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Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) November 17, 2006 -- Ethiopia Reads is thrilled to announce two events taking place in Washington, D.C. this Friday and Saturday. Board Member Christopher Kurtz, an educator and co-author of the inspirational children's book, Only a Pigeon, will meet with local Ethiopian leaders as well as supporters to talk the hope that books bring to this generation of Ethiopians. At each event, Chris will sign books and talk growing up in Ethiopia with his family, including sister Jane Kurtz, now an award-winning children's author and the President of Ethiopia Reads' Board of Directors.
Please help us spread the word about Ethiopia Reads' efforts to build libraries, publish books in local Ethiopian languages and instill a love of learning in children. We believe books change lives, and we invite you to learn more about our mission and our work. Visit www.ethiopiareads.org for more information, or call 303-355-2919 for images, or to schedule interviews with Christopher Kurtz and Yohannes Gebregeorgis, our Executive Director.
Friday, November 17, 2006
6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
The Embassy of Ethiopia
3506 International Dr. NW Washington, D.C.
Light refreshments will be served.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
10:00 a.m.
The Ethiopian Community Center
7603 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington D.C.
Light refreshments will be served.
About Ethiopia Reads:
Ethiopia Reads was founded to improve literacy and create a culture of reading in Ethiopia, in order to bring hope, vision and educational skills to this generation of Ethiopian children.
In Ethiopia, education is hope and books change lives. Ethiopia Reads works with local governments and private schools to open school libraries. Each reading center is equipped with a specially trained staff, high-quality materials and hundreds of books in both English and local languages, providing children with access to a wide variety of stories and experiences.
Ethiopia Reads also publishes books in local Ethiopian languages, allowing children to see their country, people and languages reflected in languages and words. These books also help families of adoptive Ethiopian children to remain connected to the rich culture, history and literature of their country of birth.
Ethiopia: A Need to Read
Ethiopia has a strong tradition in oral story telling, an ancient history and written language, components that inspire a literate book-loving culture. Yet there are many obstacles to education. Consider:
● 58% of Ethiopians age 15 and above cannot read.
● Classes in government schools around typically have
more than 100 students at a time.
● At present, 99% of schools in Ethiopia have no libraries!
Ethiopia Reads was founded in 2003 by Gebregeorgis Yohannes, who returned to his native Ethiopia after spending nearly two decades as a children's librarian in San Francisco. Yohannes enlisted the support of Jane Kurtz, a celebrated children's author who spent her childhood in Ethiopia and has written dozens of books about its culture and people. Both Yohannes and Jane dreamed of bringing books and reading to Ethiopia's children.
In 2003, Ethiopia Reads opened Shola Children's Library, the first free children's library in Ethiopia, in the capital city of Addis Ababa. Today, Yohannes oversees all of Ethiopia Reads' programs in Ethiopia, including the School Libraries Project -- even the Mobile Donkey Library, the Ethiopian version of a Bookmobile. A popular speaker and educator, Jane travels the country sharing the story of Ethiopia Reads with teachers, children and community groups.
Ethiopia Reads at a Glance
● Ethiopian Children's Book Week, which takes place in April of each year, includes the Ethiopia Reads-created Golden Kuraz Award, which encourages Ethiopian writers to produce books for children.
● Shola Children's Library, the first free children's library in the capital city of Addis Ababa, is filled with young readers every day of the week, and now records 60,000 visits per year.
● Working with government schools as well as other non-profit organizations, Ethiopia Reads will plant twenty libraries and reading centers in elementary schools around Ethiopia in the next twelve months.
● This Spring, Ethiopia Reads will publish four new children's books in local languages.
Ethiopia Reads is a registered tax-exempt 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation. Our Tax-ID # is 94-3283038.
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