Here you will find two Storybooks based on the Sustainable Development Goals number 8 and 9. You can read them with your child and make use of the “Talk About the Story” pages in each book, where you will find critical questions to encourage reflective conversations.
SDG 7 Storybook - A Bright new Day for Kofi
SDG 7 StoryBook - A Bright New Day for Kofi.pdf
Questions section (these are also included inside the storybook):
Talk About the Story Part 1:
Ask:The new light made Ama finish her homework faster. But did the light make Mama feel like she had to work longer to sew more clothes?
Reflect: The bright light made it possible to work late, but it also made it feel like they must be busy and efficient all the time. SDG 7 gives power, but sometimes that power comes with pressure to produce more.
Relate: When you get a new computer or tablet, you can finish your school project faster. But does it sometimes feel like people expect you to do more things because you have the technology?
Talk About the Story Part 2:
Ask: Before the bright light came, what special things did the family do when the sun went down?
Reflect: The smoky lamp was hard to use, but the dark time also made them slow down and listen to each other. When the bright light came, they started doing homework and sewing late. Did the family lose some of their special listening time?
Relate: Sometimes a change that seems good (like a new toy) means we stop doing something else we loved (like playing outside).
Talk About the Story Part 3:
Ask: What is the difference between the smoky lamp energy and the clean solar energy?
Explain: SDG 7 is super important because it demands that energy be clean (good for the planet) and affordable (good for people's pockets). Kofi's family getting affordable, clean power is amazing! But sometimes new technologies replace the old without asking what the community valued about the old way.
SDG 8 Storybook - Joy’s Fair Samosas
SDG 8 StoryBook - Joy’s Fair Samosas.pdf
Questions section (these are also included inside the storybook):
Talk About the Story Part 1:
Ask: Mama Zola said three coins was a "fair price." But what would happen if the customer told Mama Zola that two coins was the only price he would ever pay?
Reflect: "Fairness" can often be decided by the person with the most power (the buyer). Mama Zola was brave because she stood up and insisted on her definition and value of fair work.
Relate: When someone tries to make you trade your best toy for a cheap candy, you know that’s not fair. That's a tiny version of how big markets can try to devalue work.
Talk About the Story Part 2:
Ask: The man said he could buy samosas for two coins down the road. Why might that other vendor sell them so cheaply?
Reflect: Maybe the other vendor couldn't afford fair ingredients, or maybe they felt forced to sell cheaply just to survive the competition. This shows that the market structure can sometimes force people to be unfair to themselves.
Relate: If everyone sells their lemonade for five cents, but you know yours is made with hard to pick lemons, you have the right to charge more.
Talk About the Story Part 3:
Ask: When the man paid the three coins, what was the real change he made?
Reflect: He wasn't just buying food; he was affirming Mama Zola's definition of value and supporting the entire ethical chain (Mama Zola, Joy, and Mr. Ben). His money, his consumption, became an act of economic justice. SDG 8 requires us all to be conscious consumers.
Relate: Every time we buy something, we are telling the people who made it, "I agree that your time and effort were worth this much." That's a huge responsibility!