By Rana Dajani | WLR Founder
Dear Valued Donors,
We are continuing our mission to establish a library in every neighborhood, and we are excited to share the achievements we have accomplished.
Over the last four months, the WLR online training on "How to Read Aloud for Children" has reached a significant milestone. A total of 90 new ambassadors worldwide have received the training in multiple languages, joining the ever-growing network of over a thousand WLR ambassadors across the globe. In addition to the thousands in Jordan.
The We Love Reading program established two partnerships around the world and reached 81 countries. The first partnership is a collaboration with the Psychological and Reflexology Reception Center (PRRC) in Malawi, nearly 186 ambassadors (men and women) have been trained. This partnership came in response to the urgent need to address the increasing psychological suffering of refugees and vulnerable groups, particularly those affected by mental illness, trauma, physical disabilities, and social marginalization.
The second partnership: the Farrukh Foundation and Fundación Magic World partnered with We Love Reading to promote the love of reading in educational centers across Colombia. This collaboration aims to foster a love of reading for pleasure, adapting the WLR model to fit the school environment, with teachers overseeing the sessions and older students given the opportunity to read to younger children under proper guidance.
In Egypt, a special training through a joint collaboration was launched between the We Love Reading program and the Children of Female Prisoners Care Association.
This partnership followed the visit of Dr. Nawal Mostafa, the association’s founder, to the We Love Reading headquarters in Amman, Jordan, where her schedule included theoretical and practical activities, field visits to read-aloud sessions, and intensive meetings with the program’s team and the founder of WLR, Prof. Rana Dajani, to plan the implementation stages and establish libraries featuring WLR’s children’s books. The training was conducted online over two days. The first day introduced the program’s philosophy and key studies on the impact of reading in communities, while the second day focused on practical applications of reading aloud and interactive activities with participants. One of the trainees, Mr. Tareq Al-Rifai, shared that the read-aloud sessions were highly positive, as children enjoyed the stories and engaged with them attentively.
In Syria, our ambassador Sanaa Abidat received We Love Reading training last year in Daraa Governorate, southern Syria. She began teaching children to read after noticing the severe educational gap caused by the war and the lack of reading, seeing in the program an opportunity to address this issue. After the training, Sanaa began regularly reading to children, including reading stories in English, aiming to improve their behavior and enhance their skills through read-aloud sessions.
Some teachers noticed the impact of these sessions on the children and began borrowing stories from her while learning to apply read-aloud techniques themselves. Sanaa emphasizes that more than half of the children in Daraa have experienced a true tragedy during the war, having been exposed to violence and deprived of educational opportunities, especially in areas heavily bombarded, leaving many children more familiar with war and violence than anything else.
In the south of Jordan, specifically in Aqaba Governorate, We Love Reading ambassador Abeer Al-Nawaisa organized a read-aloud session for 400 students, both girls and boys. This session was part of a series of initiatives aimed at fostering a culture of reading in schools and the wider community. Abeer is a teacher in Aqaba with extensive experience in both education and community work, and she received an award from Queen Rania for Excellence in Education. For this session, Abeer read The Chef of Words, a book developed by We Love Reading, which resonated deeply with the students as it addressed a sensitive issue many of them face: bullying.
According to Abeer, the story’s impact was evident from the very beginning. The students were highly focused and engaged, following the events eagerly and anticipating the ending with curiosity and excitement. In terms of books, We Love Reading celebrates the achievement of Palestinian-Jordanian scientist Omar Yaghi, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Queen of Balloons, developed by the We Love Reading program and written by Lina Qutaishat with illustrations by Ali Al-Zini, was inspired by the character Uncle Omar, based on the renowned scientist Omar Yaghi.
The story highlights his inspiring innovations and emphasizes the importance of our scientists and their contributions to building better communities. The book also addresses climate change and water issues through an engaging storyline that captivates children, and it is available in English as well.
WLR took part in the Amman International Book Fair in september 2025. WLR organized activities as part of the program’s vision to instill a love of reading in children and make it a daily habit they share with their families.
On the occasion of National Reading Day, the We Love Reading program organized a series of special reading sessions at the Amman International Book Fair, welcoming a group of school students into an atmosphere full of fun and interaction.
Within our Children’s Book Development Department, a total of “1367” books were distributed over the past four months, with each ambassador receiving a book package to start their own library. Each package includes 23 books designed to be engaging, creative, and inspiring for children.
These books are developed based on carefully set criteria and methodology, considering themes relevant to children's cultural backgrounds, language, and age appropriateness. They cover important topics including environmental awareness, empathy, gender equality, non-violence, disability inclusion, refugee issues, and climate change.
We are honored to have your support. Thank you for making this work possible, and we look forward to sharing more of the difference your generosity
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