Guided by 1 Peter 4:10's call to use their gifts to serve others, Karen Flynn, EdD, CCC-SLP, professor of communication sciences and disorders at Samford University’s School of Health Professions, and Sydney Graves, fourth year communication sciences and disorders student created a children's book to support language development and literacy in Tanzania.
During a previous mission trip, Flynn realized many children had limited access to books and educational resources, especially ones reflecting their culture and everyday experiences.
"It was what I needed the first time I went," Flynn said. "I felt like I could have done so much more had I had something like that."
Determined to meet this need, Flynn wrote Juma and the Village Animals, a children's book featuring familiar landscapes, animals and experiences. When she learned of Graves' passion for art, she invited her to illustrate the book.
Using photographs from Flynn's previous trips, Graves created illustrations depicting Tanzanian villages and the animals children commonly encounter in their daily lives, including goats, chickens, cats and dogs. The main character, Juma, was inspired by a Tanzanian man who has worked closely with the mission team.
"We wanted every child who opened that book to feel genuinely seen in its pages," Graves said.
The book was written in English and Swahili, with translation provided by Flynn's Tanzanian collaborator, John Warioba.
Over the summer, Flynn and Graves traveled to Tanzania with Rachel Hagues, PhD, MSW, a social work professor in the School of Public Health, whose research over the last few years has focused on gender discrimination in Tanzania.
“When I finally finished and got to see all those hours of work come together in a finished book that we were actually going to bring to children in Tanzania, it made every bit of it worth it,” Graves said.
The team brought nearly 200 copies of Juma and the Village Animals, distributing them to children and families in schools, churches and clinics. For some children, it was the first book they had ever held, much less owned.
During one session, Flynn and Graves demonstrated how caregivers could use illustrations, animal sounds and movement to engage children while reading. After practicing the techniques together, mothers and grandmothers laughed, pointed to pictures and imitated the animals.
The bilingual book became a resource for teaching language and social skills, introducing English vocabulary and encouraging interaction between children and their caregivers.
The books were also used in schools serving children with disabilities, Bible studies and clinics supporting children with developmental and communication challenges.
For Flynn, the experience reinforced the importance of providing resources that reflect children's everyday lives.
"It wasn't just a book; it was a book that they related to," Flynn said.
Following the response to Juma and the Village Animals, Flynn and Graves have begun working on a second book, Juma Goes to the Market, introducing children to another familiar part of Tanzanian life.
"I never imagined that a single conversation with Dr. Flynn would lead me here, but I am endlessly grateful that God did and I cannot wait to see what comes next," Graves said.
For Flynn, the success of the project reaffirmed the power of meeting children where they are.
