I live on the edge of the Okavango Delta in Botswana, an amazing place where an inland delta turns the dry Kalahari sands into a wildlife paradise. Within this area there are many communities living a traditional rural lifestyle, however with development moving in at a rapid rate this situation is changing fast. I have been watching this for many years and wanted to write a story about African children growing up in both worlds using some of the old myths and beliefs to create a fantacy world. It is also a story about environmental issues particularly water.I spend a lot of my time working with communities and see the problems development can bring. However in this modern world it is something we cannot escape and I think a better understanding in children will help to bring about more of a sustainable balance. Enna Neru
An African Tale
by Enna Neru
An African Tale
by Enna Neru
Published Jun 30, 2009
159 Pages
Genre: JUVENILE FICTION / Readers / Beginner
Book Details
Africa the land of extremes, drought, floods, beauty, devastation, vibrant life and miserable death. Into this land are born two children with a shared destiny and two very different backgrounds. One from a rural village in the Okavango Delta Botswana, with mud huts, no electricity and no mod cons. The other from Gaborone the capital city with all its westernizations of cell phones TV’s cars etc.
They are descended from Ledimo a semi god who for centuries was immortal and controlled the weather. However as we enter into the modern age his power slowly starts to fade and he becomes mortal. The power is still there though contained in a simple stone in the shape of a tornado looking very much like a diamond. It has been decreed that there will be two children born at the same time who will be able to harness the power of the stone but only if they are in agreement with each other.
Water is becoming an issue and there are powerful forces at work to control this resource.
We meet talking geckos, friendly snakes, flying donkeys and a host of other creatures as we travel from the beginning of human time to the present day.
Book Excerpt
At the beginning of Human time which is longer than long, long ago but not as long as time before humans, there was a large fresh water lake in the middle of the southern part of the continent now known as Africa. The waters of the lake were full of fish and its shores abounded with animal life. There were Kudu and Impala, Wildebeest and Zebra, all of which humans had learnt to hunt for food. There were also Lions and Leopards that fed off these animals and could pose a threat to an unwary human. However this was a very pleasant place to spend ones time and the advantages of having fresh water, shady trees and an abundance of food far outweighed the disadvantages of becoming a lion dinner. Settlements slowly started to grow up around the lake. Large Acacia trees provided plenty of shade in summer and the abundance of grass not only meant the animals had plenty to eat but they could also use it to make nice cosy shelters for the winter.