‘Pewa’s Ocean Adventure’ brings the sea to you
10-year-old serves as inspiration
Author Taati Niilenge aims to educate youngsters on the beauty of the ocean and help promote the tourism sector.
Ten-year-old Hedwich ‘Pewa’ Kanghuti from Walvis Bay influenced journalist Taati Niilenge to write an educative book for those who have never seen or been to the ocean to experience its beauty.
This comes after Niilenge took a group of children at the town for a boat trip and realised that most had never seen sea animals or been on a boat before.
The children’s book ‘Pewa’s Ocean Adventures’ was prompted by Kanguti and aims to educate youngsters in Namibia, Africa and the world at large to experience the beauty of the Namibian ocean and help promote the tourism sector.
It also aims to bring the Walvis Bay lagoon closer to those who are too far to travel to the town, and to attract those who want to visit Namibia’s coastal towns.
Niilenge said many children in remote areas hear about Walvis Bay, sea animals and the lagoon but have never seen a boat, a dolphin or flamingo in their lives.
“For the past two years, I have seen the tourism sector at the coast taking a huge economic plunge, and I thought a book would attract Namibians and tourists to visit the coastal towns of Namibia again,” she said.
Niilenge added that she has worked with the Lady Victoria and Walvis Bay Tour Guides boat companies, who allowed her to take the children on trips into the sea.
“I captured real-life pictures of everything Pewa experienced on the boat tours. We also worked with the Flamingo Villa Boutique Hotel where Pewa and her family stayed,” she said.
Create a reading culture
“This book’s objective is also to create a reading culture in children, as the world has changed from reading books to being addicted to electronic devices. We hope that this book will especially reach the remote areas of Namibia and Africa, where the imagination of rural children can be awakened,” she said.
Kanguti is happy the book is finished. “I also learnt that writing and publishing a book takes a long time. Now that it is done, I am happy that even children in the villages will know how the sea and its animals look like.
“The most memorable part of the journey of writing this book was when I saw my favourite ocean creature, the dolphins. I was very excited when people at World Ocean Day told me it was a good idea to come up with this book,” she added.
The author said she hopes the book will motivate people to write about their country.
“I see so many writers from other countries writing our stories. We are the citizens and should be telling our stories. I am looking forward to writing about our desert too. I urge interested people to support in printing more copies in other languages.”
The 40-page booklet has been translated into Oshiwambo, Afrikaans and Spanish. It was sold for the first time at the World Ocean Day celebrations at Walvis Bay on 10 and 11 June.
Listen to the kids
“Our wish is for companies to adopt schools in their towns and sponsor at least 10 books for the school’s library, so that every child can experience the beauty of the ocean.
“Proceeds from the book sales will go towards the Walvis Bay problem of drug abuse among learners,” Niilenge said.
Walvis Bay mayor Trevino Forbes said: “This book promotes tourism in Walvis Bay, and as we celebrate African Child’s Day, it is important to realise the importance of our children in Namibia and Africa at large”.
“We should listen to our children. The reason why most of us got into politics is to make a difference in the lives of our children.
“We are building a future for them and not for ourselves - everything we do as adults, corporates and politicians should be with them in consideration, he added.
Kanghuti’s teacher Ester Joseph said: “I am happy to see this book. Hedwich is very passionate about books and reads a lot. I saw her having interest in Taati's stories but never knew that she would like to be in a story herself.
“She is bright and talkative. I am not surprised that she wants to be a teacher”.
Niilenge has written several books with the Women's Leadership Centre in Windhoek, focusing on gender equality, in collaboration with other Namibian women.
‘Between Yesterday and Tomorrow’, ‘Our Lives in Our Own Hands’ and ‘We Must Choose Life’ were published in 2005, 2006 and 2008.
This comes after Niilenge took a group of children at the town for a boat trip and realised that most had never seen sea animals or been on a boat before.
The children’s book ‘Pewa’s Ocean Adventures’ was prompted by Kanguti and aims to educate youngsters in Namibia, Africa and the world at large to experience the beauty of the Namibian ocean and help promote the tourism sector.
It also aims to bring the Walvis Bay lagoon closer to those who are too far to travel to the town, and to attract those who want to visit Namibia’s coastal towns.
Niilenge said many children in remote areas hear about Walvis Bay, sea animals and the lagoon but have never seen a boat, a dolphin or flamingo in their lives.
“For the past two years, I have seen the tourism sector at the coast taking a huge economic plunge, and I thought a book would attract Namibians and tourists to visit the coastal towns of Namibia again,” she said.
Niilenge added that she has worked with the Lady Victoria and Walvis Bay Tour Guides boat companies, who allowed her to take the children on trips into the sea.
“I captured real-life pictures of everything Pewa experienced on the boat tours. We also worked with the Flamingo Villa Boutique Hotel where Pewa and her family stayed,” she said.
Create a reading culture
“This book’s objective is also to create a reading culture in children, as the world has changed from reading books to being addicted to electronic devices. We hope that this book will especially reach the remote areas of Namibia and Africa, where the imagination of rural children can be awakened,” she said.
Kanguti is happy the book is finished. “I also learnt that writing and publishing a book takes a long time. Now that it is done, I am happy that even children in the villages will know how the sea and its animals look like.
“The most memorable part of the journey of writing this book was when I saw my favourite ocean creature, the dolphins. I was very excited when people at World Ocean Day told me it was a good idea to come up with this book,” she added.
The author said she hopes the book will motivate people to write about their country.
“I see so many writers from other countries writing our stories. We are the citizens and should be telling our stories. I am looking forward to writing about our desert too. I urge interested people to support in printing more copies in other languages.”
The 40-page booklet has been translated into Oshiwambo, Afrikaans and Spanish. It was sold for the first time at the World Ocean Day celebrations at Walvis Bay on 10 and 11 June.
Listen to the kids
“Our wish is for companies to adopt schools in their towns and sponsor at least 10 books for the school’s library, so that every child can experience the beauty of the ocean.
“Proceeds from the book sales will go towards the Walvis Bay problem of drug abuse among learners,” Niilenge said.
Walvis Bay mayor Trevino Forbes said: “This book promotes tourism in Walvis Bay, and as we celebrate African Child’s Day, it is important to realise the importance of our children in Namibia and Africa at large”.
“We should listen to our children. The reason why most of us got into politics is to make a difference in the lives of our children.
“We are building a future for them and not for ourselves - everything we do as adults, corporates and politicians should be with them in consideration, he added.
Kanghuti’s teacher Ester Joseph said: “I am happy to see this book. Hedwich is very passionate about books and reads a lot. I saw her having interest in Taati's stories but never knew that she would like to be in a story herself.
“She is bright and talkative. I am not surprised that she wants to be a teacher”.
Niilenge has written several books with the Women's Leadership Centre in Windhoek, focusing on gender equality, in collaboration with other Namibian women.
‘Between Yesterday and Tomorrow’, ‘Our Lives in Our Own Hands’ and ‘We Must Choose Life’ were published in 2005, 2006 and 2008.
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