Folktale Fridays

The Legend of the Six Unusual Friends is a folktale originally from West Africa. It is a story about six animals that came together on the basis of bringing each one's best abilities and talents to work in partnership to achieve peace and harmony in their community. The story touches on the following UN sustainable development goals- SDG16, which calls governments to "Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels", SDG5 which calls for all citizens to work together to "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls" and SDG17 which calls for the global community to "Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development". The story also provides opportunities for educators and parents to discuss common human values such as fairness, friendship, cooperation, unity, and kindness among others. Little children everywhere will enjoy seeing themselves reflected in the characters of the six unusual friends. For more information on this and more stories, please visit: www.africanfolktalesproject.com

The Legend of the First Female Hunter is a story with roots in Lesotho, possibly first told by the San (Bushmen) tribe of Southern Africa, known for their impeccable hunting and gathering skills and intricate indigenous knowledge of the flora and fauna of the Kalahari desert. It is a tale about the division of labour between men and women, and is tied to the UN SDG 5 that calls for world citizens to unite to "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls". The story inspires not just girls but everyone to participate in the discussion of what knowledge, skills and wisdom that each individual can bring to the table to solve problems that affect everyone. It will encourage teachers and parents to enable children to discover their individual strengths to become active citizens. The story also encourages children to spend more time outdoors learning about the natural environment. For more information about the African indigenous knowledge system, please visit www.africanfolktalesproject.com

The Legend of the First Wild Fire is an imaginative folktale from Nigeria, detailing the events that led to the Sun and the Moon relocating to the skies after having previously lived on Earth. It is a warning tale told mainly to teach children about the dangers of playing with fire. This version has been reimagined to incorporate the warning signs of climate change, and it is aligned with the UN SDG 13 that calls on all world citizens to "Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts". Embedded in the story are other positive values such as friendship and the spirit of togetherness, illustrated in the special relationships that the Earth's elements- Wind, Fire, Water- have with the Earth, the Sun and the Moon. This tale is a delight to retell and inspires little world citizens to become conscious eco citizens too.

The Legend of the First Wild Fire is an imaginative folktale from Nigeria, detailing the events that led to the Sun and the Moon relocating to the skies after having previously lived on Earth. It is a warning tale told mainly to teach children about the dangers of playing with fire. This version has been reimagined to incorporate the warning signs of climate change, and it is aligned with the UN SDG 13 that calls on all world citizens to "Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts". Embedded in the story are other positive values such as friendship and the spirit of togetherness, illustrated in the special relationships that the Earth's elements- Wind, Fire, Water- have with the Earth, the Sun and the Moon. This tale is a delight to retell and inspires little world citizens to become conscious eco citizens too.

The Legend of the First Rainbow can be traced back to Botswana. It is an embedded narrative in which the folklore of the sighting of the first rainbow is nested in between a secondary narrative, told within a contemporary tale that is shared by a grandmother to her grandchildren. At the end of the story, the children are inspired to take an adventurous trip to the local market where they endeavor to conduct a scientific experiment using local produce in the colours of the rainbow. This story is a great resource for a STEM project, and urges all children to be inquisitive, imaginative and to dream big! It is aligned with the UN SDG4 which aims to "Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all". The story provides educators with other ways of promoting learning outside the formal classroom experience.

The Legend of the enchanted Forest is a folktale of the Maasai tribe in Kenya. The original version is known as The Lost Child, which is a story about a girl who gets lost inside the mysterious Loita Forest in the Great Rift Valley. It was used as a warning for children to not wander too far into the forest alone. This version reimagines a slightly different message, and challenges children to learn about the biodiversity of the natural landscape around them, and introduces such values as caring, hard work and determination to find solutions to problems affecting our immediate communities. This story is aligned with the UN SDG4, which endeavors to "Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all" and compliments SDG15, which calls all world citizens to "Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss". This story is an ode to the value of indigenous wisdom and traditional knowledge, which we believe needs to be taught in all schools everywhere.

The Legend of the Clever Rat is a story that originated on one of the islands in Zanzibar, most likely emerging out of the trading experiences of different spice merchants. It is an extension of a Swahili parable, which, translated into English means, "A rat trap traps those who are inside, and those who are outside". It is a metaphor used to explain the problems that can occur when one group of people in any society are marginalized or denied equal access to resources that are vital to their ability to continue living a fruitful and healthy life. In this story, the rat symbolizes the oppressed and challenges listeners to consider how equity can be re-imagined to ensure that all citizens have equal rights to basic needs such as food and shelter. The story also demystifies the myth held in many cultures that describes the rat as a dirty, unwanted creature. The little rat in this story emerges as a symbol of kindness, care, wisdom and intelligence, while also demonstrating the ability to find new and innovative ways of solving a problem. The lessons contained in The Legend of the Clever Rat are aligned with the UN SDG2 which endeavors to "End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture" and SDG10, which endeavours to "Reduce inequality within and among countries".

The Legend of the Hungry Hyena is a rare and original folktale of the Daasanach tribe of Northern Kenya, one of the last keepers of an ancient language that had never been translated into written form until 2019. The story has been in the care of the Daasanach people and has not been reinvented. This version adds an additional ending that challenges learners to consider the ways in which individual action affects individual and collective survival on our planet. It touches on the values of sharing, being content and learning to control one's impulses. The Legend of the Hungry Hyena is aligned with UN SDG 12 that challenges individual and collective action towards sustainable consumption and production patterns.

The Legend of the Little Sunbird is an original version recorded for the African Folktales Project- www.africanfolktalesproject.com. An older version of this story can be traced all over South America, in tribes that are of Afro descent, and in that story the main character is a hummingbird. However, hummingbirds are not found in Africa, but the closest species in relation is a sunbird, that functions in the same way as a hummingbird. These tiny birds are highly specialized in pollination and are critical for the continued diversification of African flora and fauna. This story commemorates this year's Earth Day (April 22, 2021) and is aligned with the following sustainable development goals- SDG 13, SDG 15, SDG 17. Please check them out to learn more about what each individual can do to improve life on our planet for all of us and everything else in it. Our story concludes with a special djembe solo production, performed by a young boy who is passionate about traveling and discovering the world. We hope that this story will inspire more children to work together and become active citizens of the world, mindful of the impact that their individual choices make at home, in their communities, in their countries, and in our world.

The legend of the mighty Baobab tree can be traced throughout Africa. Several versions of the folktale exist, and this version is written and edited exclusively for the African Folktales Project- www.africanfolktalesproject.com. The story introduces children to nature sounds and a variety of African animals that roam free in the savanna. The moral of the story is tied to SDG12 which aims to "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns". Children will be left to contemplate what would happen to others if one citizen consumes more resources than their fare share. It teaches children to be mindful of their individual consumption, and promotes the value of fairness and sharing.