This is a guest post by Samara Alazar, one of volunteers about her experience leading a project to fundraise for locally printed books and distribute them in Ethiopia.
Over the winter break of 2022, I traveled to Ethiopia. My goal was increasing literacy amongst underprivileged children. I have been working with Open Hearts Big Dreams to translate children’s books into Spanish I also sold Amharic-English translated books at events throughout the DMV. I set a goal in October to raise 3,000 dollars to donate 1,000 OHBD-RSG locally printed children’s books to kids in Ethiopia.
When in Ethiopia, I visited three public schools and the Wegene Education Center. Throughout my visits, I toured the facilities. I had meaningful interactions with various students of different backgrounds and with unique stories.
I donated hundreds of books to each institution’s libraries. I also handed out books for students to take home and read to themselves and their siblings. At each public school, I read several books to the children. I reinforced the importance of prioritizing reading. I will never forget the immense gratitude the children expressed over being read to and having new books to read in their libraries and homes. I was reminded of how easy it is to overlook the resources and opportunities given to me.
The most memorable part of my trip was reading at each public school we visited. While reading to the children, I was able to observe the mesmerized look in their eyes as they followed the words and pictures on the pages. We read several books. But the two favorites were The Boy Who Never Give Up and The Runaway Injera. Each of the books has a special message within them. Some are about the importance of being resilient, while others discuss significant parts of Ethiopian culture. The children were eager to answer the questions I asked regarding different parts of the books and how they felt about them.
However, their excitement peaked when they got to choose a book to take home to their families. I felt so blessed to not only further instill the importance of reading and prioritizing education within them. And I feel so fortunate to give them to give them resources to grow their love and drive for learning. I feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to travel to Ethiopia and directly make an impact on the children in my home country. I know, that if given the opportunity, every one of the children has a bright future waiting for them. I’m incredibly thankful I get to be a part of moving organizations like Open Hearts Big Dreams and the Wegene Foundation, which allow me to make a difference in the futures of underprivileged children through work in the US and Ethiopia.
This trip to Ethiopia was an unforgettable and indescribable experience, and I’m looking forward to visiting underprivileged children at more Ethiopian educational institutions and organizations again soon!
Thank you so much Samara! Your great work has inspired a number of other high school students to lead similar projects!