By Prof. Rana Dajani | WLR Founder
Dear Valued Donors,
As we approach another turning point in our mission to instill a love of reading, we are delighted to announce the incredible progress we've made possible by your steadfast support.
Over the last four months, we have launched a new version of the English and Arabic We Love Reading Ambassadors online training platform on How to Read Aloud for Children, with video subtitles available in 10 languages: Spanish, French, Turkish, Korean, Urdu, Hindi, Chinese, Vietnamese and Dutch.
Since we launched, we have trained 52 new trainees, and new ambassadors have joined our network. We expanded WLR in 2024 to new countries: Cambodia, Tanzania, Venezuela bringing our presence to 71 countries.
Additionally, a collection of WLR children’s books was donated to our ambassador Najeh Hasan, who recently received the training and started establishing a library. The library was established in the Makani Learning Center to create a space for reading for pleasure rather than just reading for learning. Najeh completed the online training and he said that he sent it to everyone he knew to join WLR, especially after witnessing the enjoyment that reading sessions create.
Moreover, our books reached Germany through our ambassador Shaima Asfour. While visiting Jordan, she decided to start something different this year by getting We Love Reading training. She took WLR children’s books to Germany to the minority community living in Germany to start her reading sessions every Saturday in a mosque near her home. She described that the pleasure it’s not only for children in the reading session, but she also felt it each time she saw the glow in the children’s eyes.
The milestone of WLR does not stop here. Participants from various categories, including mothers, library visitors, and employees, joined the online training to implement it in their neighborhoods to achieve their goal of raising a generation of readers. This has been done in collaboration with the Hopes Library in Gaza Camp at Jerash governorate, and the trainees received a package from the WLR children’s books.
Around the world, WLR flourished in Kenya through the Siaya Community Library (SCL) which has made remarkable progress in Kenya after implementing the We Love Reading (WLR) program in Africa, heralding a new era of learning and enlightenment across the region.
SCL has trained local teachers and volunteers to hold read-aloud sessions in schools and public spaces, making reading as playful as possible for learners both at school and at home.
Since its implementation by the Siaya Community Library, the We Love Reading program has garnered widespread acclaim for its innovative approach to promoting literacy. The program has successfully engaged families and communities in the pursuit of reading and learning.
Through our WLR online training, many trainees have joined from around the world, to expand WLR to more countries. Many libraries have been established, create empowerment in each ambassador in order to nurture changemakers, and helped undeveloped countries not only overcoming illiteracy also instill the love of reading.
A total of 90 books were distributed in the past 4 months, each woman received a book package to start her own library, the package contains 10 books that are fun, creative, and unleash the children’s imaginations. Books are developed according to set criteria and methodology, considering factors such as theme, relevancy to the children’s culture and background, language, and age-appropriateness. The books cover a variety of themes, including environmental awareness, empathy, gender, non-violence, disabilities, refugees, and climate change.
Together, we are not only imagining a better world, we are creating it. We’re honored you chose ours to support. Thank you for making this work possible, and can’t wait to share where your generosity takes us next!
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