OHBD is living up to its promises by inspiring, motivating, and empowering Ethiopian youth to envision a better future through improved literacy and togetherness. The organization provides children with their first books. How cool is that! OHBD publishes high-quality books that incorporate local stories, languages, and images. Kids see what their cultures represent. Importantly, OHBD emphasizes the importance of sharing stories, particularly stories about girls and women, which makes a valuable contribution to gender equality. Reading brings joy to kids, brings society together, and makes the future full of hope. OHBD is building a brighter future for Ethiopian kids. As a professor in the US, I truly wish OHBD existed four decades ago. If it did, I wouldn't have missed a week of school due to damaging a teacher's book.
Open Hearts Big Dreams is doing fantastic work creating and distributing books in different Ethiopian languages across Ethiopia. We had a wonderful experience collaborating with Open Hearts Big Dreams in the creation and distribution of books, reaching many schools, including rural schools with no libraries.
Open Hearts Big Dreams is passionate, creative and inspiring. Their collaboration to the literacy efforts in Ethiopia are outstanding.
I am the founder and President of a small 501c3 that cares for orphans, families and the community in rural Ethiopia. Open Hearts Big Dreams provided us with bilingual books for our children and school that is under construction. Last spring I delivered their books to the Kids and they were so excited to have books that were fun and exciting to read in their language as well as English! Big Hearts Big Dreams is literally changing lives! Thank you!
My name is Dereje Zegeye. I am a member of Rotary Club of Addis Ababa (RCAA), Ethiopiopia. RCAA is engaged in adavncing education in Ethiopia and meeting the Founder and the CEO of OHBDF has given me a great opportunity to discuss the need for reading books in my former elementary school which is located in a very remote area of Ethiopia, named Metu. We jointly worked and applied for International Rotary Grant for Reading Room Project. The project is approved in less than three months. Because of the genuine commitment of the CEO, the students in this remote vilage will have access to books before the end of Dec. 2024. The Reading Room,will provide one thousand books, four reading tables, sixteen reading chairs and four book sheleves. It will be opened to the students and the community before the new year. The Reading Room will be a great Chritmas gift from the USA.thanks to OHBDF.
I became a volunteer of this foundation in 2022 when I reached out to Ellenore who happens to be the founder and thus requested that igbo language should be added to the language of the books to be translated, this she accepted and since then, I have had a couple of book's translated from English to igbo and this brought me some wonderful exposures, new skills and quality networking.
In all honesty, Ellenore and the Open heart big Dreams Fund foundation is doing an enviable and incredible work in promoting literacy and I must applaud what this foundation do and the feat they have achieved.
When I Was in need of finances for my masters program study in Austria, I reached out to Ellenore and I was surprised when she accepted that the foundation will support me a little which the foundation did and I still remain very grateful to them.
I so much believe that there are a lot the foundation will achieve in the near time and I am always ready and happy to collaborate.
Our family has worked with OHBD the past two years. We were able to fundraise and deliver Ready -set-go books to children in Ethiopia during our visit January 2023. A rewarding and hopeful opportunity to put colorful bi-lingual books in the hands of children. Thank you OHBD. The Austin’s.
Great organization with an amazing mission! All kids deserve literacy opportunities! Open Heart Big Dreams uses innovation to bridge gaps in culturally sensitive ways.
Dear Open Hearts Big Dreams Team,
On behalf of YessEthiopia and the children at the Hawassa Orphanage in Ethiopia, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude for your generous donation of books. These books are more than just educational tools; they are a source of inspiration, joy, and hope for children who are in great need of emotional and psychological support.
Your contribution is helping to open up new worlds of learning and imagination for these young minds, many of whom face daily challenges that go beyond what most can imagine. By providing them with books, you are not only supporting their educational development but also offering them a sense of comfort and empowerment as they navigate difficult times.
We are incredibly grateful for your partnership and support. The entire YessEthiopia team recognizes the importance of this gesture, and we are excited to witness the positive impact it will have on these children's lives. Your generosity is a reminder that we are not alone in our mission to uplift and support Ethiopia's youth.
