The Board of Directors also spent two days discussing our accomplishments, monitoring and evaluation, areas needing improvement and prioritizing activities and expansion for the next 2-5 years. We would like to thank Melaku Negussie for his hospitality and in providing the meeting space for ER. 

Ms. Alemtsehay Wodajo with Yemisrach Worku, ER Country Director

Directors Elizabeth Taylor (right) and Carol Settgast (left) with Yemisrach Worku (center)

Board of Directors Meeting – Day 2

Below are photos of our supporters at the Meet & Greet in Silver Spring. 

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This year marks our 19th annual Imaginary Party—an inspired tradition hosted by Grand Forks Friends of Ethiopia Reads. Since 2007, we’ve championed literacy in Ethiopia, where access to children’s books and trained librarians is a rare treasure.

To donate from our website, use the drop-down menu to specify “Passport to Possibilities”. 

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HRC was established in 2006 and serves young readers ranging in age from 6-16. The library is always busy with students who are free during the different shifts of their class schedules and on weekends. Over time the number of library users has increased as well as the activities and programs offered.

HRC is improving the reading culture in this ever-growing Ethiopian City formerly known as Adare and the surrounding areas of the Sidamo Region. Students from various schools gather in a safe and clean environment. Throughout the year HRC organizes reading festivals and activities to support students and to foster a conducive learning and reading environment. Dedicated staff and volunteers from Hawassa University plan and support test activities. The budget for 2024-25 if $17,000. Grand Forks Friends of Ethiopia Reads is helping to raise the costs of continuing to offer a quality reading program for the children of Hawassa, Ethiopia.

Rahmet Reshid, a frequent user of HRC

Rahmet Reshid (above) is a 4th grader who has been coming to HRC since before she began school. Rahmet lives with her brother and sister along with their parents who make a living working as day laborers. They are happy their children can be involved in educational activities at HRC. Rahmet proudly says,

“…starting from kindergarten until now I get the books I want from the library and everyone helps me when I have questions. I want to become a doctor when I grow up.”

You don’t have to attend the festival. Instead, consider how important it is for children to have opportunities to practice their reading skills in a safe and clean environment with caring adults. You can donate using the pull down menu for Hawassa Reading Center at here.

Thank you for your generous support!

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Ethiopian New Year (Meskerem) is fast approaching bringing with it renewed hope for peace, unity, and prosperity for all. This year, Friends of Ethiopia Reads in Seattle will be celebrating Meskerem and hosting the 3rd Annual Seattle Run & Walk @ Green Lake on September 23, 2023 at 9 am. This fun event is designed for all to enjoy! Whether you are walking or running, you will enjoy the beautiful nature around Green Lake and meet other literacy warriors! Your support will help to spread awareness of Ethiopia Reads’ 20 years of planting the seeds of tomorrow by turning today’s youth into lifelong learners. Please help us raise funds for Ethiopia Reads by finding sponsors and using this sign up sheet.

   Participants from the 2nd Seattle Run & Walk

The 3rd Annual Seattle Run & Walk will expand to include more vendors, children’s story time, jump roping, volleyball and soccer games, and other children’s games to keep everyone actively engaged! Send your questions and ideas to Frew Tibebu, Former Board of Director for Ethiopia Reads.  Thank you to all participants of the past and present Seattle Run & Walk to help make it a success and especially to Eshiutopia.com for designing the logo and event merchandise. Order your merchandise TODAY to get your goodies in time for the event! Proceeds will go towards Ethiopia Reads’ literacy projects.

Need some inspiration? Click here to read Ethiopia Reads’ latest newsletter. 

If you cannot attend, click here to donate to a great cause!

Order your t-shirt today!

