Ethiopia Reads has started 80 libraries creating hope for a better future possible for thousands of children through literacy. It all began in Grand Forks, North Dakota when First Presbyterian Church in Grand Forks took the first step in getting Ethiopia Reads started.Jane Kurtz, children’s author and member of First Presbyterian Church in the mid 1990’s began a conversation with former San Francisco Children Librarian, Yohannes Gebregeorgis, about starting a children’s library in Ethiopia. Jane shared her stories of growing up as a child of missionary parents in Ethiopia and proposed First Presbyterian support getting books to the children of Ethiopia. The church leadership council adopted the project and has never stopped supporting Ethiopia Reads’ literacy mission.

Church members wrote the bylaws for Ethiopia Books for Children and Education Foundation (now Ethiopia Reads) and applied for nonprofit status. They raised money with a read-a-thon, books sales, donations, and several matching grants from the Presbytery of Northern Plains to print 10,000 copies of the first book for children in Amharic and English entitled Silly Mammo by Yohannes Gebregeorgis. Children’s books were collected, and the National Presbyterian Women awarded the church a $10,000 grant to help ship the books to Ethiopia. On April 7, 2003, Shola Children’s Library in Addis Ababa opened with Jane in attendance. It was the first ever free library for children in Ethiopia!

 “I love going to the library, and with the books from there I am teaching my mother to read,” said an Ethiopian child in a letter to First Presbyterian Church members. 

First Presbyterian set the stage for Ethiopia Reads work today. Their connection and fundraising efforts continue. Through their noisy offering each week, members and friends continue to let their light shine for the children of Ethiopia. Other Grand Forks churches, schools, and organizations have joined First Presbyterian in this literacy mission. Grand Forks supporters have “planted” three Ethiopia Reads school libraries, supported professional training, and purchased local language books. 

Malcolm Clark, current President of the Board of Directors of Ethiopia Reads, appreciative of these efforts has acknowledged the power of a small group of people in making a huge difference in this world.  Malcolm commented, “First Presbyterian and its congregation provided Ethiopia Reads with early support and other organizations and individuals in Grand Forks followed. These Friends of Ethiopia Reads have been the most consistent supporters from any part of the US, having donated or raised well over $150,000. This unwavering commitment to the cause of building a reading culture for Ethiopia’s more than 50 million children and young people has been critical to our ability to focus on important issues. Today, close to 20 years later, we may have a chance to help make sure that all of Ethiopia’s 35,000 primary schools will have a library and trained librarians.”

Jane Kurtz now lives in Portland, Oregon, but continues to volunteer promotiing literacy in Ethiopia. This year, Jane is being honored by the Presbyterian Writers Guild with the David Steele Distinguished Writer Award for a writer’s lifetime achievement and influence through the written word — an acknowledgement of her books for children both in the U.S. and Ethiopia.

This article was graciously put together by Brenda Johnson, Bonnie Cameron, Barb Beach, Jane Kurtz, Dawn Botsford, Carol Settgast and ER current Board Member Ann Porter.