Pre-Readers
By 1990 a couple of
Kalasha schools had been established. Elsa invited New Zealand
artist Ken Hall to illustrate picturable words for an alphabet, in a culturally
sensitive style. They wanted the Kalasha people to see their own culture
reflected in the book, and to feel dignity and respect for who they are as a
people. Ken lived there for several months in 1991 and 1992, and meticulously
researched and illustrated each word.Â
In 1994,
a Persian-script edition of the first illustrated Kalasha alphabet book, and a
pre-reader book also designed and illustrated especially for Kalasha culture,
were both published. Greg and Elsa had to return to Australia for health
reasons, so the books were never properly launched, and remained stored in the
Kalasha school cupboards for the next 6 years. So did the teachers' manuals,
which Elsa developed and produced at the teachers' request in
1996.