Timeline
An African Proverb says If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. at OHBD, we are set on FAR and FAST.
2025
April
Added Peace as a focus area
Highlight our books about peace to promote peace
Project leads and learning about the beginning goals of IBBY made us realize our books could support peace work globally. Read Blog Post
February
Starts goal to get reading rooms across Ethiopian in next 10 years.
Get our locally printed books to kids all across Ethiopia.
OHBD is collaborating with Rotary in the US and Ethiopia and other organizations to get books and kids together in all regions of Ethiopia
February
OHBD selection includes 15 Ethiopian languages, many endangered, and 30 languages overall, for over 1400 book
Make progress to achieve the goal of 200 books in as many languages as possible.
Continuing to grow our book selection and languages to reach more kids in Ethiopia and globally.
2024
December
Local printing and distribution reaches 600,000 with collaborations
Make progress on our goal to get books to all the children of Ethiopia
Ethiopia Reads, World Bank, and other organizations collaborate to bring our OHBD book to all regions of Ethiopia.
June
Awarded first international and local community Rotary Grants
Collaborate with Rotary International and local clubs to get additional support
Our founder is a Rotarian and working to gain more support for local and international distribution of our bilingual books
April
IBBY Ethiopia featured at Bologna Book Fair, Ethiopian Authors, Translators, and Illustrators featured at IBBY Congress for first time
Get recognition for local creators and gain more international support
Ethiopian authors, illustrators, and translators featured on these large international forums for the first time. Five Ethiopian languages are also included for the first time.
February
Launch IBBY Ethiopia in Addis as well as the Reading Room program
Continue to grow local capacity
OHBD team in Ethiopia launched IBBY Ethiopia with support from IBBY Ghana as well as reading rooms to spread book joy!
January
Launch official ETAN comics collaboration
Expand collection
OHBD and Etan comics launch a bilingual early reader version of Jember in 12 languages.
2023
July
OHBD sponsors IBBY Ethiopia, the national chapter.
Create local capacity in Ethiopia and gain international support.
Ethiopian books in 5 languages are included on the IBBY honour list for the first time
2022
October
Local book distribution reaches 100,000 with collaborations across nearly all regions of Ethiopia and support children and families in IDP camps
Spread books across Ethiopia in local languages.
World Bank and Ethiopia Reads work together to support families in IDP with packages of locally printed OHBD RSG books since education has otherwise ceased.
July
Publish bilingual STEM teacher manuals
Expand Science Education
OHBD took the work of an award winning teacher, worked with local experts and created first bilingual chemistry, physics and biology manuals
2021
September
Jane Kurtz wins Reading Promoter Award for work with OHBD and others
Raise Awareness and meet global quality standards
Jane Kurtz received an international award recognizing her work with OHBD and others for decades in Ethiopia. OHBD was the recipient of the award for their local language children’s books as well as printing and distribution.
February
Launches local printing in Ethiopia pilot
Make books always available
Children’s books in local languages are not generally available outside of project work.
January
OHBD focus expands endangered languages starting with Anuak
Language and Culture Preservation
Start a focus to include endangered languages in our publishing efforts, many of whom have never had children’s books available in the language.
2020
October
OHBD celebrates it’s 100th book published
Reach
When the team reached this milestone, it was time to celebrate.
July
The Gondar Model Library and Dangla Model Science Lab
Increase local capacity and innovation
OHBD collaborates with Together We Learn and Project Ethiopia to develop Model Projects related to literacy and STEM
June
OHBD launches Mike Carr legacy project
Include Kids of All Abilities in our focus
Mike Carr’s Family funds a new project to support kids with disabilities in Ethiopia. OHBD starts their inclusive books series.
2019
December
100,000 distribution
Increase literacy and access to books
Working with collaborators like WEEMA and Ethiopia Reads allows OHBD to reach more kids across Ethiopia
May
Official Ethiopia Tour
Awareness building and growing support
Travel around Ethiopia increasing visibility and support, local printing and distribution
March
80 Titles available
Progress against goal to have enough books for a small library
OHBD team continues to grow it’s capacity in terms of number of books and languages
2018
February
RSG Book Team Growth
Making big ideas a reality by building organization capacity
The OHBD RSG book team grows and creates 40 books in Amharic, Tigrinya and Afaan Oromo
2017
December
Local Printing Test
Building Local Capacity
OHBD licensed it’s content to a number of titles to Ethiopia Reads who printed and distributed 10,000 copies in the Oromia region of Ethiopia
November
Publish first books
Literacy
Our first books were publishing through Kindle Direct Publishing making us officially an NGO publisher
May
501(c)(3) Designation
Greater Impact
Open Hearts Big Dreams gains 501(3)(c) not for profit status and Leyla is student of the month
March
2016
November
First Project: RSG bilingual books
Increase literacy and create a love of reading
Ellenore and Jane meet in Denver and compare notes on new projects. They agree that Open Hearts Big Dreams the NGO will be home to the Ready Set Go bilingual books Jane was testing as the first major literacy project.
October
Board kick off
Intention
Board gathers to plan initial strategy and goals - BIG DREAMS were set in motion
June
Leyla celebrates a birthday and OHBD application is filed
Greater impact
Our Founder Ellenore Angelidis believed there were ways to have a bigger impact by focusing on literacy, technology, art and innovation so applied to become a stand alone NGO
2011
December 17
Inaugural fundraising event
Supporting organizations in Ethiopia working on literacy
We funded and visited the site of our first library in our daughter’s birthtown and then returned to Seattle and started fundraising for a bigger impact. Our event was titled Open Hearts Big Dreams and we raised close to half a million dollars over the next five years.