Terry earned her BA in Fine Arts at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and worked in Botswana before moving to southern Ontario five years ago. Terry has a deep appreciation of the arts and traditions of these countries. Quoting the UN's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Terry states that “Africa is the most linguistically diverse continent in the world. People speak close to 2,000 different languages which is a third of the world's linguistic heritage.”
If the languages are lost, so too is the culture and this concerns her, as does the negative portrayal of Africa by North American media as a continent perpetually in need. Terry asserts, “There is a deep well of cultural richness and wisdom that Africa has to offer Canadians.” Bridging the gap in vision between the North American media-version of Africa and the Africa she knows and loves will benefit the children of African immigrants, those with African heritage and those with a connection to the continent and who feel the need to connect with these traditions, as well as the broader Canadian community.
This was Terry’s motive for working on the book project with author Selu Mdlalose of Vezani Publishing. “How Zebby the Zebra Lost His Stripes” is the first of a series for children. “Zebby” tells a story of identity lost and found; a theme Terry believes resonates with all children, but especially those growing up in a culture different from their family’s place of origin.
“Zebby” is available in English as well as, Shona and IsiNdebele, and Setswana. This makes “Zebby” an excellent teaching tool for Southern African parents who want to nurture their children’s connection to their culture of origin. Venancia N. of Kitchener in Canada says that “Zebby” is “a great resource for our kids to learn Shona and Ndebele. It’s an exciting story and they want to read it over and over again. The pictures make them laugh, and they really enjoy reading the Shona story even though they don’t understand all the words, but it is amazing how quickly they learn them!”
“Zebby” was an important part of “Culture Camp”, put on by the Zimbabwe / Canadian Association of Kitchener Waterloo’s (www.zimcanassoc.com) this summer. Children from around Ontario were exposed to the language, art, music and traditions of their parents’ Southern African homelands. Alice P. felt that “Zebby” was “…an exciting way to introduce the language to our young ones."
More exciting events are planned for 2011-2012 including workshops for children and seniors slated for the New Year, “African Heritage Celebration” which will take place on Family Day, February 21, 2012 at Forest Hill United Church and a second “Zimbabwe/African Culture Camp” for next summer.
By organizing cultural events and promoting Southern African language education Terry and the Zimbabwe / Canadian Association of Kitchener Waterloo are helping to build the kind of healthy community that can support new immigrants and which contributes positively to the multi-ethnic character of the region.
Jacqui Terry is an illustrator, artist and graphic designer whose art and projects reflect her passion for the culture and traditions of the Southern African people. (www.jacquiterry.com)
Vezani Publishing is a European based publisher and seller of children’s books in Setswana, Ndebele and Shona. Their passion is to see children experience their lives in their native languages and through that relate to their world in cultural context. We believe that learning to read is an essential part of this. (www.vezanipublishing.com)
Post published in: Arts