Somebody Like Me

Somebody Like Me by Prisca Lesakire and Ashley Shuyler: $12.50
 

The Story

Co-authored by Tanzanian student Prisca and her American friend Ashley, the story follows these two young women from childhood to adulthood in 30 brightly illustrated pages.

After a trip to Tanzania at age 11, Ashley founded AfricAid, a nonprofit organization with the mission of supporting girls’ education in Tanzania. Prisca was one of the organization’s first scholarship recipients, and the two girls became acquainted with each other through the letters they wrote back and forth for years. They soon realized through their long-distance interactions how much they shared on a human level, despite their cultural differences.

Somebody Like Me recognizes the differences of Prisca’s and Ashley’s childhoods, but highlights the similarities – the human connection. It is geared toward children ages 8-10, with the message that our common humanity is more important than our cultural differences.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will be used to support AfricAid’s efforts to provide education to Tanzanian girls; and co-author Prisca Lesakire’s portion will help to support her efforts to become the first female teacher in her village.

  The Authors

  Prisca Lesakire is a young woman from Tanzania. She has nine siblings, and loves her family very much. She comes from the Maasai tribe, one of the 120 different tribes in Tanzania. She plans to become a teacher so that she can serve as a role model and inspiration to the next generation of girls in her community.

Ashley Shuyler is from Denver, Colorado. She is the Founder and Executive Director of AfricAid. She enjoys hiking and biking the mountains of her homestate, and is grateful for the support of her parents, Rick and Nina. She loves spending time each year in Tanzania with Prisca’s family. Her favorite hiking companion is her Tanzanian dog, Mkimbizi.

 

The Illustrator

Lori Discoe – Seeing the world through the soft blown grass of the farm she lives on with her husband and two children, Lori loves to illustrate the world around her. She has a special affection for nature, children and the workings of the world, which show themselves in her art. Please visit www.onepartart.com for a glimpse of some of her work.

 

The Impact

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will be used to support the education of young Tanzanian women through the work of AfricAid.

Additionally, co-author Prisca’s portion will help to support her efforts to become the first female teacher in her village, while co-author Ashley’s portion will help to support her continued work with AfricAid.