New! Slideshow of photos from Ethiopia Reads' programs in Addis Ababa and Awassa

Ethiopia Reads is working to bring the joy of reading to children across Ethiopia. This album contains photos taken in Addis Ababa as well as the agricultural capital of Awassa, approximately 5 hours southwest of the capital. Awassa is home to the Awassa Reading and Literacy Center for Youth, as well as Queen Helina and the Donkey Mobile Library, which serves rural children on the outskirts of town. Thanks to Norman Perdue for many of the photos shown here.

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New! Slideshow of photos from Shola Children's Library

These photos were taken by staff and volunteers at Shola Children's Library, the first free public library in Ethiopia. Located in one of Addis Ababa's poorest neighborhood, Shola serves boys and girls between the ages of 3-20 six days a week. Approximately 50,000 books, both in English as well as local Ethiopian languges, line the shelves at Shola. The library is also home to programs in reading, art, theater, dance, health and wellness, as well as the annual Ethiopian Children's Book Week Celebration. Thanks to Matthew Andrea, Catie Dupont, Norman Perdue and many others for the photos.

Help us spread the word! Download this slideshow by clicking the image above.

Celebrate Ethiopian Children's Book Week April 1-7

Ethiopia Reads is proud to announce that it will host the 5th Annual Ethiopian Children's Book Week April 1-7 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This year's theme is "Ethiopia Extends Her Hands to Books" -- a ftting sentiment during this millennimum year, as Ethiopia embraces new opportunities, hopes and ideas for the future.

Thousands of children will participate in the week-long festival, which celebrates the joy that books and literature bring to young lives. Theatrical and musical performances, dance, readings of stories written by and for children are among the highlights. International digntiarites, the media, parents, educators and community leaders will be among those who flock to Shola Children's Library for this festival of fun and literacy.

The calendar of events for Ethiopian Children's Book Week includes:

April 1 – Bread and Books Day. Free books and bread given to children.
April 2 – International Children’s Book Day & Hans Christian Andersen’s Birthday
April 3-4 – Reading and performances by children at Shola Children's Library

April 5 – Launch of three new mutli-lingual books for children

April 6 – BOOK-A-THON. Shola kids take to the streets to celebrate the power of books

April 7 – Dedication of The Klevberg Family Library, one of 20 Ethiopia Reads will open in 2008

Want to join us in Addis Ababa for Book Week? We'd love to see you there. Email tsilat@ethiopiareads.org for information on visiting Shola Children's Library during Book Week -- or any time of year.

Silly Mammo Now Available!

After selling out of our initial run, Ethiopia Reads is pleased to announce that Silly Mammo is now available for sale in the United States. Originally published in 2003, Silly Mammo is a classic retelling of a famous Ethiopian folk tale, written by Yohannes Gebregeorgis.

Published in English and Amharic, Silly Mammo was the first dual-language book for children in Ethiopia. To date, more than 10,000 copies have been distributed to children throughout Ethiopia.

Silly Mammo -- and all of Ethiopia Reads' books -- make great gifts for Ethiopians and Ethio-Americans of every age and background. They are also very popular with American families who have adopted children from Ethiopia, as they help maintain a link to the culture, language and culture of Ethiopia.

Click here to purchase Silly Mammo and other Ethiopia Reads' books. Order by Wednesay, December 19 to ensure holiday delivery.

Ethiopia Reads featured in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING Magazine!

Ethiopia Reads is thrilled to be featured in the October issue of Good Housekeeping! The eight-page feature story, "Hope Volume I," was written by the wonderful Melissa Fay Greene,w ith photos by J Carrier. Look for your copy on newsstands now.

This spring, Melissa spent a few weeks in Addis Ababa and Awassa, getting to know Yohannes Gebregeorgis, Ethiopia Reads' co-founder and Executive Director. Melissa also spent lots of time with children at Shola Children's Library and the Awassa Reading Center, and saw first-hand the power of books in the lives of children.

As Melissa reports, books for children are a rarity in Ethiopia, as are so many educational resources and opportunities that Americans take for granted. Yet Ethiopian children -- like children everywhere -- love books and stories, as well as the sanctuary of a library. Literacy is the tool that will improve their lives and the lives of future generations of Ethiopians.

As Melissa writes:

"Literacy is now understood to be a threshold to greater productivity, better health, longer life and decreased maternal and neo-natal death rates....Children exposed to books will look beyond a lack of material goods to a world of possibilities."

"Books saved my life," Yohannes says, after sharing his story about how exposure to books as a teenager opened his mind to a reality he had not previously known.

Freelance photographer J Carrier visited Awassa and Addis Ababa in July, and his beautiful photographs are a stunning compliment to Melissa's story. The above photo shows what went on behind the scenes as he captured the procession of Queen Helina and the Donkey Mobile Library through a rural enclave on the outskirts of Awassa. Children came running from every direction, as did curious adults -- even goats, dogs and chickens!

Thanks to GOOD HOUSEKEEPING Magazine for publishing this article, and thanks to our friend Melissa Fay Greene for letting the world know about individuals and organizations working on behalf of children everywhere. Melissa is the author of the groundbreaking book There is No Me Without You, which introduced millions of readers to the plight of Ethiopian children orphaned by and living with HIV/AIDS.

Ethiopia Reads' mission is to create a reading culture in Ethiopia by connecting children with books. Our supporters include readers, writers, educators, librarians, children, grandparents -- anyone who shares our belief that books do make a difference in the lives of children. We're delighted that you found us!