▁he ▁goes ▁to ▁A ya ▁and ▁asks ▁her ▁if ▁she ▁is ▁able ▁to ▁teach ▁him ▁about ▁letters . ▁A ya ▁agre es , ▁as ▁she ▁is ▁always ▁helping ▁out ▁her ▁friends ▁and ▁family . ▁Nevertheless , ▁A ya ▁also ▁has ▁some ▁problems ▁of ▁her ▁own ▁- ▁a ▁secret ▁her ▁father ▁Ign ace ▁has ▁been ▁hiding ▁for ▁a ▁long ▁time ▁has ▁the ▁power ▁to ▁destroy ▁her ▁family . ▁ ▁Cultural ▁history ▁ ▁A ya ▁of ▁Y op ▁City ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁C ô te ▁d ' I vo ire ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁Specifically , ▁the ▁story ▁takes ▁place ▁in ▁Y op oug on - K oute , ▁or ▁Y op ▁City ▁for ▁short . ▁C ô te ▁d ' I vo ire , ▁a ▁country ▁on ▁the ▁west ▁coast ▁of ▁Africa , ▁was ▁colon ized ▁by ▁France ▁until ▁August ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁when ▁the ▁country ▁received ▁its ▁independence . ▁ ▁F éli x ▁Hou ph ou ë t - Bo igny ▁led ▁the ▁country ▁after ▁gain ing ▁independence ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁C ô te ▁d ' I vo ire ▁kept ▁close ▁t ies ▁with ▁its ▁West ▁African ▁neighb ors ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁t ies ▁to ▁France . ▁This ▁combination ▁of ▁influ ences ▁created ▁a ▁unique ▁culture ▁where ▁traditional ▁African ▁culture ▁mes hed ▁with ▁modern ▁Western ▁ide als . ▁The ▁post - colon ial ▁influence ▁was ▁en hanced ▁by ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁many ▁Europe ans ,