VIDEO: Ethiopian Girls Become Heroes of Their Own Story

“Tibeb Girls,” created by Bruktawit Tigabu, is the first animated cartoon in which Ethiopian girls play not only the lead characters, but are also portrayed as superheroes.

By Marthe van der Wolf (VOA) |

Three young Ethiopian girls use their superpowers to stop harmful practices against girls in rural areas and to promote access to school. That is the story behind “Tibeb Girls,” a new animated series developed in Ethiopia.

“Tibeb Girls” is the first animated cartoon in which Ethiopian girls play not only the lead characters, but are also portrayed as superheroes. “Tibeb” means wisdom in Amharic.

“For me, it was very important to have girls who look like me and who look like my child to be on the screen playing very good role models,” said Bruktawit Tigabu, who created “Tibeb Girls.”

The animated cartoon breaks taboos by discussing things such as menstruation and, in the first episode, the lead characters save a girl from child marriage.

Bruktawit screens the show at schools and events around Ethiopia.

“Most of the issues we are raising are not well discussed in the community or in school or in the house,” she said. “So that is another inspiration to really break the taboo and give them a very entertaining, but also engaging way to talk about very serious subjects.”

The animated series is produced in Addis Ababa with a team of voice actors, artists and writers.

Read the complete story at VOA
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