One Ethiopian Birr
This is a “birr”, the currency of Ethiopia – worth appx. $0.06 USD. If you’ll notice on this birr, the majority of the writing is in Amharic (the national language of Ethiopia) and there are a few places with English writing. Would you be surprised if I told you that 72% of Ethiopians cannot read the English writing on their own currency?
How about if I told you that 72% of Ethiopians cannot read anything
written on their own currency?
According to the 2011 United Nations Development Program Report, Ethiopia has an illiteracy rate of 72% and is the 9th most illiterate country in the world. Without action, this number will continue to rise. The only way to break this cycle of illiteracy is to combat it. And that is what Blessing the Children has been doing in building the BCI Academy.
With Phase III of construction coming to completion, we are looking to the future and to how we can better enable our children to grow and thrive. This has led us to the library, a fundamental part of any school. The library could be considered the heart of the school – where dreams are born and imaginations go to soar. Not only is the library where children study, research, and grow their minds, but it is also a place for quiet time and for some, a great escape.
We would be so honored to be able to offer our kids such a retreat from their everyday life; to give them a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips.
Right now, Blessing the Children has a pallet of 3,500 books varying from school and curriculum books to fiction and non-fiction books for children of all ages. These books were donated through ministry partners and are all packaged and ready to be shipped.
Total cost for the Children’s Library – $4,195
Cost of shipping – $3,545
Cost of shelving – $650
To date, we have received $2,407 in donations for the Children’s Library, making our total needed only $1,788! Would you, or someone you know, consider making a donation towards the children’s library? You’ll not only be investing in a library, but in the children’s future – and the future of Ethiopia!
Blessing the Children International 