China, Kenya launch Mandarin textbook series for East African learners

China's Hubei Changjiang Publishing and Media Group has partnered with the University of Nairobi to launch a series of Chinese-language textbooks tailored for East African learners, marking a new chapter in China-Africa educational and cultural cooperation.

The new Eastern African Practical Chinese Textbook Series, launched on Friday, is the first Mandarin language series aligned to African curricula reflecting the local context. Presented at the launch ceremony were also bilingual picture books "My African Hut" and "My Leaking Roof".

The stories explore the lives of children from marginalized areas of Kenya through the eyes of African children learning Chinese, blending familiar environments with new linguistic frontiers.

"These books are voices. They are journeys. They are bridges between languages, cultures and continents," Faith Mworia, author of "My African Hut" and "My Leaking Roof", said, adding that they help foster deeper connections between African and Chinese youths.

Also featured at the event was Eunice Wang's "Journey Through Kenya", a tribute to East Africa's natural beauty and a call to protect and celebrate its landscapes.

The book, written for Chinese audiences, underscores the growing literary and emotional bonds between the two nations.

"This book reflects not only our collective reverence for the African landscape, but also our affection, responsibility, and hope that these wonders will be passed on to future generations," Wang shared.

With Mandarin now officially integrated into Kenya's education system, Kenya Publishers Association vice chair Agatha Karani underlined the need for high-quality, age-appropriate and culturally relevant Chinese teaching materials.

"Publishing is not just about printing books, it's about capturing values, identities and experiences. These textbooks do that in a way we have never seen before for Chinese language education," she said.

Karani noted that the publication ends the current scenario where most Chinese-language resources available in Africa were imported and lacked local resonance.

"Let us not design for Africa from the outside looking in. Let us design with Africa and from Africa-for Africans. That is what this partnership represents," she said.

Karani, noting that Kenya has a rich reservoir of stories, heritage and creativity underlined the publishers' eagerness to share Kenya's cultural content with Chinese audiences and equally, to access and understand Chinese literature.

"By exchanging rights and translations, we believe we can foster cross-cultural understanding and build publishing bridges between our two countries," she said.