Adventures of Nkoza and Nankya
Youths (Kiddies) : Making New Friends
Synopsis:
Maama Nankya shares a bedtime story with Nankya, featuring a song called Enjovu. The story is based on an old folk tale and Luganda nursery rhyme we used to sing as kids growing up in Uganda, with an awesome moral of teaching kids to never ever be ashamed of who they are.
The goal of the short film is to encourage parents to build up their children and inspire them to celebrate their uniqueness, and how God created them.
Enjoy it with your little ones so they can learn a cool Luganda word: An Elephant is called Njovu in Luganda.
Details:
Uganda | USA | 4:26 Mins | Animation Short
Meet The Makers
The Creator and Director : Solomon W. Jagwe
Director’s Bio: Solomon W. Jagwe
He is a Freelance 3D Artist, Modeler, Animator, Painter, and Illustrator. He grew up on the outskirts of the Ugandan capital city – Kampala, on the slopes of a hill called Mutundwe. His early childhood was in the countryside – Masaka, far from the rumbles of the city traffic.
Solomon attended Ohio Valley University, Montgomery College and George Mason University. He majored in Art and Visual Technology with an Emphasis on 3D Environment Design and modeling, Character Modeling and Animation, Vehicle Modeling, and Simulation. He worked as a Storyboard Artist, an FMV Animator, 3D Artist, Environment and Level Designer, Modeling, Texturing and Matte Painter for several Defense contractors and Gaming Studios: Rival Interactive, Cornerstone, SAIC, and Camber.
From 2016 to 2018, he worked fulltime as the Art Director of Floreo, a VR (Virtual Reality) Gaming Studio based in the USA, creating VR gaming content to help kids with Autism develop social skills in a safe environment.
Director Statement
This film was inspired by my deep yearning to teach my two kids who were born here in the US, the value of their Ugandan cultural roots and language in a fun way. After my wife and I got married and had our two precious blessings, we talked at great length about the need to raise them with the knowledge of their African and Ugandan roots.
As young parents, we did our best to balance work/home life while raising our children. My wife was a stay at home mom, and she needed a solution to help our kids learn Luganda. I was inspired by this great need and I embarked on creating an African children’s series and app. Thus, the birth of our digital children, Nkoza and Nankya, and The Adventures of Nkoza & Nankya.
I pray that this story inspires parents out there, who are living in the diaspora, and far away from home, to endeavor to share moments of teaching their little ones, the value of their roots and cultural heritage.
Social Media Handle & Hashtags
https://www.facebook.com/NkozaandNankya
https://www.youtube.com/user/NkozaandNankya
https://www.instagram.com/solomonjagwe
#nkozaandnankya