Thank you once again for your kindness and for making a difference.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Fikadu Reta Alemayehu and the YessEthiopia Team
This is one of the best organizations that put books in the hands of kids interest to increase reading in their own language while helping the economy by partnering with printing facility in Ethiopia. The organization was able to collaborate with an individual and donated over 700 books to my childhood first girls school in Ethiopia. Thank you Open Hearts Big Dreams for all you do.
At the beginning of 2024, I decided that I wanted to raise money to make an impact in Ethiopia. My family was already planning a trip there over spring break, as my younger brother is adopted from the country. This would be my first trip there, and my family's first time back after he came home. My mom helped me to brainstorm how to start the process, and we contacted Ellenore Angelidis at Open Hearts Big Dreams. I organized a fundraiser and raised over $2500 to print 700 books. Open Hearts Big Dreams works with a local printer in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to print books for $4/ book.
A few days after our arrival in Addis, it was time to visit Bethel Mekane Yesus School, a girls' school in the city that will be celebrating its 100th birthday in November 2024. The process to bring the books to the school was very easy. When we arrived, the head of school gave us a tour and a brief history of the school. When the books were brought in, the librarians and other staff members’ faces lit up. Seeing the books written in native languages with beautiful stories and illustrations brought them so much joy. Our tour guide was so excited to see a book about his hometown, Lalibela! It made me so happy to see how these books made the staff so happy, and I believe they made the children very happy too. The OHBD books are available in a variety of Ethiopian languages, but the ones we used were in Afaan Oromo, Amharic, and Tigrinya. It is so important for children to read in their native language, and to read books about places that are familiar to them. Open Hearts Big Dreams makes this possible for children who would not be able to experience this otherwise. I will never forget how happy the staff were with the books, and OHBD made it possible!
Me and my family have been supporters for several years. All three of our boys have volunteered at their auctions. They are creating irreplaceable value for people who need it, and they are extremely efficient financially in how they accomplish what they do with their eye towards being financially responsible to have the biggest impact and the volunteer support they garner.
The leadership for Open Hearts Big Dreams has shown relentless commitment, flexibility, resourcefulness, and staying power in their drive to provide children's books for Ethiopian students in their own languages. The organization has already published in a number of popular languages within Ethiopia and has artfully avoided the mine field of ethnic tension in the process. In addition, they have acquired the services of Ethiopian storytellers, artists, and writers of various ethnic groups to lend authenticity and local flavor to their books. This nonprofit is one of the best.
My experience with Open Hearts Big Dream started when I became involved as an educator to help create bilingual picture books (English/Amharic) with my Sheridan Elementary School students in Kansas. Along with author, Jane Kurtz, we created our most recent book, The Journey of Butterflies. It has been translated into 3 languages. Open Hearts Big Dreams is responsible for printing this book in Ethiopia. It is thrilling to see children around the world enjoying a culturally appropriate nonfiction book that is unique to Ethiopia. Collaborating with Ellenore Angelidis and Open Hearts Big Dreams made this dream a reality for my students and those of us who worked to write, translate, and illustrate this book.
Empowering Ethiopia through impactful books and training opportunities, this nonprofit is a beacon of positive change. OHBD addresses a critical literacy gap in Ethiopia by creating and publishing wonderful books in diverse languages. I have had a wonderful experience working with this non-profit and can’t wait to see all the wonderful things the team will achieve. Grateful to support such a valuable cause.
