Between April and June, NABU launched new programmes in six countries, published more than 1,300 titles across 41 languages, and brought our cumulative global reach to 14.2 million children since we started. Here's what that looked like on the ground.
A new chapter in Sudan
This quarter, NABU partnered with Oxford Learning Labs, the Amahoro Coalition, and UNICEF to create 40 original Arabic-language children's titles for learners in Sudan. The stories were illustrated by Sudanese refugee artists sourced through the Amahoro Coalition, so the books reflect the voices and experiences of the communities they're written for. The titles will be distributed to 3,000 schools, reaching an estimated 20,000 children with reading materials in their own language.
An Olympic champion becomes a first-time author
Olympic Rugby Sevens champion Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang travelled to Lagos, Nigeria, to launch his debut children's book, Go Akpan, published by NABU in English and Ibibio, with Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba translations underway. He read to children across local schools and communities during the visit, bringing the book directly to the young readers it was written for.
Picture1: Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang reading his book to children in Lagos, Nigeria
Rocket Rukundo lands in Kigali
Rocket Rukundo's Jungle Escapade officially launched at Green Hills Academy in Kigali on 27 May, in partnership with the Basketball Africa League, Visit Rwanda, and Rwanda's Ministry of Youth and Arts. It's the first Basketball Africa League story co-created entirely by Rwandan talent, developed through a government-supported creative fellowship. A few weeks later, we brought a Reading Corner to the BAL Season 6 Finals in Kigali, giving young fans a dedicated space to read mother-tongue titles courtside.
Picture 2: The NABU Reading Corner at the Basketball Africa League Season 6 Finals in Kigali, Rwanda.
Alongside the launch, NABU completed an independent literacy study in Rwanda with researchers from Arizona State University and the University of Michigan, reaching approximately 7,000 students across 54 schools. The findings will help sharpen how we measure impact going forward.
EmpoweREAD hits the halfway mark in South Africa
The EmpoweREAD initiative, delivered with GSM Systems South Africa and Project Isizwe, reached the halfway point of its deployment target this quarter: 28 of 54 target schools live, 26,600 children reached, and 280 teachers trained. Reading content is now available in three local languages, with device activation continuing through Q3 as more schools complete onboarding.
Growing across West and Central Africa
NABU expanded its partnership with IHS Towers in Côte d'Ivoire and launched a new collaboration with IHS Cameroon and Zénü Network, introducing children's books and digital reading resources in Medumba and Ewondo, two languages significantly underrepresented in children's publishing.
A Harvard Business School team visits Nairobi
Picture 3: Havard Business School Students with the team from NABU in Nairobi Kenya
NABU was selected as one of 156 partner organisations for Harvard Business School's FIELD Global Capstone programme, which supports immersive learning for over 900 students worldwide. A team of HBS students visited Nairobi, Kenya, engaging directly with local communities and observing the NABU app experience in the field.
"Every number in this report represents a child who now has a book in a language they understand. That is the work: not just reaching scale, but reaching it in a way that respects where a child comes from and how they learn best." — Camille Park, CEO, NABU
Q2 2026, at a glance
Since NABU's founding: 14.2 million children reached globally. 2.5 million-plus books downloaded. 1,300-plus titles published, across 41 languages.
This quarter alone: 20,000 children to be reached through new Sudan programming. 26,600 children reached through EmpoweREAD in South Africa. 7,000 students assessed through independent research in Rwanda.
Want the full picture, including creative partnerships, donor-funded projects, and the complete dashboard? Download the full Q2 2026 Impact Report.
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- $25 monthly subscription for one child: Provide access to the NABU app and hundreds of bilingual books for a child and their family
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- $1,500 to publish a children's book: Support our professional development initiatives, training local artists to create culturally relevant stories for children in their communities, with translations into 25 languages
- $5,000 to sponsor a country-wide children's radio program:Expand our impact through storytelling radio programs across an entire country