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

Find out how the the creator Tamkara Adun built an engaged learning community as well as an educational products to help teach decolonized African language and history.

The moment that Tamkara along with her husband along with her young kids 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 as well as her kids started attending a new school.

Tamkara was concerned that with the new school course, her kids were learning history from an European viewpoint that didn't include all of the African stories, cultures, and achievements.

She recalls "They learned a little about African culture, but it was history that was told through a colonized narrative which did not mention the importance of their ancestral ancestors. I didn't want them to be so absorbed in other people's histories that they lost their own. I would like them to have a broad understanding and also be able to comprehend their African history in a way that is authentic and believed in by them."

In a bid to bridge this gap, Tamkara decided she would instruct them all by herself. She started reading important African authors, conversing with her relatives and digging through the internet's archives. "As I began teaching them, I realized there was a lot I had not been taught," she remembers. "In the process of instructing my students, I was in the process of educating myself."

Tamkara realized that if and her family required this info, then others would also.

"It was a journey for me. Once I started, I knew there was no going around. As you learn more what you've learned, the more there is a lot you do not know. I was determined to continue learning and taking in this fresh information. However, I also wanted to pass it on. Knowledge is a gift. Don't save it just to yourself."

The belief in this premise prompted Tamkara to create an online company known as Odunife  meaning "Year of Love" in Yoruba as well as to build a community centered on reciprocity. Some were excited to revisit history by using the African lens. The more she taught, the more her audience was able to teach her.

Their questions and contributions, combined with her research led to the creation of educational classes and ebooks, a children's book , a language school  and the 1:1 coaching program that expand the world's understanding of African culture and.

A collaborative and supportive community for sharing and learning

The community is the core and the soul of Tamkara's company It all began with a simple social media account . Tamkara wanted to record what she was learning, even if it was only seen by a handful of followers. "It was as if it was an echo" she recalls. "I was putting information out, and no one was paying attention."

But gradually, Tamkara connected with others fascinated by African historical events from a decolonized, African-centered perspective. The more content Tamkara shared and shared, the more people reacted with her, reblogged, and even shared their posts with their followers. People who follow Tamkara also started sharing their own knowledge and experiences, creating a reciprocal learning environment.

"It's an exchange of information in which I share, but I'm also studying."

"I publish some thing  with the intention that people reading the comments expand on the idea," she explains. "It's a community of learning where we're building our knowledge of the past and events that have happened during the past."

Tamkara gained momentum by connecting with the creators of her field, guest blogging, and leading with passion.

In the beginning, Tamkara contacted thought leaders she admired through comments or direct messages. Tamkara informed them that their content resonated with her and reshared their content in order to amplify their voices. She would frequently visit her page and follow her in a spirit of reciprocity.

Finally, audience members could tell she was passionate about her work. "People can sense when you love what you're doing. This builds trust and loyalty. My focus was on creating good material that people would naturally want to share. This put me in front of more people," she explains.

In two years, her account grew from 50 followers to over 24,000 followers.

Tamkara's followers have formed the basis of her work every step of the way. Together with her followers, they have established a constructive feedback loop where all members can learn and share their knowledge with each others. With all the knowledge available, Tamkara knew it was time to go bigger and develop her own product.

Fill the gap with community-led solutions

"I always pay attention to what people say. Most of the time particularly on Instagram the users tell you what they're looking for. When something you and I are both seeking isn't available I'm forced to come up with an service."

Also, she wrote a children's novel titled Osasu as well as The Great Wall of the Benin Empire . It told the story of African innovation that she wanted her kids to remember, and she knew other households in the community would be interested in a book about African culture.

"It's amazing to learn about other histories that belong to various parts of the world, but African youngsters must be aware of their history too. This builds self-esteem and confidence in oneself," she elaborates. "I think every story, every history, should be on the screen."

The language school came next.

"Many people said they wanted to learn African languages, especially our sisters and brothers from the diaspora who's ancestral ancestors were evicted during the African Maafa and their languages taken away."

Then she started facilitating free group language sessions for sharing her language within a friendly learning space. "Anyone could join Zoom and attend. The event was enjoyable. There was laughter. I noticed the difference and some interest."

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

When audience members approached her asking questions that required complex responses, Tamkara created a 1:1 coaching service.

"A majority of my readers send me with questions. I would love to make an effort to reply to each of them, but others require more effort, thought, emotional energy and study. The coaching packages let us engage in a lengthy conversation."

Through her work with the communityof supporters, Tamkara continuously identifies need and fills them with products that share information, love and love.

: A versatile platform for multi-passionate entrepreneurs

With a variety of passions and a never-ending flow of thoughts, Tamkara needed a place to store her ideas. It led her to .

"I was looking for an online platform that could give flexibility," Tamkara reflects. "I awake in the morning and have so many ideas in my mind. I needed a space that would allow me to have all my ideas on one platform."

"Having an experienced team member whenever I have technical problems removes the pressure and strain of having to solve everything on my own. I'm grateful that they have not just been there for me , but also collaborated with me to build my company," she shares.

"I'm big on communicating and I love the variety of touch points to talk to my people. When I'm online, I can talk to them immediately. If I'm not online, I'll get an email so that I can reach out. It's also possible to send emails broadcast to my whole audience or a segmented group who are interested in my products. This has been an amazing game changer."

In essence, creatives require devices that allow them to focus on their work. According to Tamkara puts it, " eliminates the technical stress and gives me space to focus on my creative activities, which is the thing I do best. It's a place where I can get help and encourage me. This is invaluable."

Tamkara's advice: Get assistance and pursue your goals

As she built Odunife, Tamkara learned how important it is having a supportive system and make bold moves. She advises other creators to follow the same advice.

Concentrate on your strengths and don't go it alone

It's common for entrepreneurs to be able to do ten jobs However, Tamkara reminds creators that nobody can do it alone. "You can't do everything," Tamkara emphasizes. "Figure out what you are good at best , and then put your effort there. If you are in areas where you're not so proficient, get people to help you."

Don't wait for things to be perfect

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

"Don't wait for everything to be perfect, since they'll never be perfect." Tamkara says.

"The journey of learning is through doing. If you've got an idea, take it to it. It's impossible to predict what's going to result from it. Your original idea will change, and you'll have iterations along the way. However, if you put off trying to get it right, you'll likely never get started."

Discover what you wish to accomplish and discover methods to get it done when you begin.

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

All that Tamkara knows about being creative was learned from her job. It can be intimidating starting from scratch however nothing can occur until you've taken your first steps .

"A lot of people didn't notice my vision. However, I went on that inner conviction that this is something I have to do. In most cases, our intuition knows things we do not necessarily know physically. If your mind is saying to you that you should take action, or your heart is nudging you towards something, explore that idea and take that step."

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