Open Hearts Big Dreams changes lives. When children see their own lives in print they grow as human beings. OHBD crafts beautifully written and illustrated multilingual books for young learners that deserve to be heard and valued. Words change worlds and when they are accompanied by glorious images, the effect can be powerful. I passionately support OHBD’s mission to develop a love of language and literacy, especially in low-resource settings across Sub-Saharan Africa. I hope you will too
OHBD is a great organization that does important work in Ethiopia. I am born and raised in Ethiopia and currently living in Seattle, WA. In November 2022 and in March 2023, I had the chance to coordinate with OHBD, Boeing and Ethiopian Airlines to ship books and art materials to a new rural area library in Yetebon-Butajira, Ethiopia. I knew about OHBD work in Ethiopia and contacted Ellenore, the founder and president of OHBD to request OHBD’s support when the opportunity came to ship books to Ethiopia. She immediately started working with her team of supporters and donors to make it a reality. We managed to ship a significant number of OHBD published children’s books, art materials, and used & new textbooks requested by the library with two new Boeing airplane delivery flights from Seattle. The founder and president, Ellenore, and OHBD supporters and donors played a big role to accomplish this task in a very short period of time. I appreciate the diverse team of board members, supporters, artists, donors and volunteers. I am especially inspired by Ellenore’s tireless action-oriented and always “we can do it” approach. I couldn’t have done it without OHBD support and its leadership. I am grateful to be part of the work they do in my native country, beloved Ethiopia.
Truly incredible. From the stories they tell, to the people they work with and for, and the mission they follow. Open Hearts Big Dreams is a valuable resource, and a truly remarkable nonprofit. Thank you OHBD for all that you do!
I’m incredibly thankful I get to be a part of moving organizations like Open Hearts Big Dreams (OHBD) that allow me to make a difference in the futures of underprivileged children. I have been a Spanish translator for this organization for over a year and have gotten the opportunity to translate 8+ children's books, while also traveling to Ethiopia to donate 1,000 children's books to public schools. Throughout my trip to Ethiopia, I toured educational institutions while having meaningful interactions with various students of different backgrounds and unique stories. I donated hundreds of books to each institution's libraries, while also hand-giving books for students to take home and read to themselves and their siblings. OHBD has impacted the lives of countless children in Ethiopia through its promotion of child literacy, and I am so blessed to have the opportunity to contribute to this amazing organization.
Words can not describe what Open Hearts Big Dreams Fund organization has done for the Anywaa (Anuak) people in Gambella, Ethiopia. The Anywaa never had children's books before until 2022 when they received their first children's books written in both Anuak and English with the support of OHBD. In 2022 alone, the OHBD organization delivered 15,000 books to the underserved Anywaa community in Gambella. The OHBD organization didn't just give this small ethnic group a chance to read books in their language, but also helped preserve the language and culture through literacy. I am blessed to get to know this amazing organization, and the wonderful volunteers who made it possible for small communities such as the Anywaa to have access to books written in their mother tongue.
Open Hearts Big Dreams Fund is an amazing organization! Their impact reaches far - from creating, translating and providing early readers in many different languages, to providing STEM manuals in multiple languages, to building libraries, to creating and supporting programs that bring technology and computer access to girls in rural areas. They are culturally sensitive and many of the board members, advisors, and volunteers are Ethiopian.
This is an honest, transparent, and ethical organization. They care deeply, and they go out of their way to excel in what they do. I have volunteered my art, my time, and my $ to this organization for nearly a decade, and have always been treated respectfully.
I've absolutely loved working with this nonprofit for the last five years! What a gift to be able to help increase literacy rates in such a large number of languages. The children's books are wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated. Topics range from counting, colors and animals to proverbs and religious stories. I really love the ones that highlight the animals and parks in Ethiopia. The STEM offerings and other programs are amazing as well. Such a fantastic opportunity to make a difference!
Open Hearts Big Dreams has a staff and boards of interesting and caring people. The work is done in a very intentional and morally clear environment. This organization is truly filling a need in helping children have access to books and literacy programs.
I volunteer with OHBD, where I help with some of their social media. I did not know much about OHBD before volunteering, but I have discovered that it is such an amazing and inspiring organization, that is doing so much for children in Ethiopia. Their books are colorful and cultural, and I can only imagine how special it is for children in Ethiopia to see themselves, their culture, and language represented in these books. OHBD also has set up libraries and teaches young women technology literacy and leadership skills.
