Ethiopian Books for Children - Fall Newsletter and Update

Dear Friends of Ethiopian Books for Children -



Thank you for your interest and support in EBC. We have a lot of news to share!



An exciting summer marked a new chapter for
Ethiopian Books for Children.

In July, we welcomed Gebregeorgis Yohannes,
our founder and Executive Director, to the United States for a series of meetings with our Board of Directors as well as supporters throughout Colorado, California, Kansas and Washington, D.C.


This year, we continued the successful operation of the first free Children's Library in Ethiopia, Shola Children's Library, as well as our reading center in Awassa and the mobile donkey library, pulled by the venerable Queen Helina, noblest of all the donkeys! We also expanded our book publishing to include an edition of Silly Mammo in Sidama, one of the languages spoken by children around Awassa.

EBC is also preparing to publish an English-Amharic version of my book, Pulling the Lions Tail. As an author and educator, I know how important it is for children to see their own lives reflected in words and images.



That's just the beginning! Our friends at Room to Read, a pro-literacy nonprofit in San Francisco have pledged $20,000 to publish four additional books in Ethiopian local languages if EBC can raise a matching $20,000.
This exciting challenge could place thousands of books in the hands of Ethiopian children. That is EBC's mission in action!



All of these changes are moving EBC closer to our founder, Yohannes Gebregeorgis', dream
of improving life in Ethiopia, one book at time.

As Yohannes says, books change lives.



Please read on and visit our website for more information on how you can get involved.

Thank you,

Jane Kurtz

President, Ethiopian Books for Children Board of Directors






Click here to read more about the current goals and accomplishments of EBC.


Ethiopia - The Need to Read



Do you remember the first book you loved as a child? Remember the magical experience of getting to know and love the characters and even missing them when the book was finished? For children, books can be so many things: comfort, learning tools, windows to other worlds both far-away and familiar. Books teach us that we have the right to dream.



Since EBC opened Ethiopia's first free children's library, thousands of children have experienced the joy of reading for the first time. This seemingly simple act has had a profound impact on their young lives. In Ethiopia, books represent hope. Ethiopia is a beautiful country, with breathtaking scenery and a vast richness of culture and spirit. But it faces tough challenges. Reading will equip today's children with the skills to become tomorrow's problem solvers.


There are many obstacles to education. Consider:


-58% of Ethiopians age 15 and above cannot read.

-Classes in government schools around typically have
approximately 180 students at a time.

-At present, 99% of schools in Ethiopia have no
libraries!



EBC sees the difference that just one library, one book, one story can make in the life of a child. We see it in the faces of the thousands of children who visit Shola Children's Library every month. Last year, we logged 60,000 visits. Is there any question Ethiopia's kids love books?



Please join EBC in our mission to develop a reading culture in Ethiopia by connecting children with books. We are working to encourage children's book publishing, reading, and literacy in Ethiopia, which is often listed as one of the poorest nations in the world. The average annual family earns the equivalent of about $125 per year. That is about the cost of McDonald's and a movie for an American family of four.



Here is how you can
make a difference.



Ethiopian Books for Children welcomes your tax-deductible donation in any amount, which can be made through Paypal

or by printing and mailing this
donation form.



For a limited time, with a contribution of $100 or more, we are offering a copy of Silly Mammo, EBC founder Yohannes Gebregeorgis' retelling of a beloved African folktale, or EBC President Jane Kurtz's Saba: Under the Hyena's Foot, winner of the 2004 Children's African Book Award.


Interested in Volunteering for EBC?
Click here!