By Aryani Siti
Teah Mogae is a mother, storyteller, and creator on a mission to keep her culture alive. Through her project Losika Writes, she shares bilingual books and videos that help children in Australia learn Setswana and see themselves reflected in stories.
Giving children the gift of language: The story behind Losika Writes
When her son Losika was born, Teah—short for Tshegofatso—noticed something missing. She realised that children’s books and learning cards in Australia didn’t feature kids who looked like her son, with chocolate-brown skin. They also didn’t include their language, Setswana.
“After his birth, I realised that not only was his name never going to be on the keychain,” she remembers, “but that books and cards for babies and toddlers didn’t usually have someone who looked like him or spoke our language, Setswana.”
Instead of just feeling sad about it, Teah decided to act. She began making her own bilingual books so her son and other children could see themselves on the page. That was the start of Losika Writes, a project that now shares children’s books, videos, and even colouring books in Setswana and English.
Inspired by family and culture
Teah’s biggest motivation came from her own family. She wanted her son to grow up speaking two languages and feeling proud of his culture.
“Wanting him to grow up bilingual and have cultural pride was a great motivator,” she explains.
Teah grew up in Botswana, southern Africa. For her, language is not just words—it is part of identity. “Our culture includes our language, our traditions, and the ways we live and believe,” she says. “Teaching Setswana to my kids and anyone who is interested is sharing in the joy that being a Motswana brings to me.”
Creating books that grow with her son
Each book Teah makes is connected to her children’s needs. When Losika was a toddler, she made board books with simple bilingual vocabulary. As he grew older, she added books for letter and number writing. Later, she made a Setswana positive-affirmation colouring book to help him through the changes of pre-teen life.
Often, ideas come from family conversations. “If my kids need something,” she says, “I think someone else will likely need it too.”
Illustrations and videos are also an important part of her work. Teah says her videos are “a celebration of Setswana,” inspired by her childhood memories in Botswana. But the final test always comes from her son. “My 10-year-old is my test case.”
Breaking barriers in publishing
Publishing books with an African focus in Australia hasn’t been simple. “Australia is very Eurocentric in its approach to literature,” Teah explains. “Proposing Afrocentric resources, especially in a smaller language like Setswana, is usually met with hesitation and a lack of support.”
Instead of giving up, she taught herself the skills to publish her books and produce videos on her own. She also worked hard to find the balance between keeping the language real but still simple for beginners. Her answer was to focus on “conversational Setswana.”
Her goal is clear: “After reading a book or watching a video, you should be able to say a few words in Setswana with good pronunciation and confidence.”
Community support and impact
Even with challenges, the support from her community has been strong. The Tswana community in Australia—families from Botswana and South Africa—has helped spread the word through clubs, friendships, and word of mouth.
Families with one Tswana parent have been especially engaged. Teah says it is often the non-Tswana parent who is most excited to learn the language and encourages their children to do the same.
“Many have become strong supporters,” she says. “They are grateful that the resources help their children grow cultural pride.” The videos, especially, have been appreciated for helping families learn correct pronunciation.
Dreaming bigger for the future
Looking ahead, Teah has big dreams for Losika Writes. She hopes bilingual and Afrocentric resources will one day be in every school and library. Beyond books, she dreams of bringing African stories to life through animations and short films that can be shared worldwide.
She also hopes to expand to other African languages, especially Swahili. With the African Union planning for Swahili to become the continent’s official language by 2060, Teah sees a chance to help connect communities across Africa.
Her advice for parents who want to teach their children their heritage language is simple: stay consistent. “The more you speak the language around children, the more likely they are to absorb it. They may complain now, but they’ll thank you later.”
A personal touch
Teah doesn’t start her day with a morning drink—she runs on “good vibes” until lunchtime. Her favourite Setswana word is her own name, Tshegofatso, which means “Grace,” and as a child, she loved the Famous Five adventures. For comfort, she enjoys hot honey chicken wings with homemade dip, and she feels at home anywhere with headphones and an audiobook. The song that always makes her smile is Happy by Pharrell Williams, and if she could learn a language instantly, it would be Swahili. Her favourite part of Losika Writes is seeing people’s feedback, especially on her “learn Setswana” videos, and one dream she is still chasing is seeing her books on department store shelves.
A legacy of language and love
At its heart, Losika Writes is about more than books. It is about giving children the chance to see themselves, hear their language, and feel proud of who they are. It’s about building bridges between cultures and showing that African languages and stories have a place in the world.
Teah says she hasn’t yet seen a child she doesn’t know using her books or videos. But she dreams of the day when she spots someone “in the wild” enjoying her work. “That,” she says, “will be the greatest validation of all.”
Until then, she keeps creating and sharing, knowing that every Setswana word spoken is a gift to the next generation.
