This spring marked a wonderful milestone for the Libraries for Ethiopia Fund (LiFEF) as we completed one of our most direct and joyful initiatives to date: a major book distribution event. Over the course of several weeks in 2023 and early 2024, our team, with the help of local volunteers, successfully delivered nearly 700 brand-new and gently used books to schoolchildren across the towns of Sendafa and Beke.
For many of these children, it was the first time they had ever held a book that was truly theirs to explore. The books, spanning a range of reading levels and interests in Amharic and English, were met with excitement and curiosity. Seeing the children’s faces light up as they opened the pages is a powerful reminder of why we do this work.
While our main goal is to build a permanent library, these distributions are a vital way to bridge the gap and combat learning poverty right now. Each book is a seed of knowledge and inspiration planted in a young mind. We are incredibly grateful to the donors and partners who made this possible and look forward to our next distribution drive.
