The premiere of Kunda & Friends, the flagship animated series from children’s media publisher and creative studio Kunda Kids, will take place on May 29 at The Cineworld Cinema, The O2, in Greenwich, London.
A pre-seed funding round of $700,000 was also recently closed by the company, with participation from Zrosk Investment Management, Voltron Capital, Argentil Capital, HoaQ, Kaleo Ventures, angel investors Abi Ajayi, Chiamaka Ezenwa, Adetayo Bamiduro of MAX, and Benjamin Fernandes, CEO of Nala Money.
“With this funding, we can keep developing the Kunda Kids app and collaborating with artists from the African diaspora.”
According to a survey conducted in 2022 by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, black and multiracial characters are among the least frequently featured groups in children’s media (1.9% and 0.6%, respectively).
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Kunda Kids was created with the goal of revolutionising children’s media about Africa. Parents and teachers may help children become global citizens who respect and value diversity by introducing them to aspects of African history and culture in engaging, kid-friendly ways.
The 3D animated children’s show Kunda & Friends is a musical adventure set in Africa. The adventures of Kunda, a little boy of African and Asian descent, and his pals Sana, a girl of African and Indian descent, and Fela, a boy from Nigeria, and their animal companions Leo the lion and Ella the elephant, are chronicled in this animated series.
Afrobeats and Amapiano, popularised by Grammy-winning performers like Ladysmith Black Mambazo and more contemporary artists like Burna Boy and WizKid, provide as inspiration for the music in the Kunda & Friends soundtrack.
The series’ narrative centres on friendship and teaches youngsters valuable prosocial lessons, giving teachers and parents a chance to interact with their children through shared viewing.
“I am overjoyed to report that our pre-seed round has closed, and I am extremely appreciative to the awe-inspiring investors who share our goal. We can now officially establish Kunda & Friends and begin funding Africa’s amazing creative talent. Together, we will change the narrative by fostering a new generation of African storytellers.” says Kunda & Friends creator, Oladele Olafuyi.
“It is our goal to make available high-quality stories in a variety of media for children all around the world so that they can learn more about Africa’s rich and diverse past. It’s crucial that kids be able to relate to and identify with characters in high-quality media. They can become the leaders of tomorrow if we let them feel a part of something bigger than themselves from a young age.” says Kunda & Friends, co-creator Louisa Olafuyi.
Providing greater avenues for African talent in publishing and production is central to Kunda Kids’ aim.
The studio is dedicated to hiring talented people from many walks of life, including those who work in animation, painting, writing, production, and business. Co-founder of Creatures Animation Studio and former Disney producer Raymond Malinga is also the director of Kunda & Friends, and he has said, “Kunda & Friends is an opportunity to affect not just children all across the world, but also the lives of artists who wish to participate in performances of a grander scale.
On Monday, May 29th, you can watch the first four episodes of Kunda & Friends, with subsequent episodes airing weekly.
About Kunda Kids
Inspiring the next generation of global citizens, Kunda Kids is an award-winning children’s media publisher and creative company. In 2020, husband-and-wife duo Oladele and Louisa Olafuyi launched a children’s publishing company called Kunda Kids with the goal of introducing more African culture, history, and language learning to the field and using stories to instil virtues like independence, cooperation, and kindness in young readers. Over 130 nations have downloaded the Kunda Kids app, and the company has sold over 25,000 books.