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Show HN: AfriTales – Discover the Magic of African Storytelling

(afritales.org)
42 points ggap | 1 comments | 01 Sep 25 11:53 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source

Hi HN,

I've been working on AfriTales, a flutter based mobile app that brings African folktales into modern stories narrated episodes wrapped in a children and adult friendly UI player. The stories are created to cover north, south, west and east Africa. I think of it as a digital by-the-fire-side.

Why AfriTales: Cultural relevance: There is a gap in culturally-rich audio-native storytelling apps for Africans, the diaspora and people interested in African stories. Modern Influence: Modern UI makes the the app feel elegant and emotionally resonant. Retention via structure: Episodes are short (2-5 minutes) and there are stories series for premium users.

MVP features include: A launch landing page (https://afritales.org/) for early engagement and waitlist signups. I have currently sourced over 100 stories. Thanks to Google's Gemma 3 270M, users can generate stories with their own twist. Freemium model: 3 free tales per day, plus premium subscription for unlimited access. Robust Flutter structure: Architecture with TTS integration, and images for context.

I am starting in Ghana before expanding, and I'd love feedback from this community: Would you (or your child) use an audio-based storytelling app with a strong regional cultural tie? Suggestions for retention strategies or content formats that engage long-term users?

Thanks

Show context
mpalmer ◴[01 Sep 25 12:18 UTC] No.45092132[source]▶
The oral tradition is important because of the stories it passes on. The stories themselves are the thing.

How do you square this with this feature you've added where LLMs can generate slop that has no resonance for anyone? It would seem to be at odds with the purpose of the tradition you're building your business around.

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ggap ◴[01 Sep 25 12:33 UTC] No.45092229[source]▶
Good point, the part of the LLM is to allow a user to insert their own context into the stories. For example, an anansi story, could be adapted to use names of people if that will help the user (example parent) give context (to a child).
replies(2): >>45092752 #>>45092849 #
1. mpalmer ◴[01 Sep 25 14:16 UTC] No.45092849[source]▶
I don't see the point of doing that; the stories' power comes from myth/archetype. They're fables. Anansi is a trickster god; the characters he tricks tend to be other gods, spirits or archetypes. They're not normal people. They're already meant to teach, and connect with kids. It's been happening for centuries.

I see you identifying a need (African storytelling traditions should be preserved), which is great. But I would really recommend talking to experts in this field before monetizing features that dilute these cultures' canon.

    We do not really mean, we do not really mean that what we are about to say is true. A story, a story; let it come, let it go