For many African immigrant families raising children in the United States, preserving their native language and cultural traditions can be a challenge. As younger generations grow up speaking primarily English, the languages of their parents and grandparents can gradually become less familiar.
Dallas-based Nigerian filmmaker and cultural advocate Ichie Kelechi Eke hopes to address that challenge through a new educational animated series, IHEMBA & KIDS, designed to introduce children to the Igbo language while celebrating African culture and traditions.
The series, now streaming on the digital platform ROOTFLIX, combines animation, storytelling and language education to help children, particularly those growing up in the African diaspora, develop stronger connections to their ancestral heritage.
Eke, who founded The African Film Festival (TAFF) and the Odenigbo Cultural Club in Dallas, has spent years promoting African storytelling and cultural awareness through film and community engagement. His latest project extends that work to younger audiences, using digital entertainment as a tool for cultural education.
“While we make every effort to take our children to their ancestral land, they should not have to travel to Africa to discover who they are,” Eke said. “Their language, history, and cultural identity should be part of their everyday lives.”
Through colorful animated adventures, IHEMBA & KIDS introduces viewers to everyday Igbo words, greetings and expressions alongside lessons about friendship, honesty, respect for elders and community responsibility.
Rather than relying on traditional classroom-style instruction, the series incorporates language learning into stories featuring children exploring their surroundings, interacting with one another and discovering elements of their cultural heritage.
The approach is intended to make Igbo accessible to children who may have little or no previous exposure to the language.
For families living outside Nigeria, the series also offers an opportunity for parents and children to participate in cultural education together. Parents are encouraged to watch episodes with their children, practice familiar expressions and discuss the lessons presented through the characters’ experiences.
The project addresses a broader concern shared by many immigrant communities: the gradual decline in the use of ancestral languages across generations.
Children raised in English-speaking countries often develop fluency in English while having fewer opportunities to learn the languages spoken by their parents or grandparents. Over time, those differences can create communication barriers within families and weaken connections to cultural traditions.
For Eke, language preservation is closely tied to questions of identity, belonging and the transmission of cultural knowledge.
“I created IHEMBA & KIDS to make learning Igbo exciting and enjoyable, while helping our children develop a lasting connection to their roots,” he said.
The series is also intended to introduce African languages and traditions to audiences beyond the Igbo community, providing an accessible introduction to cultural practices and values that may be unfamiliar to viewers.
Eke’s work in Dallas has long centered on creating spaces where African communities can celebrate and share their heritage. In addition to founding TAFF and the Odenigbo Cultural Club, he established the Heartland Social Club, another organization focused on community and cultural connections.
Through his filmmaking and community initiatives, Eke has explored themes of immigration, African identity, family relationships and the experiences of Africans living outside the continent.
With IHEMBA & KIDS, he is bringing those interests into children’s programming at a time when digital media plays an increasingly significant role in how young audiences learn and engage with the world.
The series is available through ROOTFLIX, a streaming platform dedicated to multicultural storytelling, African films and culturally focused entertainment. Its digital distribution allows families across the United States and internationally to access the programming without geographic limitations.
Eke hopes the project will contribute to a larger conversation about the importance of preserving indigenous African languages and finding creative ways to pass cultural knowledge from one generation to the next.
While the series focuses specifically on Igbo, its underlying message speaks to a broader experience among immigrant families navigating the balance between assimilation and cultural continuity.
For children growing up thousands of miles from their ancestral homelands, opportunities to hear, understand and eventually speak their family’s native language can become an important part of maintaining that connection.
“A language preserved is a heritage protected, and a child who understands their roots carries that heritage into the future,” Eke said.
Credit: dallasweekly
