Thank you for visiting my author website.I am an independent author. Thus far I have written stories for children, which are based on real life challenges of a group of orphans in Africa called The Bundu Bunch.I believe that the discovery of different real worlds than theirs can fire the imaginations and expand the minds of children as well as any number of wizards or amount of magic.
Proceeds from any sales of the books will go to support The SHAMBA Trust. This is a charity aimed at helping communities provide quality pre-primary education for their children from poor HIV/AIDS affected households. www.shambatrust.org
Allan Low
Thank you for visiting my author website.I am an independent author. Thus far I have written stories for children, which are based on real life challenges of a group of orphans in Africa called The Bundu Bunch.I believe that the discovery of different real worlds than theirs can fire the imaginations and expand the minds of children as well as any number of wizards or amount of magic.
Proceeds from any sales of the books will go to support The SHAMBA Trust. This is a charity aimed at helping communities provide quality pre-primary education for their children from poor HIV/AIDS affected households.www.shambatrust.org
About Allan
After retiring from a career working on development projects in eastern and southern Africa, Allan set up a charity in Eswatini with his late wife, Anne. The charity works with rural communities to help them provide high quality early years education to their most vulnerable children, many of whom are orphans of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Allan continues to run the charity. He lives in Wetherby, Yorkshire, England.
About Allan
After retiring from a career working on development projects in eastern and southern Africa, Allan set up a charity in Eswatini with his late wife, Anne. The charity works with rural communities to help them provide high quality early years education to their most vulnerable children, many of whom are orphans of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Allan continues to run the charity. He lives in Wetherby, Yorkshire, England.
Motivation
‘Hey, Kulu,’ says Sebastian, ‘did you write an actual book?’This is my grandson, aged nine, picking up a book with my name on it. It is a textbook about agricultural development in southern Africa. Sebastian flips through the pages, puts it right back and reverts to a football video on his tablet.The ‘actual book’ written by grandad had caught Sebastian’s attention, but the contents could not keep it. That’s when I knew I had to write a book that my grandchildren and great grandchildren would pick up because it was ‘actually’ written by grandad, AND might go onto ‘actually’ read some or all of the book because the contents looked interesting. Better still if the story could capture their imaginations or bring a memory or a smile or a tear.Setting up and running preschools with rural communities for their most vulnerable children exposed me to the reality of the lives of many HIV/AIDS orphans in southern Africa brought up by grandparents, aunts or fellow orphans. The resiliance of the children in the community preschools, their eagerness to learn, the gratitude in their smiles and eyes impressed me greatly.Hence The Bundu Bunch and the theme of their stories.
Motivation
‘Hey, Kulu,’ says Sebastian, ‘did you write an actual book?’This is my grandson, aged nine, picking up a book with my name on it. It is a textbook about agricultural development in southern Africa. Sebastian flips through the pages, puts it right back and reverts to a football video on his tablet.The ‘actual book’ written by grandad had caught Sebastian’s attention, but the contents could not keep it. That’s when I knew I had to write a book that my grandchildren and great grandchildren would pick up because it was ‘actually’ written by grandad, AND might go onto ‘actually’ read some or all of the book because the contents looked interesting. Better still if the story could capture their imaginations or bring a memory or a smile or a tear.Setting up and running preschools with rural communities for their most vulnerable children exposed me to the reality of the lives of many HIV/AIDS orphans in southern Africa brought up by grandparents, aunts or fellow orphans. The resiliance of the children in the community preschools, their eagerness to learn, the gratitude in their smiles and eyes impressed me greatly.Hence The Bundu Bunch and the theme of their stories.
Living with gogo (grandma)
brings malnutrition and
neglect, poor housing,
labourous daily chores and
little or no early learning
opportunities.
Orphans’ lives
Mouse over or tap here to read a view from the field
Hidden victims
Cabrini Ministry staff working in the Lubombo Region of Eswatini observe the following. ‘Orphans are hidden victims of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in southern Africa. After 20 years of sickness and dying and then 10 years of recovery with ARVs, families have disintegrated. Orphans, many thousands of them, are struggling to raise themselves with no sense of belonging to a family, a group, a Nation. They are learning that adults often take advantage of them, encroach on their homesteads, abuse them physically and sexually, or just don’t have time for them because the adults themselves are overburdened with mouths to feed.’ (http://www.cabriniministries.org/category/articles/).
Orphans’ lives
Living with gogo (grandma) brings
malnutrition and neglect, poor
housing, labourous daily chores
and little or no early learning
opportunities.
