A Papiamento storybook featuring seven Compa Nanzi tales has been distributed to Papiamento teachers at Aruba’s secondary schools, giving educators a new resource that combines written stories with online audio.
Fundacion Lanta Papiamento and UNOCA invited the teachers to receive copies of Ata Compa Nanzi atrobe – cuenta picaro pa hoben y adulto during a presentation at UNOCA on Thursday, September 3.
Stories connect print and audio
The book was written by the late Yvette Ecury and Andy Daal and was launched in February 2026. It brings together seven stories about Compa Nanzi, the well-known trickster figure in Caribbean oral tradition.
QR codes printed in the book connect readers to audio versions held in Coleccion Aruba. The publication also includes information about the stories’ cultural heritage and context, along with material about the authors and a bibliography.
That combination allows teachers to use reading and listening activities together in the classroom. It may also help students encounter the stories in a form that reflects their history as part of an oral storytelling tradition.
Support for Papiamento education
The distribution follows the book’s public launch earlier this year. Fundacion Lanta Papiamento organized the publication with support from UNOCA and Cultuurfonds Caribisch Gebied.
Providing copies directly to teachers gives the project a practical place in secondary education. The source report did not specify how many books were delivered or which individual schools participated.
What happens next
Teachers can now incorporate the stories and linked recordings into Papiamento lessons. The delivery also extends the reach of a publication created to preserve and share locally significant storytelling.
Source: Information based on reporting from Masnoticia. ArubaNews.ca previously covered the book’s launch.
