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Gebeta Library – Individual Users During June 2025

June Activities for ages 4 to 14  years = 62 enrolled children (28 girls and 34 boys)

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Hawassa Reading Center – Individual Users During June 2025

Kindergarten to Grade 4 = 659 users (237 girls and 419 boys)

Grade 5-8 = 597 users (228 girls and 369 boys)

Grade 9+ = 184 users (71 girls and 113 boys)

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Donkey Mobile Libraries (DML) – – Individual Users During June 2025

Old DML = 314 users (176 girls and 138 boys)

New DML = 339 users (116 girls and 223 boys)

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Horse-Pulled Libraries (HPL) – Individual Users During June 2025

Kololo site = 122 users (62 girls and 60 boys)

Farzano site = 80 users (40 girls and 40 boys)

Tunto site = 73 users (31 girls and 42 boys)

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Books Distribution for Literacy

• Merawi Academy (Addis Ababa) received a donation of 200 locally purchased storybooks.
• Gelshashe Primary School (Oromia) received 200 books (30 RSG* and 170 imported books).
• Haile Aba Meresa Primary School (Oromia) received 201 books (30 RSG* and 171 imported books).
• Etiya Secondary School (Oromia) received 246 imported books.
• The Association of Women in Boldness (AWiB) Foundation received 200 books (100 RSG* and 100 reprinted titles).
• Kebena Health Center received 100 RSG books.
• Enat Primary School Library received 659 books (see below)

*RSG stands for Ready-Set-Go, a book creation project of the Open Hearts Big Dreams organization.

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Enat Library Support and Maintenance 

Ethiopia Reads supporters sponsor the upkeep of many libraries within Ethiopia – one of them is Enat Primary School‘s library. Over the years, with the help of many North Dakotan donors, this library has served thousands of children. Today it is serving 850 students. This month, we used the funds raised to fix the roof of this humble and beloved library and stock it with 659 new books.

Renovated and stocked up the library at Enat Primary School

The post Project Impacts appeared first on Ethiopia Reads.

In May 2025, we successfully donated books and shelves to Eyerusalem Primary School through the school support grant, marking a transformative moment in the school’s efforts to rebuild and enrich its learning environment. According to the recent status assessment, the school had been struggling with serious challenges; most notably, the shortage of curriculum-aligned reference books, a scarcity of storybooks for young learners, and a shortage of bookshelves to properly equip the children’s reading space.

To add to these difficulties, the school suffered a significant setback when a government-led road-widening project destroyed nearly 8 meters of its compound, including its existing library. Consequently, a new but smaller library was constructed at the back of the school; however, due to its limited size, it currently serves only students from grades 1 – 4. Plans are underway to extend the construction and establish an additional library on the fourth floor to accommodate students in grades 5 to 8. During the construction period, the library remained closed for one month, limiting access to reading materials. Moreover, water scarcity posed additional challenges throughout the construction phase.

In response to the urgent need for educational resources, through ER’s library support project, backed by the generous donors and a matching of ETB 40,000 from the school community the dream of a better-equipped library is starting to come true. A total of 780 books, 300 reference books aligned with the new curriculum and 480 engaging storybooks, were carefully selected and purchased. To enhance the comfort and functionality of the space for children, two floor mats and four newly crafted horizontal shelves were also donated to the school in this grant.

The arrival of the books and shelves was met with great excitement and joy. The handover event was attended by the Woreda Education Office, the school principal, teachers, sub-city local media, parent committee members, and students, all coming together to celebrate this meaningful support. Students lit up with curiosity as they explored the colorful covers and opened new pages full of knowledge and adventure. The library has once again become a vibrant hub of learning and imagination, breathing new life into the school’s academic spirit. Despite ongoing challenges, including space limitations and infrastructural issues, the financial gifts have significantly addressed the shortage of books and revitalized students’ interest in reading. The school director and librarian also expressed deep appreciation and renewed motivation, highlighting the positive impact of the support on the school community.

Next, during June, we will be working with Enat Primary School to improve their library!

This month, Board Member Ann Porter and Friends of Ethiopia Reads of Grand Forks are fundraising to help finish the renovation of the libraries for Eyerusalem Primary School and Enat Primary School.  To donate from our website, use the drop-down menu to specify “Passport to Possibilities”. See below.

The post Library Support at Eyerusalem Primary School appeared first on Ethiopia Reads.

Yemisrach Worku (far left), Laurie Curtis (second from left) and Malcolm Clark (far right) with well known local children’s books authors: Mrs. Mary Jafer, Ms. Selamawit Mulugeta, Mr. Daniel Worku, Mr. Asres Bekele, and Mrs. Samrawit Arayamedhin (not pictured).

Our President, Malcolm Clark, and Board Member Dr. Laurie Curtis, Chair of the Book Centered Learning Committee, and Country Director Yemisrach Worku met with the five newly “sponsored” well known local children’s books authors. Ethiopia Reads signed royalty agreement with them to reprint their masterpieces and distribute to schools and libraries free of charge.  They will collect their royalty payments from ER.  These prolific writers are Mr. Daniel Worku (70+ children’s books titles), Mrs. Mary Jafer (40+ children’s books titles), Mrs. Samrawit Arayamedhin (14 children’s books titles), Mr. Asres Bekele (13 children’s books titles), Ms. Selamawit Mulugeta (5 children’s books titles). This Project is designed to promote and encourage local children book authors and improve the collection of good quality children’s story books inside libraries as well as to provide access to reading for children.

The post ER signs contract with local children’s books authors appeared first on Ethiopia Reads.

Children enjoying our books in IDP camp. These books are educational and also provide distraction and enterttainment.

Ethiopia Reads’ innovative work in Internally Displaced Persons camps in November 2021 was recently featured on the latest World Bank’s publication on Education for Development. With the financial support of the World Bank and assistance from the Ministry of Education, we distributed 45,000 Ready-Set-Go books* in three local languages — where there were none. We engaged 15,000 enthusiastic families with reading training and tips. However, there are millions more internally displaced children who need books!  In the words of one parent, “The biggest help we need from you is education for our children, because only an educated person can get to a better place”.  Children who are literate are able to continue their own education even if they are not in classrooms. Help us with this important and challenging work now and give the gift of reading. We would like to raise $50,000 to continue this urgent work in internally displaced persons camps. Please join us!

To donate for internal displaced people book printing and distribution, please click here and use the pull down menu. 

*RSG created by Open Hearts Big Dreams

The post ER’s IDP work featured on World Bank site appeared first on Ethiopia Reads.