Take One Book: Literacy Campaign for Ethiopia

There has been an overwhelmingly positive response to the literacy campaign that has been launched by EthiopiaReads.org and Zethiopia for the year 2007.

Ethiopia Reads, founded in 2003, has a mission to improve literacy and create a culture of reading in Ethiopia. Ethiopia Reads does this by planting libraries and publishing books in local languages. To reinforce the core program of Ethiopia Reads, they are offering continuing education programs to help educators in Ethiopia nurture a love of reading.

Since Ethiopia Reads opened Ethiopia’s first free children’s library in 2003, thousands of children have experienced the joy of reading, they logged 60,000 visits to the library in 2006. Ethiopia Reads sees first hand the difference that one library, one book, and one story can make in the life of a child.

The commitment of the volunteers and supporters of Ethiopia Reads, and the vision of it's founder, Yohannes Gebregiorgis, has created a new level of excitement about learning, reading, and empowerment through education in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia Reads and Zethiopia are now partnered in challenging the community to stand behind Ethiopia Reads projects and to support their goals and mission.

If you or someone you know is traveling to Ethiopia during 2007, Zethiopia and Ethiopia Reads challenge you to TAKE ONE BOOK with you, because we believe that education is hope and books can change lives. Books can be dropped off at Shola Children’s Library in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Shola Library is located in Beklo-bet, behind the Dashen Bank off of Debre Zeit road.

If you aren't traveling and would like to donate books to Ethiopia Reads in the U.S., there are currently two book drives taking place in the Greater Washington D.C. Metro area.

For more information on the TAKE ONE BOOK campaign, please contact Catie Dupont at ethiopiareads@aol.com. For additional information regarding Ethiopia Reads and how you can help their mission, please visit www.ethiopiareads.org.

(Would you like to donate books, but are unsure what is best? Any books, fiction or non, with African or Ethiopian themes are greatly appreciated. Non-fiction books, such as the DK books, that have specific themes like the Ocean, Dinosaurs, the Human Body, Animals, are favorites of the children who visit the libraries.)

WILL YOU TAKE ONE BOOK?

A special note of thanks to the SEED Public Charter School students who have spear headed the book drive in the D.C. Metro area.