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Building libraries and putting books in the hands of children!


MAKING A DIFFERENCE SINCE

2003


WHEN WE OPENED OUR FIRST PUBLIC CHILDREN'S LIBRARY


WE HAVE STARTED

80


PUBLIC, SCHOOL AND MOBILE LIBRARIES


WHICH SERVE

130,000


CHILDREN ANNUALLY


We have now trained

450


Librarians and Teachers


WE HAVE DONATED AND DISTRIBUTED

500,000


Ethiopian and English Language Books


TO OVER

350


Schools in Every Region of Ethiopia



Here is what we do for children in Ethiopia:

Find out more about Ethiopia Reads

About our organization

Ethiopia Reads collaborates with communities to plant libraries, train educators, boost literacy, and provide youth and families with the tools to improve their lives. Discover our great team here!

Our projects

When you sign up for our monthly newsletter you will get information on our new and ongoing projects, updates on staff, and profiles of students that have been impacted by the work we do at Ethiopia Reads. Find out about our work on the ground in this section!

Get Involved

Join in to support literacy, teach children the value of philanthropy, and enjoy some healthy competition! Join us in our efforts to help Ethiopian literacy today!

Building libraries and putting books in the hands of children!


Since 1998, Ethiopia Reads has planted 80 libraries, and now annually serves over 130,000 children. Our efforts go beyond just building libraries.

In rural areas, our horse-powered literacy program reaches children with no access to schools. We support professional development year-round with workshops, discussion circles, mentoring, and program evaluation.

 

About education in Ethiopia


In Ethiopia, there is currently broad-based cooperation across multiple sectors. Ethiopia Reads was one of the original pioneers drawing attention to the issue of literacy, working with the Ethiopian Ministry of Education, National Archives and Library of Ethiopia, embassies and cultural attaches in Addis Ababa, as well as international NGOs like Save the Children. This cross-sector coalition has promoted literacy through book fairs, public readings and other symposia. Ethiopia Reads continues to work with these partners and our staff members remain very publicly engaged, regularly participating in all of these events.

  • A big population

    With 110 million inhabitants, Ethiopia is Africa's second largest country.

  • The weight of youth

    There are 47 million children ages 0-14 (43.5% of population).

  • Early education

    Only 5.5% of children attend kindergarten and pre-K.

  • Low school enrolment

    Primary school attendance (ages 7-12) is just 68%.

  • National literacy rate

    Adult literacy in Ethiopia is 49%.

  • Male national literacy rate

    The male literacy rate in Ethiopia is 57%.

  • Female national literacy rate

    The female literacy rate in Ethiopia is 41%.

  • Post-secondary education in Ethiopia

    7.5% of adults have any post-secondary education.

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