Meet the Team

Mbawa Books has expanded! We were lucky enough to be able to take on not one, but three apprentices. Each apprentice will now be focusing on a specific part of the business, and together we can make it run like clockwork.

Here's the team!

Kirsten and Aiyven - Creators of Happier Every Chapter, authors

(Kirsten age 13, on the left. Aiyven age 12, on the right.)

We are Kirsten & Aiyven 13 and 12 year old sisters of Mbawa Books published authors and kid-preneurs from Northampton, UK. We’ve always had a passion for reading & writing. We started book reviews on YouTube (Mbawa Book Reviewers) in early 2019 and took it further by entering a BBC 500 word competition in 2019 too. We didn’t win but that didn’t stop us from turning our 500-word entries into thousands of words. With the help of a successful Kickstarter campaign, we self-published our debut middle-grade novels; Sagas of Anya & Land of the Nurogons in April/May 2020.

While promoting our books, we had tried to get them into book subscription boxes and soon realised that there was a gap in the market for diverse books for middle-graders. So driven by the vision to promote literacy and diversity through an engaged community of readers, we launched Happier Every Chapter, a monthly book sub box for kids 8 – 14 in Nov of 2020. Themed box include 2 best-selling books (one diverse), 2 short stories, activity sheets, author goodies and 4-6 lifestyle items. We also offer a one-off Junior Box for 4-7 year olds which includes 4 fun lifestyle items and 2 books (one being diverse) which parents can read to the children or children can read themselves. With 6 or 12 Month Plans, you get a Bonus Book & 50% OFF the first Box.

Ndah - Mum & Chief Operating Officer

I’m Ndah, mum to Kirsten, Aiyven & Kaitlyn. Together with Dad, Valentine, its been a complete joy to watch the girls grow on this journey and to support them as they put their gifts and talent to us. In my day job, I am a Business Analyst / Data Migration Test Manager. I have been working in IT Change & Transformation Programmes for over 20 years.

Reading and writing has always been a thing for me too and I’ve finally managed to become a published author (of Meanings Over Milestones) alongside 69 other mums who came together to write an anthology of short stories sharing the beliefs, values and life lessons they’d want to pass on to their children. Alongside my day job and Mbawa Books, I run Etinde House Company - a food business producing chilli oils, chilli pastes, spice rubs and hot sauces.

You'll generally find me behind the scenes, playing mum, driver, general organiser, PR / marketing person, general hands-on person together with Dad.  In my spare time (if and when I find it), I love to read, write & travel.

Valentine - Dad & Operational Officer

Helps the girls with the Operational and Financial side of Mbawa Books / Happier Every Chapter and also runs Stepwise Careers - a career coaching company. Loves Arsenal, Cycling, F1 and Gardening in that order.

Leah - Social Media Manager

Hello I'm Leah. I'm a BSc (Hons) Architecture graduate and MSc Building Conservation and Adaptation student. I'm massively enthusiastic about old buildings and their history. In my spare time (which isn't very often at the moment!) I run a book blog called 'The Very Bookish' where I review books for authors and host author interview Q&As. I found my love for books again after a 10 year hiatus back in late 2019. I turned to books as a mental break from my degree and the rest of the world. I'm glad I found books again at this time, because they helped me massively to stay sane during the lockdowns.

I've been working for Mbawa Books remotely since November 2020, since the launch of the Happier Every Chapter subscription boxes and have loved watching the business grow. My involvement with Mbawa Books started back in February 2020 when I was contacted by Ndah who asked if I'd like to read a sample chapter of each of the girls' books. I was honestly blown away by the talent and writing standard of Kirsten and Aiyven, who were only 12 and 10 at the time. Since then I've been a self-proclaimed super fan of the girls; they always blow me away with their talent and I'm so honoured to be on the team supporting the business grow and grow.

Daniela - Social Media Content Creator

Hello I’m Daniela. I am a BA Modern Languages student. I am very passionate about languages; I can speak already 5 and I’m planning to keep learning more. In my free time I enjoy writing, I write stories in various languages, and I have a website where I post short stories and poems written by me as well as an Instagram page dedicated to poetry.

Kittie - Digital Marketing & Sales Executive