I first heard about American-born Igbo Udochi Okeke on youtube. She began to learn more about her culture after graduating from college and it came to the conclusion that the world was not doing justice to their stories. Udochi works as a software developer and has been on over trying to connect to her roots for over 10 years. Her journey includes learning the language, stories and important cultural rites of her Nigerian ancestors that she missed out on growing up in America. She began connecting with other people in Nigeria using the internet in 2017, and struck up a friendship with an Nigerian based musician from Anambra state who goes by the name Ọcha tk. After several years of working on translation videos including a video translating Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion and explaining how electricity works in Igbo language, they came up with the idea to start a children’s show starring a loveable puppet named Maazi Agu who is voiced by Ọcha tk himself.
If you are an Igbo parent looking for child-friendly, entertaining educational content using Igbo language, you are invited to subscribe to the all-new YouTube channel called Mmụta Dị Ụtọ. This new channel promises to provide expert guidance and information on child-friendly, entertaining educational content for children using Igbo language, on a regular basis.
This new YouTube channel was created specifically with the needs of parents who want their children to grow up with a knowledge of their culture and language in mind, and Mmụta Dị Ụtọ welcomes input on which topics to explore.
Udochi Okeke, Co-Founder at Mmụta Dị Ụtọ said: “No matter who you are, or what you do, I believe you can gain something from my channel. I really believe that. Whether you are an Igbo, a friend of Igbo, just curious or it just ended up on your feed. I hope people from all over the world will come to my YouTube channel and get a better appreciation for Africa, and themselves. I even hope other African cultures will get a better appreciation for themselves through the influence of this channel. This YouTube channel goes against the grain. It is different without trying to be, because Igbo culture is different. Some people believe all cultures are essentially the same, but there are some things that are unique in Igbo culture, and I strongly believe Igbo culture has something special to contribute to the world and the global conversation. I look forward to many more episodes to come..”
Mmụta Dị Ụtọ’s Co-Founder goes on to say: “The aim of the new YouTube Channel is to show young Igbo speakers how powerful their language is for expressing ideas of all kinds.” She also wants to “educate young Igbo speakers about a variety of topics in a way they can understand it so they can take that knowledge to do great things for their communities.
When asked what her goal is, Udochi she she seeks to “demonstrate the beauty of Igbo language and culture to those who are not familiar with it, and educate people about the versatility of Igbo language, symbols and stories. The more feedback we can get, the better we can serve our audience.”
If you are interested in child-friendly, entertaining educational content for children using Igbo language or you are a current Mmụta Dị Ụtọ fan or supporters, you can subscribe to the YouTube channel here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsYsgOrQUbmbP5RRRZ3Btjg
Alternatively, you are welcome to read more on the company website at: https://ikenganation.com
Some of the planned subjects for upcoming videos include:
– Important Cultural Activities & Attitudes – How various people, activities and attitudes in the culture are not only normal, but essential
– Videos about Igbo traditions (currently the channel features videos about the Igbo traditions of wrestling, palm wine tapping and traditional games played in Igbo land)
– Science Education & Mind Development. Some of the current videos on the channel include using science to explain what a rainbow is. Such an effort would dispell superstitious beliefs, and can be very beneficial to mind development.
– Health concepts like the videos on medicine, pain and ambulance
– New Igbo vocabulary words
– Teaching good behavior like the videos on the channel about how to get along with your siblings, parents and friends
The YouTube channel launched in 2020 and you can view all the latest videos here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsYsgOrQUbmbP5RRRZ3Btjg
You can find further details on the channel, the direction and other information on Mmụta Dị Ụtọ itself on their parent company’s website: https://ikenganation.com
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