Impact

NABU’s Tanyella Evans wants to lift children up through books

How nonprofit NABU is using technology to improve literacy by publishing digital children’s books in local languages.

By Lauren Grayson — August 31, 2021

Tanyella Evans’ love for reading started with a yellow spotted dog. The character, from the beloved children’s books written and illustrated by Eric Hill, hooked her imagination as a kid growing up in Jamaica and the UK. “I just couldn’t wait to learn about what crazy adventures Spot the Dog was going to have next,” she says. “I would memorize all the words. That was the magic of a great book.”

Tanyella Evans, co-founder and executive director of NABU.

Tanyella Evans, co-founder and executive director of NABU.

Today, as the co-founder and executive director of NABU, she wants to share that magical feeling with millions of children the world over, in their own language.

NABU’s mission is to lift people out of poverty by investing in literacy. Globally, some 773 million young people and adults aren’t achieving basic literacy, according to UNESCO, which leaves them vulnerable to social and economic exploitation. 

“We know from the data that children who are literate have much better lives as they grow up,” Evans says. “They have smaller, healthier families; they earn more so they can look after their families; and they have much better health outcomes. Literacy is agency, it’s opportunity, it’s a ladder out of poverty.” 

NABU’s books tackle subjects beyond the antics of Spot, with uplifting, age-appropriate stories about racism, xenophobia, the COVID-19 pandemic, conservation, and the power of community. 

HP is partnering to advance digital equity with NABU on initiatives including HP PATH, the company’s newly formed Partnership and Technology for Humanity accelerator, and to support authors and illustrators on the Inclusive Literacy initiative to help ensure children globally have access to enriching resources and content they need in their native language.

The company is also helping publish a new book this fall, called I Love Being Me, which draws upon the experience of Japanese-American author Jessica Michibata, who grew up biracial in Kansas. The protagonist discovers her sense of belonging and what ‘home’ means to her as she struggles with race and identity. “I think the power of NABU is clear when we work with voices that aren’t always seen or heard, and try to bring their experiences to life,” Evans says.

The Garage sat down with Evans ahead of UNESCO’s International Literacy Day, which this year will be celebrated under the theme “Literacy for a human-centred recovery: Narrowing the digital divide.” 

“Literacy is agency, it’s opportunity, it’s a ladder out of poverty.”

Who or what inspired your interest in children’s literacy?

My granddad came from Jamaica when he was 18 years old. He didn’t know anyone. He came to the UK, where I was born, and he really just fought his way to be educated and to overcome so many barriers to get to his dream job, which was to be a teacher. He definitely inspired me with his tenacity and his love of learning.

NABU's books are pubished in many languages to advance literacy for children, like the above book "Nakupenda," printed in Swahili.

NABU

NABU's books are pubished in many languages to advance literacy for children, like the above book "Nakupenda," printed in Swahili.

How have your experiences in international development prepared you to become a social entrepreneur?

When I was 18, I had this amazing opportunity to be sponsored to go to Uganda. I was volunteering as a teacher at a local school and I just loved it. I remember my students were so eager to learn. One day, I brought in a kind of blow-up globe of the world and they were just so excited to see all the countries. That was a defining moment for me because I just want children to have all the limitless possibilities of the world open to them. And literacy is the pathway to that. 

 

RELATED: How tech companies are helping to bridge the digital divide

 

How has NABU responded to the impact COVID-19 has had on the disruption within education systems worldwide?

With COVID-19 deepening the global literacy crisis, the demand for NABU has grown exponentially. At the start of the pandemic we had 100,000 children reading, and now we have 500,000. We’ve really responded by growing our team and also working with partners, such as UNICEF, to produce stories that help to prevent the spread of COVID by teaching children basic hygiene in their mother tongue. We also have a book called The Virus-Stopping Champion that’s been translated into over 25 languages now and a book called I Love You, which helps children deal with the trauma of not being able to see their elderly grandparents and loved ones.

Why is it important that local creators are given a global voice?

Something like 40% of children don’t have access to books in their mother tongue — they are not seeing themselves and their lives reflected. Data shows that mother tongue books also result in more parental involvement in children’s education. So it’s a really cool, positive bi-effect of publishing mother tongue books.

We can look at Haiti, for example. Some 95% of the population of Haiti speaks Haitian Creole. Really it’s only the elite that speak French fluently. The majority of the population who can’t speak French are excluded because they’re not able to come to school and learn. Empowering mother tongue creators has a huge impact on justice, equality and of course, on literacy.

NABU

Globally, some 773 million young people and adults aren’t achieving basic literacy, according to UNESCO, which leaves them vulnerable to social and economic exploitation.

What’s next for NABU? 

The potential reach of NABU is really huge. We’re launching our Tagalog collection in the Philippines and in the next year, Tamil, which is a language spoken in Sri Lanka and Southern India, and finally Hausa, which is a West African language where literacy rates for girls especially are really low. If we can do all of those language groups, I really believe we could reach 40 million children by 2025.

How can others help eradicate illiteracy in their own communities?

Every small action makes such a difference. We have a really cool new campaign called Build My Book. You can work with us to fundraise and commission our local authors and illustrators to create a book for kids on a topic or mission that really matters to you. Of course, anyone can download the app for free on Android or iOS, wherever you are in the world.
Tags
Personal Computers / Mobile Computing / Education / Technology and Innovation / Global Citizenship / Diversity
Posted In
Impact

Recommended Stories

This inventor is teaching STEAM skills to Indigenous youth, one robot at a time, in The Big Idea

Danielle Boyer, a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, creates free robot kits that connect Indigenous students to their cultural past and teaches them tech skills that will shape their future.

From concrete to canopy: The revival of the UK’s Mersey Forest

With support from partners like the Arbor Day Foundation with funding from HP, this revitalized forest that stretches across the north of England has doubled the amount of woodland in the region.

Watch how one woman is helping Black mothers and babies in The Big Idea: Birth Without Bias

Kimberly Seals Allers founded the Irth App, a platform that empowers Black and Brown parents with crowd-sourced, peer reviews to help combat bias in maternal healthcare.