Who fights villains, 3D prints pizza and saves the world from a robot villain takeover, all before school?
That would be Sema, the spunky star of Africa’s first kid superhero animated series,Super Sema. The Youtube Originals program follows the adventures of Sema and her brother MB in the neo-African, futuristic town of Dunia as they use their STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) powers to fight crime.
Academy Award-winning actressLupita Nyong’osigned on as an executive producer of the series and lends her vocal chops to the character Mama Dunia, the wise tree spirit of Sema’s deceased mother.
“This is exactly the kind of show I want to see out in the world, and it’s the kind of show I wish I had when I was a little girl,” Nyong’o, 38, exclusively tells PEOPLE. “I wept with glee watching a dark-skinned African girl who’s determined, resourceful, and has an innate sense of justice on my screen.”
TheBlack Pantherstar continues: “Super Sema is what dreams are made of, really. I was more than happy to support the project.”
Roy Rochlin/Getty; Kukua
“If science and technology were presented to me in a fun way, maybe I would have felt differently,” she says. “I think the show will inspire kids to be curious about these subjects … and the show’s message, which is about applying your mind to solve the world’s problems, is powerful.” (Kids can also learn more about Sema’s experiments with free DIY science projects on the show’swebsite, including guides for how to make color-changing flowers and slime.)
That kind of diversity is still a rarity in Hollywood, but commonplace in Kenya, Nyong’o says, where women “run the entertainment industry.”
“It is something to globally celebrate,” she adds of the team.
Super Semapremiered on March 8. All episodes are available to watch onYouTube, and the episode in which Nyong’o appears premieres Friday.
source: people.com
