What comes to mind when you think of ancient African civilizations? Better yet, how many of them can you name? Egypt, Mali, and Nubi are some of the better-known ancient kingdoms, but the list does not end here. Over the years, there has been increased interest in the study of these cultures and societies, thereby leading to greater awareness.
Mona Nya knew about the existence of ancient African civilizations and had the opportunity to study them during her A-levels. She was fascinated by the stories that existed before colonization, but hardly encountered non-academic platforms that spoke about this period of African history after completing her studies. Frustrated by the lack of easy access to this information, she decided to provide a solution by telling the histories of her continent.
Inspired by her personal interest in audio storytelling, Mona created a platform through which she could share this knowledge. For her, podcasts have the power to transport a listener to the places being spoken of. AfriWetu Podcast was the product of this ideation process.
The first AfriWetu episode aired on March 1st 2020. It was a simple introductory episode, but one that held great meaning to Mona. It was the first step to a long journey. Since then, she has worked with producer Lee Kanyotu to build this audio-story repository. The two make a great team, with Mona working on the research and story delivery, and Lee bringing the stories to life with his audio production skills. Of the 29 episodes that have aired so far, the one that resonated with Mona the most was about the Bachwezi, a dynasty that ruled over the Kitara Empire. This episode hit close to home for her since it spoke of her matrilineal ancestry.
Beyond telling stories of ancient civilizations, AfriWetu also runs two other series that celebrate different facets of African history: Fables and Folklore, and Legends. “Rooted in our story, which is AfriWetu’s tagline, is our way of reminding listeners that stories foster a sense of belonging and as a result, everyone has a story to tell,” Mona says.
What more should listeners expect from AfriWetu? There’s lots of content underway, with so much history that predates colonization yet to be shared. The team is also working to animate the stories in their existing bank in order to reach new audiences through different media.