Second-Generation Wakirike Americans Launch Heritage Language Podcast

A group of second-generation Wakirike Americans, most of whom grew up hearing the language but not speaking it fluently, has launched a podcast aimed at teaching Wakirike to diaspora-born children.

Each episode pairs simple vocabulary lessons with folktales recorded by grandparents over video calls. The first ten episodes have already been downloaded more than 4,000 times.

'We didn't want our kids' only connection to home to be through us translating everything. We wanted them to have their own relationship with the language,' said co-host Ibinabo Wokoma.