Pierre Canisius Ruterana

Children's Literature in Rwanda: Translation of Fairy Tales Pierre Canisius Ruterana

Today, translating Kinyarwanda fairy tales offers one among many other opportunities to provide reading materials for children in foreign languages in order to cope with linguistic challenge of the education system in Rwanda. Translating fairy tales will provide reading materials in English for children, with Rwandan characters, plots, settings, history, and so forth. Although it is widely acknowledged that African rich oral traditions eclipse the print culture (reading and writing), there is also another important aspect of lack of relevant material that helps readers to identify themselves with their tradition. In order to facilitate the transition from an oral culture to a literate culture, it is important to avail reading materials from oral traditions based on local stories through translation. This particular case of providing reading materials to children through the collection,transcription, and translation of the many oral modes of expression is a contribution to the success of the education system in Rwanda. There are indeed many genres in children's literature that run the risk of falling into oblivion. Translation brings them back to life.