Ethiopia Reads

Ethiopia Reads Ethiopia Reads collaborates with Ethiopian communities to plant libraries, boost literacy and provide youth and families with the tools to improve their lives.

Today, we’re highlighting “Girls: The Daughters and Sisters of Ethiopia” by Jane Kurtz, available in Afaan Oromo, Amhari...
10/08/2026

Today, we’re highlighting “Girls: The Daughters and Sisters of Ethiopia” by Jane Kurtz, available in Afaan Oromo, Amharic, Tigrinya, Anuak, and more! This early reader is perfect for children aged 3-6, and is one of hundreds of books published by and stocked in our libraries.

Ethiopia is home to millions of creative, kind, and adventurous young girls, and we hope that they see themselves in this story!

Happy World Teachers’ Day from Ethiopia Reads! Today, we’re celebrating the wonderful teachers and librarians who help c...
10/06/2026

Happy World Teachers’ Day from Ethiopia Reads!

Today, we’re celebrating the wonderful teachers and librarians who help children discover the joy of books and reading every day. We hope to inspire a lifelong love of learning in every child who walks through our library doors, and we couldn’t do it without the incredible educators who make that possible. Here’s a photo of educators learning how to use storybooks in their classrooms!

Thank you for helping children learn, grow, and bloom!

መልካም አዲስ ዓመት! Happy Ethiopian New Year from all of us at Ethiopia Reads! As we said goodbye to summer, we celebrated Enk...
09/18/2026

መልካም አዲስ ዓመት! Happy Ethiopian New Year from all of us at Ethiopia Reads!

As we said goodbye to summer, we celebrated Enkutatash with traditional seasonal meskel flowers and a performance of the Abebayehosh song from students at Gebeta Library. Here’s to a year filled with new stories and endless possibilities for Ethiopia’s young readers.

Gebeta Summer Camp has officially come to a close! We celebrated the end of an incredible seven weeks with a graduation ...
09/17/2026

Gebeta Summer Camp has officially come to a close! We celebrated the end of an incredible seven weeks with a graduation ceremony, inviting parents, volunteers, staff, and children to reflect on everything we learned, created, and accomplished together. Students gave speeches, performed traditional Ethiopian dances and songs, shared artwork, and put their academic skills to the test with a spelling bee and math competition.

We’re so excited to see our students bring their creativity, love of learning, and confidence into the new school year. Thank you to our volunteers, families, staff, and students for an amazing year of camp!

We’re so grateful to our wonderful student volunteers for all of the work they do to make our libraries special! From ac...
09/13/2026

We’re so grateful to our wonderful student volunteers for all of the work they do to make our libraries special! From academic tutoring to leading sports games, volunteers at Gebeta Library and Hawassa Reading Center bring our libraries to life and help us create spaces where children can learn, play, and explore new skills.

Last week, student volunteers at Gebeta Library participated in a training led by author and teacher Dr. Bekele, focused on effective teaching approaches and creating engaging learning experiences for children. Investing in our volunteers means investing in the children they serve. Thank you to all the volunteers who share their time, energy, and enthusiasm with our young readers!

Last week at Gebeta Summer Camp was Young Global Citizens Week, and we had so much fun introducing our campers to countr...
09/10/2026

Last week at Gebeta Summer Camp was Young Global Citizens Week, and we had so much fun introducing our campers to countries, cultures, and languages from around the world! Children explored what it means to be responsible global citizens while practicing kindness, curiosity, and respect for people from different backgrounds.

Being a confident reader and storyteller has the power to open endless doors for children, from telling stories about their own neighborhoods to discovering the diverse lives and experiences of people around the world. Books help children see beyond their own communities, imagine new possibilities, and build connections across cultures. From Addis Ababa to book lovers everywhere, those who read, bloom!

Week five of Gebeta Summer Camp is officially in the books, and we can’t believe that summer is almost over! This week, ...
09/02/2026

Week five of Gebeta Summer Camp is officially in the books, and we can’t believe that summer is almost over! This week, camp focused on imagination, reading, and storytelling, including a special visit to the launch of author Natalie Ortiz Villalobos’ children’s book “Under the Sky of Addis”. Books, creativity, and sharing stories are at the heart of our work, and we were so excited to introduce children to the amazing world of imagining their own stories.

Our goal is to help build a culture of reading in Ethiopia, and we hope that experiences like this will build confidence, curiosity, and joy in the next generation of authors, illustrators, and book-lovers!

Last Wednesday, Ethiopia Reads celebrated Buhe at Gebeta Library! We were delighted to welcome back comedian and childre...
08/29/2026

Last Wednesday, Ethiopia Reads celebrated Buhe at Gebeta Library!

We were delighted to welcome back comedian and children’s author Asres Bekele, who led lively storytelling and read-aloud sessions about the holiday. Children, volunteers, and staff joined in the festivities with singing, chanting, sharing mulmul bread, and lighting the ceremonial bonfire in the evening.

We hope everyone who celebrates had a joyful and festive Buhe!

Highlights from our trip to Ottawa for the 2026 IBBY World Congress! We’re thrilled to celebrate Ethiopia Reads board me...
08/25/2026

Highlights from our trip to Ottawa for the 2026 IBBY World Congress!

We’re thrilled to celebrate Ethiopia Reads board member Lulit Bezuayehu and founder Jane Kurtz, both of whom were recognized on the 2026 IBBY Honour List for their bilingual children’s books. The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) promotes international understanding through children’s books and works to ensure every child has access to reading. Each year, the IBBY Honour List recognizes outstanding writing, illustration, and translation from around the world.

We’re so proud of Lulit for her English and Amharic book, Little Red Cape, and of Jane for her English and Tigrinya book, āʼedāwe, published by our long-time collaborator Open Hearts Big Dreams Fund.

Thank you, IBBY International Board on Books for Young People, for welcoming us to Ottawa and for your incredible work bringing books and children together!

Week 4 at Gebeta Summer Camp was all about creativity and innovation! Continuing our theme of exploring different career...
08/21/2026

Week 4 at Gebeta Summer Camp was all about creativity and innovation! Continuing our theme of exploring different careers each week, we welcomed professionals from the worlds of engineering and architecture. Campers learned how bridges, buildings, and roads are designed and constructed, then put their creativity to work by designing and building creations of their own!

A month into summer camp, we’re so proud to see how much confidence our campers have gained in their learning, friendships, and imagination. Watching them feel comfortable expressing their ideas, collaborating, asking questions, and trying new things reminds us why this work is so important. የሚያነቡ ያብባሉ!

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