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https://www.bonfire.com/store/friends-of-ethiopia-reads/

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Participants enjoyed the 1st Run/Walk in 2021

Friends of Ethiopia Reads Seattle will be hosting the 2nd Run/Walk fun event at Green Lake in Seattle, Washington on Saturday September 17, 2022. The event is designed to raise awareness and much-needed funds for Ethiopia Reads’ work and to show our solidarity and support for the cause of children’s literacy in Ethiopia. All proceeds will go to the Ethiopia Reads initiative to help distribute free local language books to children in Ethiopia via ER’s network of libraries. Read more about various worthy projects including summer camps, book distributions and mobile libraries in our latest newsletter.

New this year are vendor booths and a soccer game after the Walk/Run. Questions should be directed to Former Board Member and Organizer Frew Tibebu. Thank you to Eshiutopia.com for designing and printing event merchandise!

Merchandise are for sale and proceeds will also benefit Ethiopia Reads. Order to get yours on time for the event!

Get a sponsor to support your participation and sign up using this sheet.

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION!

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• Greater Recognition for our Work in Ethiopia: Ethiopia Reads has been recognized for our work over the years, amongst our literacy peers (e.g. Library of Congress award in 2016), the Ethiopian diaspora (e.g. SEED awards) and in Ethiopia (partnerships with the Ministry of Education and HoHe Awards).  However, slow progress in children’s literacy and a shortage of books and libraries remains a huge challenge in Ethiopia. This issue needs greater recognition amongst Ethiopian decision-makers, education professionals and parents.  In the recent years Ethiopia Reads been advocating more publicly for more books and libraries for children, through events such as the National Children’s Reading Summit, the only national event which brings officials and professionals interested in children’s literacy, reading and books together, and our recent sponsorship of the HoHe Awards children’s writing prizes, the only national children’s book awards.                                           
• Leading to Additional Larger, High-Impact Opportunities: Our professional work establishing libraries and providing books and trained educators to support “reading outside the classroom” is a critical aspect of children’s literacy development in Ethiopia. Few organizations have focused on this area and it is becoming much better understood and appreciated by the major players in literacy in Ethiopia, from the Ministry of Education (which has recognized us as a key partner) to major education donors such as the World Bank, UNESCO, DFID (UK) and the Finnish government. We believe that major opportunities will emerge to potentially deliver our expertise to much larger numbers of students. Over 30,000 primary schools serve well over 20 million pre-primary and primary students in Ethiopia, and few offer much for children to read outside textbooks, so there’s plenty to work on!                                                                                                                       
• Stronger Capacity to Build and Deliver Our Programs: Over the last 2-3 years  we have diversified our income sources to be able to focus more confidently on the longer-term aspects of our mission. Thanks to the support of our growing number of Mission Investors, who have committed to support the strengthening of our organizational capacity, we will be hiring development and communications team members in 2021. We will also be building our team in Ethiopia, strengthening and expanding our board in the US and our advisory board in Ethiopia.                                                               
• Establishing Ambitious Long-Term Goals: Our mission has always been to create a culture of reading in Ethiopia, focusing on the young, making books available through school and public libraries to reach as many young readers as we can. However, to make a material impact on the reading habits of the huge population of younger students in Ethiopia, we need use our experience and credentials to partner with national and regional educational organizations more creatively, advocate effectively through Ethiopian media, and employ digital media to reach parents and families directly. Our ambitious goals such as advocating for libraries for all primary schools, better access for kids to books in their communities and neighborhoods, national reading campaigns, improving the children’s book distribution ecosystem, and volunteer-run public libraries are all being launched or explored as long-term goals.

To do this, we need your sustained support and donations, and for you to spread the word about our important work!

At a time where Ethiopia faces many challenges, we believe that it is important to focus on investing in work with long-term value. Our goals will have a long-term positive impact on the knowledge, ideas and dreams of millions of children, who will grow into well-informed citizens, equipped to play a full and positive part in their country’s future.   

Please join us as a partner in our work and journey, by supporting us now at the donation link below.

Many thanks,    

Malcolm Clark
Chair, Board of Directors

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