Ethiopia Reads

In my on going search to help make a difference in Africa I recently learned about Ethiopia Reads. Their goal is to create a reading culture in Ethiopia. I love to read so I knew this was something I/we could support.


Henry, Igor and I go to the library once a week. The boys love to pick out their own books and check them out. I cannot imagine life without a public library. In 2003 Ethiopia Reads built the first free public library in Ethiopia. 60,000 children visited the library in 2007.


Ethiopia Reads established Ethiopia's first Donkey Mobile Library in 2005. Since then, the traveling library has served thousands of boys and girls, registering an average of 35,000 visits per year. The Donkey Mobile Library is a sturdy, portable cart that houses hundreds of children's books in both English and local Ethiopian languages. The Donkey Mobile Library has introduced reading and books to children in some of the poorest areas of Ethiopia, a country where 99% of schools have no books.

May 9-15 is Ethiopia Reads Book Week USA. This is the first annual week long celebration to encourage reading to build connections between children in the US and Ethiopia. There are several ways to get involved. Click here to check out their website.