Tamkara Adun and her community are reshaping the way African histories and languages are taught

Learn how creator Tamkara Adun built an engaged learning community and educational product line to teach decolonized African language and history.

After Tamkara, her husband, and her two young children moved from Nigeria to the Netherlands the world changed. The family was immersed into a foreign culture, Tamkara had to quit her career in HR, and her children were enrolled in a new school.

Tamkara noticed that in the new school program, the children were studying history from the European view that did not cover many of Africa's stories, cultures, and achievements.

She recalls "They learned a little about African culture however, it was a history written in a colonized story which did not mention the incredible ancestors of their people. I did not want them to become so swallowed up by other's stories that they lost their personal. I would like them to have a broad understanding and also be able to comprehend their African heritage in a way that is authentic and believed in by them."

Eager to fill this space, Tamkara decided she would instruct them all by herself. She started reading influential African authors, conversing with relatives, and digging into the internet's archives. "As I began to teach them, I realized there was a lot I didn't know," she remembers. "In doing the work of teaching the students, I was learning about myself."

Tamkara knew that if she or her family members needed the information she had, other people might too.

"It was a long and difficult journey for me. Once I began, I realized that there was no way around. The more you understand what you've learned, the more you don't know. I was determined to continue studying and absorbing this fresh information. However, I also wanted to share. The gift of knowledge is to share it with others. It is not something you should keep to yourself."

The belief in this premise prompted Tamkara to start an online business named Odunife , which means "Year of Love" in Yoruba as well as to build an environment that is based on reciprocity. Others were eager to rediscover historical events by using the African lens, and the more she taught, the more her audience was able to teach her.

Their contributions and questions, combined with her research led to educational courses as well as ebooks a children's book , a language school  and one-on-one coaching programs that expand the world's understanding of African culture and.

Building a collaborative community of learning

The community is the core and soul of Tamkara's business which began with a simple social media account . She wanted space to document the things she was learning even if it wasn't glanced at by a small group of users. "It was like an echo," she remembers. "I put information out, and there was no response."

Then, slowly, Tamkara began to connect with people who are who were interested in African historical events from a decolonized, African-centered viewpoint. The more content Tamkara shared she shared, the more followers engaged in a conversation, shared, or tagged their friends. People who follow Tamkara also started sharing their knowledge and experience and creating a learning environment.

"It's an open-ended relationship in which I share, but I'm in the process of learning."

"I write an idea , and people in the comments will expand on the concept," she explains. "It's a community of learning where we're building our knowledge about the past and what happened that have happened in the past."

Tamkara gained momentum through connecting with other creators in her niche, guest posting and leading with passion.

In the beginning, Tamkara contacted thought leaders she was awed by via comments or direct messages. Tamkara informed them that their content resonated with her and reshared the content of their followers to amplify their voices. The group would regularly go to her website and keep following her in the spirit of reciprocity.

Finally, audience members could tell she was enthusiastic about what she did. "People can sense that you are passionate about your work. It creates trust and builds loyalty. I focused on posting good material that people would naturally want to share and put me in front of even more people," she explains.

Within two years, her followers grew from 50 followers to 24,000.

Tamkara's social network has served as the foundation of her efforts all the way. Together with her followers, they have established a constructive feedback loop in which all participants can learn and share their knowledge with each others. With such a wealth of knowledge, Tamkara knew it was time to go bigger and create her first product.

Create a community by bringing together products

"I always listen to people. Many times especially on Instagram the users tell you what they're looking for. When something we both are seeking isn't available I'm compelled to come up with an service."

The author also wrote a kids' novel titled Osasu and it was titled the Great Wall of the Benin Empire . It told the story of African ingenuity she wanted her kids to learn about, and she knew other families in her community would be interested in a book about African cultural heritage.

"It's great to appreciate the other cultures that are part of different parts of the globe, but African kids must have a grasp of their history too. It builds self-pride and creates confidence in yourself," she elaborates. "I think every tale, each and every story should be on the screen."

The next step was the language school.

"Many individuals have stated that they would like to study African languages, and especially, our sisters and brothers living in diaspora, whose ancestors were taken away during the African Maafa and their languages stripped away."

Her first venture was to lead small group sessions in order in order to teach her mother tongue in a casual learning environment. "Anyone could join Zoom and join in. The event was enjoyable. There was laughter. I saw the gap and an excitement."

So Tamkara joined forces with teachers of languages across Africa in order to create an online school of language .

Then, when the audience members approached her and asked questions with complex answers, Tamkara created a 1:1 coaching service.

"A lot of people message me with questions. I would love to make time to answer all of them, but certain questions require more time thinking, energy, and research. The coaching packages let us talk about the whole issue."

By working with her communityof supporters, Tamkara continually identifies needs and then fills them with items that spread information, truth, and joy.

: A versatile platform for multi-passionate entrepreneurs

With a variety of passions and an endless list of ideas, Tamkara needed a place to house her work. It brought her to .

"I wanted an opportunity that offered flexibility," Tamkara reflects. "I awake in the morning and have so many ideas in my head. I wanted a platform that would allow me to have all my ideas all in one place."

"Having my team on hand whenever I have technical problems eliminates the anxiety and pressure of trying to figure everything out myself. I'm grateful that they have not just been there for me , but also collaborated in building my company," she shares.

"I'm big on communicating and love having different touchpoints for my friends to chat. If I'm online I can talk to them immediately. If I'm not there, I'll get an email alert so that I can reach out. You can also broadcast emails to my full public or a specific group interested in one of my products. It's been a game changer."

Simply put, creators need tools that free them up to concentrate on what they do best. As Tamkara puts it, " eliminates the technical anxiety and allows me to concentrate on my artistic projects, which is exactly what I do best. There's someone there to help and assist me. That is invaluable."

Tamkara's adviceis to get help and follow your dreams

As she built Odunife, Tamkara learned how crucial it was having a supportive system and make bold moves. Tamkara advises others to do the same.

Concentrate on your strengths and avoid on your own.

It's common for entrepreneurs to wear ten hats However, Tamkara insists on the fact that there is no way to do it alone. "You can't do everything," Tamkara emphasizes. "Figure out what you are good at best and put your energy there. In the areas where you're not so proficient ask others to assist you."

Do not wait around for things to be flawless

Are you looking for something to communicate your thoughts with others? Tamkara suggests taking the plunge and learning on the way.

"Don't just wait for everything to be perfect, since you'll never get it," Tamkara says.

"The journey of learning is through doing. If you have an idea, pursue it. There's no way to know what might come out of it. Your original idea will change as you go through numerous iterations. However, if you put off trying to achieve perfection, you'll never get started."

You'll discover what you want to do and learn ways to achieve it by getting started.

"We learn to cut tree by cutting." -- African Proverb

All that Tamkara has learned about being an artist, she acquired on the job. It can be intimidating starting from scratch But nothing is going to occur until you take that first step .

"A lot of people didn't see my vision, but I was able to trust my inner conviction that this is something I need to accomplish. Most of the time the intuition of our minds can tell us things we may not be able to physically experience. If your mind is insisting that you do something, your spirit is nudging you towards an idea, look into it and follow that path."

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