Munthali wins AU award
Malawian animator Bertha Lilian Munthali has won an award in a competition where the African Union (AU) and its partners sought to create an action driven world.
Munthali has been recognised by the Boma of Africa Festival spearheaded by the Afro champion for her animated cartoon focused on children on the continent.
She said in an interview: “They were looking for one exceptional work of art in each category. I submitted a cartoon/animation in the Africa Renaissance Category and my work beat several submissions from across the continent.
“My work was under the Yellow Kingdom Network, an African themed child edutainment network, which has the components of Kamdothi doll, the animations, children’s bedtime stories and the newly added show called Malawiamoto Village.”
Munthali said the animation teaches children how poor farming practices are contributing to an unsustainable future.
Submitted under the festival’s creative arts, the creation has won $10 000 (about K7.3 million.
Munthali said she will invest the prize in the Malawiamoto Village Show run by her African dolls.
“The show will teach kids several social economic and cultural lessons that we experience everyday, but from the angle of a child,” she said.
In the challenge, artists from across Africa submitted poems, short stories, animations, games, culinary art, cartoons, short videos, short audio, visual art, fashion, and craft.
According to its website: “Entrants are to submit daily artistic work exploring these themes—African Unity is About Difference, African Science is Universal Science, Africa’s Future is in its Past and Globalisation is Africa’s Friend.
“The festival seeks to move beyond mere deliberations and delve deep into actions that can inspire Africans to trailblaze in various fields such as science and technology, education and creative arts.”
Munthali’s Yellow Kingdom Network entertains and educates children with toys and dolls, story books, animations and shows.
The teacher-cum-nutritionist, also launched the African girls doll line based on a Kamdothi folklore in 2017.
She said: “I created this network not to be like Disney or Nickelodeon, but to be an African themed network that bridges the gap created by foreign content.
“I also wanted to contribute to the socialisation of an African child, introduce them to Africa as their home, make them proud of who they are and what they have and alert them of the danger of not being patriotic occupants of the land.”