OHBD is paving the way for children in Ethiopia to be able to dream of any future they want and have the skills to do so, which every kid deserves.
Due to family connections in Ethiopia as well as my career in education, I have supported and volunteered for OHBD since its inception. OHBD is an outstanding organization that focuses on raising literacy among Ethiopian youth as well as youth in other African nations and beyond. Through their Ready Set Go books, science and technology camps, leadership training, and model programs, OHBD continues to provide significant opportunities for youth to reach their educational potential. Because OHBD is fiscally responsible, forward thinking, inclusive and collaborative, I am delighted to be a part of the work they do.
OHBD is an amazing organization. It’s doing a great job in Ethiopia. Thanks to OHBD, Kids in rural Ethiopia got a chance to read books written in their own local languages.
Open Hearts and big dreams urges everyone to dream big! It is not preaching. It sets out to provide Ethiopian kids to gain access to books in their heart languages and inspire them in STEM fields. Expert volunteers offer training in leadership, communication, entrepreneurship and coding skills. The number of projects and their implementation strategy are daunting but Open hearts philosophy hinges on dreaming big!
I salute the indefatigable board of directors, selfless volunteers and the altruistic President and the unsung heroes tirelessly working in the background. I trust the leadership has the insight to grasp opportunities lining up beyond the next hill.
For now, Congratulations for job well done!
WM
This charity has been hard at work for years reaching Ethiopian communities. It functions with very low administrative overhead and has an obvious impact with books reaching readers who have never had a picture book before, much less one one their own language.
Working with this nonprofit has been one of my most valued experiences. Both the people and the mission of Open Hearts Big Dream are outstanding! I have had the chance to watch the core mission develop as the needs of Ethiopia also change. From building a library, to producing local language children's books, to coding programs for young women in Ethiopia, each goal OHBD has targeted and achieved will have a lasting and profound impact. I feel incredibly lucky to have been involved with this group and had the chance to work directly on producing one of the local language children's books. I truly commend OHBD on their work and would highly encourage anyone interested to get involved!
I am working with OHBD to supply books and STEM manuals for the library I started in rural Ethiopia. Ellenore has been a dream to work with. She is prompt, articulate, action-oriented, and full of great ideas. I can't imagine what my library would look like - and how bare the shelves would be - if not for OHBD. Thanks to this organization, we'll be able to significantly increase literacy rates in the community of Debtsa - in Amharic, English, AND their native Basketo language.
Open Hearts Big Dreams is an outstanding nonprofit. The money donated is spent as intended, on promoting literacy in Ethiopia for all children. They have written and published over 135 Ready Set Go bilingual books for children in English and other languages. As a result, many languages are preserved in the pages of the books. In Ethiopia, there was no children's book culture. Open Hearts Big Dreams was founded. Starting from the ground up, OHBD has built an infrastructure of well written, culturally based, interesting, and colorfully illustrated books. Coaching Ethiopian authors and utilizing Ethiopian artists as illustrators in an effort to build capacity is important to the project. As is representing marginalized populations in Ethiopia. Check them out at openheartsbigdreams.
Until I learned about OHBD, I struggled to figure out how to give back to my community. I contacted the team to express my interest, but I did not anticipate a prompt answer. I'm always curious about how the leaders welcome and nurture volunteers. Since 2019, I've been helping at Bahir Dar American Corner as a ToT lead volunteer in the country innovation Coding(Computer Programming) program. Currently, OHBD is running CSBootcamp which is very inspiring and beneficial for youth in Ethiopia. The program was effective, and I gained new abilities as a result of my involvement. I'd like to express my gratitude to the founder and other board members for providing me with this chance. In the future, I hope to be able to offer more.
I have followed and actively contributed to OHBD since the beginning days of this organization. I love OHBD's vision to a make sustainable change in the Ethiopian communities by focusing on the inputs that matter. From the start, this organization focused on education and focused on understating the barrier and inputs needed to develop the ecosystem needed to achieve the objectives.
