Every year on International Mother Language Day, the world recognizes a powerful truth: children learn best in the language they understand.
Yet UNESCO estimates that 40% of children globally are taught in a language they do not speak at home, creating significant barriers to literacy and long-term educational outcomes.
When children are separated from their language in school, they are separated from familiarity, confidence, and identity.
At NABU, we believe language should be a bridge, never a barrier.
Expanding Access Across 40+ Languages
Over the past year, NABU has continued expanding its multilingual digital library so more children can begin their literacy journey in a language they know.
Today, we offer over 1200+ books in 40+ languages, with new additions continuing to grow.
In the past year alone, we:
- Wolof has been added to the platform through our partnership with BAL. You can find all the project details here
- Expanded our Arabic collection
- Began developing additional local language titles in Cameroon
Each new language added to the platform represents inclusion in action. It means more children can strengthen comprehension, build early confidence, and develop stronger bridges to additional languages.
The Impact in Practice
Marie Ange Nkorereimana, a teacher in Rwanda, shares:
“Integrating NABU content into my lessons has made a meaningful difference. My students are more motivated to read. I’ve seen the impact at home too — my son’s confidence in Kinyarwanda has grown, and his English reading level has improved. The growth shows how powerful accessible digital books can be for multilingual learners.”
Her story reflects broader research: children who begin reading in their mother tongue build stronger foundations for second-language acquisition and long-term academic success. Mother tongue education does not limit opportunity. It strengthens it.
Guardians of Language, Leaders of Tomorrow
Every child deserves to see their world reflected in a book. When children read stories rooted in their culture and language, they do not just learn literacy skills - they develop pride, identity, and possibility.
At NABU, we remain committed to publishing high-quality, culturally relevant stories that ensure children are not only readers of language, but guardians of it.
Want To Get Involved?
- Start Reading Today Access NABU’s free children’s books in local languages through our mobile app and web reader. Visit the NABU Web Reader
- Support Our Mission Your support helps us publish more stories and reach more children. Donate here
Interested in Partnership? Collaborate with us to expand access to local language books. Contact us
Donate
Your donation makes a difference. Join us in our mission to ensure every child has equal access to literacy and learning resources.
THE IMPACT OF YOUR GIFT
NABU is free for children, families, and teachers, thanks to our generous donors. Your donation can make a big difference:
- $25 monthly subscription for one child: Provide access to the NABU app and hundreds of bilingual books for a child and their family
- $45 monthly subscription for one classroom: Gift NABU to a teacher for use in their classrooms to support student learning
- $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