Mouse over or tap here to read a view from the field
Hidden victims
Cabrini Ministry staff working in the Lubombo Region of Eswatini observe the following. ‘Orphans are hidden victims of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in southern Africa. After 20 years of sickness and dying and then 10 years of recovery with ARVs, families have disintegrated. Orphans, many thousands of them, are struggling to raise themselves with no sense of belonging to a family, a group, a Nation. They are learning that adults often take advantage of them, encroach on their homesteads, abuse them physically and sexually, or just don’t have time for them because the adults themselves are overburdened with mouths to feed.’ (http://www.cabriniministries.org/category/articles/).
Book I: Aiyasha’s Bottomless BriefcaseA group of five to seven year old orphans from the Bundami valley in southern Africa call themselves the Bundu Bunch.They enjoy learning about their surroundings. They wish they could also attend classes to learn to read and do sums so they can stop being called ‘Dumb Orphans’.Can the Bundu Bunch find a way of overcoming unfair treatment by the headman of their community with the help of Aiyasha, the fifteen year old girl who is the head of their orphan household?
Book III: Aiyasha’s Magical LegacyAs an exile, Aiyasha watches from afar as her compatriots suffer in a society divided between poverty of the many and privilege of the few. Aiyasha is determined to do something to turn around the fortunes of her beloved country. She has to rely on her special gift, her wits and the various talents of the members of The Bundu Bunch, which were fostered in their early years, when they came to live with Aiyasha in the orphan hut in the Bundami valley.
Book II: Aiyasha’s AppealAiyasha makes two new friends from England as she faces an attempt on her life, becomes an illegal immigrant and seeks asylum. The friends also help Aiyasha to cope with the consequences of Overseas Aid Cuts on the futures of her orphan charges: The Bundu Bunch.
click to go to store links for purchase of paperback or e-book
Book I: Aiyasha’s Bottomless BriefcaseA group of five to seven year old orphans from the Bundami valley in southern Africa call themselves the Bundu Bunch.They enjoy learning about their surroundings. They wish they could also attend classes to learn to read and do sums so they can stop being called ‘Dumb Orphans’.Can the Bundu Bunch find a way of overcoming unfair treatment by the headman of their community with the help of Aiyasha, the fifteen year old girl who is the head of their orphan household?
Book III: Aiyasha’s Magical LegacyAs an exile, Aiyasha watches from afar as her compatriots suffer in a society divided between poverty of the many and privilege of the few. Aiyasha is determined to do something to turn around the fortunes of her beloved country. She has to rely on her special gift, her wits and the various talents of the members of The Bundu Bunch, which were fostered in their early years, when they came to live with Aiyasha in the orphan hut in the Bundami valley.
Book II: Aiyasha’s AppealAiyasha makes two new friends from England as she faces an attempt on her life, becomes an illegal immigrant and seeks asylum. The friends also help Aiyasha to cope with the consequences of Overseas Aid Cuts on the futures of her orphan charges: The Bundu Bunch.
click to go to store links for purchase of paperback or e-book
click to go to store links for purchase of paperback or e-book
Sipho feels sad and ashamed.Sad because he has no family to belong to any more.Ashamed because he cannot write his name like other children can.Sadness and shame turn to joy and pride in the first of this series of inspiring stories based on the real lives of AIDS orphans in southern Africa.
An inspirational story of overcoming the odds, which will leave you with a positive, hopeful feeling. LoveReading4Kids Ambassador.Aiyasha and her young charges are compelling characters, full of courage, determination, and care for one another. The Children's Book ReviewThis story hits close to home for many who live in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is a hugely insightful book for children of any age. A great introduction when it comes to showing kids consideration for other people’s lives and living conditions. Reader Views Kids
Sipho feels sad and ashamed.Sad because he has no family to belong to any more.Ashamed because he cannot write his name like other children can.Sadness and shame turn to joy and pride in the first of this series of inspiring stories based on the real lives of AIDS orphans in southern Africa.
An inspirational story of overcoming the odds, which will leave you with a positive, hopeful feeling. LoveReading4Kids Ambassador.Aiyasha and her young charges are compelling characters, full of courage, determination, and care for one another. The Children's Book ReviewThis story hits close to home for many who live in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is a hugely insightful book for children of any age. A great introduction when it comes to showing kids consideration for other people’s lives and living conditions. Reader Views Kids
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The Bundu Bunch ‘How about you?’ stories
1.How about you2.The Monica rule3.Tales of the long-ago people4.Our Meyego problem5.The bun raid6.Pele joins the Bundu Bunch7.Cave Exploration8.The Invention9.Our Secret and Our Future
The Bundu Bunch ‘How about you?’ stories
1.How about you2.The Monica rule3.Tales of the long-ago people4.Our Meyego problem5.The bun raid6.Pele joins the Bundu Bunch7.Cave Exploration8.The Invention9.Our Secret and Our Future
Click or tap on our photos below to learn more about members of the Bundu Bunch