As a result, OBHD has been able to attracts a diverse team of writers, creators, volunteers, and donors to achieve the objectives. These are still early days for OBHD and I can’t wait to see the lasting impact of that these effort will leave behind.
A lot of achievements in a very short period time with limited resources. Very good at mobilizing and using volunteers. Cares about diversity and equality. I can only say thank you about all things OHBD is doing for Ethiopian children!
Growing up in Ethiopia, I never had a storybook. When I read about what Open Hearts Big Dreams Fund is doing to the children of Ethiopia, my dream came true. I volunteer at this organization couple of times and this organization is very great. I will continue volunteering and I am very grateful for what they are doing for the children in Ethiopia.
I love working for this organization as a proud volunteer because OHBD mission is to develop education and strong reading habits through bilingual language and Ethiopian history among Ethiopian Children in Ethiopia.
Million times thank you for allowing me to be part of this journey to contribute to my home country. I can’t wait until this organization get recognition among a lot of people in Ethiopia as well as in the world for its true work
I have been a volunteer with OHBD for almost two years, including co-authoring a book to expand awareness on sign language communication. OHBD’s mission and work is a great source of inspiration for me. There is great need for increasing child literacy in my home country, Ethiopia. OHBD has done amazing work in addressing some of this need by making books readily available. The books are meant to inspire children to read more by focusing on Ethiopian stories. I am honored to volunteer with OHBD and inspired by its achievements.
My personal ties to Ethiopia and prior volunteer work collecting books for children's libraries, led me to OHBD. I am honored to support their mission to provide literacy and educational opportunities to children and youth in Ethiopia. Literacy and education are crucial in leveling the playing field and building a better world.
OHBD started small and experimented to find the best ways to achieve their goals before scaling up. From providing books in multiple languages for early readers to building Model Programs and Innovation Centers, OHBD is now making a difference in the lives of thousands of young people. I am deeply grateful to support this inspired and well-run organization!
This nonprofit is devoted to helping people learn more about Ethiopia via (among other projects) colorful, interesting, local language (and English) books. Amazing accomplishments in a short time!
I am constantly inspired by OHBD's grand vision to a make real, sustainable change in the Ethiopian communities as much I am motivated by the depth of its execution. OHBD's mission to empower kids and young people with the power of knowledge and education seems to me to be the ultimate mechanism in creating the next generation of leaders who can build a better world around them and lift up the lives of others.
From creating books and libraries to raising funds to creating multiple platforms and opportunities for young people to learn and engage, OHBD is looking at the problem holistically and making use all of all the tools in the toolbox. Unsurprisingly, OBHD attracts a diverse team of writers, creators, translators, volunteers, donors, all eager to do their part in this shared mission. Thanks to OHBD, thousands of young people are learning to read, write, and dream of a better future. These are still early days for OBHD and I can’t wait to see the long-term impact of OHBD’s work.
OHBD has an inspiring story and vision. It is always a joy for me and my family to help and contribute to the expansion and success of this organization. We are always looking forward to hear about different ways we can help. And this is also the beauty of OHBD: even small contributions can make a huge difference in bringing literacy to kids!
I have been with this organization from the beginning and I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to support OHBD’s mission to increase awareness and literacy for Ethiopians. What started out as supporting a dear friend and her family to adopt a beautiful Ethiopian baby girl (Leyla) culminated into something so meaningful and necessary in our bid to be the best humanitarians we can be that offered greater opportunities for hundreds, if not thousands, of Ethiopians. I am forever enriched by this organization and the opportunity to give back.
I am deeply inspired by OHBD’s mission to increase literacy in Ethiopian languages. I help write the summaries for the books so I’ve read all of them, and even illustrated some science manuals for them. The books are culturally relevant, inclusive and feature some of the gorgeous animals, architecture, history and culture that make Ethiopia so unique. I’m honored to work with them to create more books and I’m grateful for their efforts to boost education in east Africa!