— Nigerian animator creates groundbreaking cartoon that connects children to education and culture —
(BLACK PR WIRE) — Nigerian animator, Adamu Waziri has made it his mission to ensure that children of color are not invisible when they watch their favorite cartoons. Waziri has been filling the void in animation with his show, Bino and Fino which connects children to characters and stories that are reflective of who they are.
“There is a hunger for such programs and parents feel let down by major broadcasters in this regard” said Waziri. “All of the children’s cartoons where I’m from are imported. Plus none of them showed any characters that look like us. The older I became – the more I noticed it in other African countries. This can be very damaging,” he added.
Popular Psychotherapist, Dr. Dwayne Buckingham says that “shows like “Bino and Fino” are imperative to the growth and success of children.” Buckingham added that, “It is crucial that children have a strong sense of who they are in the early stages of their childhood. They have to navigate through the challenges of life with a strong self-perception because it empowers them through their development and helps them excel through the obstacles of life,” said Buckingham.
“Bino and Fino” is centered on a brother and sister who live in a modern day city in sub- Saharan Africa with their family and grand-parents. In each episode, “Bino and Fino,” along with their friend Zeena, the Magic Butterfly, discover fascinating aspects about the world. The global show is growing a world-wide fan base.
Three year old, London Blake from St. Louis, Missouri watches “Bino and Fino” via YouTube. Blake said, “I like Bino and Fino because I learn new things when they go on adventures but I really love Fino because she looks like me and even her hair is like mine,” said Blake.
Waziri says that it is important to have characters in programming that children, like Blake can find commonalities with. “It’s amazing how children get so excited about the fact that there are characters who look like them. Parents tell us their kids say, ‘Fino is brown like me or Bino looks like my brother. Those are very subtle but powerful statements we hope to hear more of,” ended Waziri.
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