Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o has teamed up with a Nairobi-based media and tech startup, Kukua, to create a new YouTube Original children's show, dubbed Super Sema. Super Sema marks Africa's first child superhero animated series - an online short series for children about a 10-year-old Kenyan girl named Sema who has superpowers. In addition, Nyong'o will voice a character in the series. This comes just days after Nyong'o announced that her children's book 'Sulwe' is going to be an animated Netflix movie.
The book tells a story about colorism, self-esteem and learning that true beauty comes from within.
"We're so excited to announce SULWE, the animated musical, is coming to Netflix! Based off of Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o's New York Times bestselling book, SULWE tells the story of a young girl born "the color of midnight" who learns to embrace her inner and outer beauty," said Netflix.
The picture book published in October 2019 was a New York Times bestseller and has now been translated to Swahili and Luo.
Lupita said that through the Kiswahili and Luo translations, young children, along with parents and guardians, are encouraged to absorb new work in indigenous languages.