24th February, 2024
By Oluwapelumi Oluwayemi
Juliana Adenike Ajayi is the author of an uplifting book titled “Destiny,” which delves into the rich tapestry of African culture.
“Destiny” is a compelling novella narrating the journey of Odewale, the central character, whose lineage of renowned hunters is recognised for their strength and culture.
Through Odewale’s perspective, it reveals the diverse cultures thriving within the Yoruba community.
The book skillfully portrays the struggles of infertility alongside the triumphs of motherhood.
At its core, “Destiny” is a celebration of African heritage, spotlighting the nuanced experiences of women navigating societal norms.
Love, trust, resilience, and indignation intertwine in this interesting story.
Ajayi shared, “Since its initial release in 2021, over a hundred and twenty copies of ‘Destiny’ have been generously distributed to schools, households, and libraries, thanks to the support of sponsors, including family and well-wishers.”
According to her, the feedback from readers has been both heartening and motivating, driving Ajayi’s mission to cultivate a reading culture among African youth, beginning with communities in Nigeria.
Motivated by a desire to promote literacy, Ajayi self-published “Destiny,” focusing on themes of African culture, beliefs, and values.
In addition, she launched a dedicated website, storiesbyade.com, offering free access to transformative stories, which has garnered a global audience.
Furthermore, Ajayi’s YouTube channel, StoriesByAde24, features illustrated short videos designed to engage students and foster a love for storytelling.
In her words, “After wondering how I could help children develop the habit of reading, I decided to self-publish this story that is centered on African culture, beliefs, and values.
“In order to reach more children, I also built a website that is dedicated to fictional and life-changing stories, where they could read for free. This has garnered a large audience across the world. The website storiesbyade.com has also done well in helping both primary and secondary students to love reading again.
“In addition to that, I also recently created a YouTube page, StoriesByAde24, where illustrated short videos are posted to help students learn and read, as well as cherish the art of story writing. This helps students who do not have the time to read to watch these videos, as they are well captioned or subtitled. The more the readers make their thoughts known, the more we strive to do our best by coming up with innovative ideas.
“Very soon, I hope to be able to reach more students by donating several books to schools and families, as well as building community libraries so as to reignite the love of reading that once existed in our Africa, because readers are leaders”.