Progress in Learning - Interactive Books Project   

Dear *{{First Name}}*,

We are pleased to announce 5 interactive book titles in Amharic, Afaan Oromo, Tigrigna, and Somali!

In June of 2024, Ethiopia Reads was asked to partner with iCog (formerly known as iCog-ACC), a well-known Ethiopian tech company led by Ms. Bethlehem Dessie, to engage in an interactive book project funded by Curious Learning. Curious Learning is a US-based NGO that develops award-winning, rigorously tested, free mobile apps that allow anyone to learn to read anywhere in the world. Its content is available in over 45 languages, but did not include Ethiopian languages until this partnership.

iCog approached us hoping to find Ethiopian children’s book creators who could write and animate interesting content-rich books for children ages 2-8. The books were to be written in a familiar context, emphasizing the connection between animation and text. The content of the interactive books was intended to provide a language-learning experience for young readers across Ethiopia. We were a perfect fit because ER has offered children’s book writing workshops!

Led by ER Board Member Elizabeth Taylor, dedicated writers in the advanced writing program were asked to submit drafts following specific guidelines. Their drafts were submitted, and five stories were chosen by the iCog team. Then two Ethiopian animators and three Ethiopian translators began their work. A month and a half from the start, the ER team had written, translated, and animated all five stories! iCog digitized the stories to become interactive magic.

The official launch of this wonderful project will take place at our 5th Annual Children’s Reading Summit in Addis Ababa in April 2025. We are very proud of this project as it has the potential to reach millions of children in Ethiopia!

We are grateful to all the authors, animators, translators, and everyone at iCog and Curious Learning, and especially Elizabeth Taylor for leading this incredible project.

More info and links to the interactive books free of charge are located here.

5th Children’s Reading Summit Announced

We are excited to announce the date for the 5th Children’s Reading Summit in Addis Ababa on April 2 – 3, 2025. This is an incredible opportunity for the children's literacy and early education communities to meet and exchange ideas to improve our work and implement new ideas. The week is also when ER will hold Writers’ Workshops for young children and professional authors. Last year’s Advance Writers’ Workshop resulted in several books and the Interactive Books discussed above. We need sponsors! We appreciate your continuing support!

2024 Annual Report

The year 2024 has been pivotal for Ethiopia Reads, marked by a series of successful activities that contributed significantly to the organization's mission. Through dedicated efforts and consistent execution, ER has accomplished its set goals and gathered valuable insights from each project. These opportunities were vital for refining strategies and enhancing performance for 2025 and beyond. The 2024 Annual Report is available on our website.

Meet a Gebeta Library Learner

Helena is a student in elementary school. Helena told us that the reason that her mother brought her to the library was because her mother’s friends had children who studied at Gebeta Library. These children were always among the top students in their class. “Inspired by them, I also started getting better grades, and my mom is always happy she brought me here. My friends also visit the library. What I enjoy the most are the various activities, especially drama, which I love to participate in. I hope Gebeta can reach more children, especially those who don't have access to school. Gebeta is a place where we learn in a fun way, and we really love it".

Meet a Hawassa Reading Center Learner

Rahel is an elementary school student. She has been coming to HRC before she entered her school because her brother also visits the Hawassa Reading Center (HRC). She frequently visits along with her brother. Rahel lives with her siblings and their parents who make a living working as day laborers. The children help their parents after school as a part of their day-to-day routine. Their parents are very much involved with their children engaging in various activities of HRC. Rahel proudly told us,  “Since kindergarten, I always rank first in my class. I believe HRC is the reason for my good grades. I get to read all the books I want from the library and everyone helps me when I have questions. I am a brave student because I have HRC to help me out. In the future I want to become a doctor, Thank you so much for everything you have been doing for me”.

All of this work is not possible without your continuing support. Please tell your friends and family about Ethiopia Reads and donate today!

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