Sometimes impact doesn’t look like a big stage, it looks like a child opening a book and realizing the world is wider than they imagined. A room can change a child’s world.
Sometimes impact doesn’t look like a big stage, it looks like a child opening a book and realizing the world is wider than they imagined. A room can change a child’s world.
During the launch of a reading room in Korah, we watched children walk into a new space filled with possibility — shelves, books, bright faces and that quiet excitement that happens when a story is about to begin.
Created through a club-to-club partnership between Rotary Club of Addis Ababa West and Rotary Club Seattle 4, USA, an official launch of the Hope for Korah Reading Room was held in February. It was a moment that reflected Rotary fellowship beyond borders.
The event was launched by, RC Addis Ababa West President Abenezer Feleke, Project Services Director Yakob S Ahmed and Ellenore Angelidis of Open Heart Bid Dreams Fund, representing Rotary Seattle, USA Equipped with creative reading spaces, and a donation of 1,000 books, the reading room will reach more than 300 children each month, providing access to books and a supportive learning environment—strengthened by a reading program led by Rotarians and Rotaractors.
Special thanks to Rotarian Weynishet Moges for her deep work, Open Heart Big Dreams Fund for supporting book donations translated into local languages for deeper connection, to our partners, artists and Rotarians who contributed funds, time, resources, and care to make this possible.
Discussions have begun to scale this successful pilot project into a multi-year global grant impacting more schools across Ethiopia. Projects like this remind us that real change often begins with simple things—every child deserves knowledge and imagination.