A Joint Workshop on Children’s Literacy and the African storybook Initiative (ASb)
Saturday, November 4, 2017, Debre Birhan, Ethiopia
Host: Ras Abebe Aregay Library (Tel.: +251 - 913658839; Email: mezemir@yahoo.com)
Workshop organizers: [Janet Lee, Dean of Library, Regis University, Denver, Colorado, Fulbright Scholar University of Aksum, Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Emdeber, Ethiopia, and Mezemir Girma, General Manager, Ras Abebe Aregay Library, Debre Birhan, Lecturer in English Literature, Debre Birhan University, Ethiopia]
Funded by: International Library and Cultural Exchange Interest Group Colorado (USA) Association of Libraries
Objective: At the end of the workshop participants had a considerable acquaintance with the ASb, reading aloud and children’s literacy.
A Report written by Mezemir Girma
Intro
I booked a hotel room for Janet at Fikrna Selam Hotel, Debre Birhan. As planned, she came on Friday at around 11:00 AM. She had hired a car from a tourism company and the driver brought her right to the library with a telephone guidance. There, she unloaded her bag full of books. We visited the library and headed to the hotel. Afterwards, we went to Mats Hotel, the famous place for fasting food, and had a delicious beyaynet. Janet admitted that she longed to eat this meal for long.
Then after, we walked to my office at Debre Birhan University (DBU), where we tried to check the African Storybook website. Unusually, the connection was weak to load. My officemate and friend, Saleamlak Tilahun, and I talked to Janet on a couple of issues. We discussed the current American politics, our need for a US PCV to improve our English, and the assistance Americans made to our university. Out of curiosity, I asked Janet if the English spoken when she came to Ethiopia in 1974 was better than now. She agreed because the teachers then were foreign-educated. She rated our English among the best in our country nowadays. It was with my colleague that I took Janet to the staff lounge where she could access wifi.
“Every time I go on such a trip, people would think that I go for vacation,” said Janet. Believe me, this was a trip she was at work! We headed to the next work - visiting the University library and talking to the officials. We met Ato Simon, the director, who explained the progress the library has been making. Later, he led us to Ato Shimelis, the expert on KOHA and other library software. Predictably, I was impressed with the strides our University is making in this regard. Janet’s plan was to help Aksum University start KOHA too. She genuinely appreciated DBU for the budget and human power it allocated to get KOHA functional. I should thank all at DBU libraries for their cooperation, openness and time during this visit. It is my firm belief that the AVP of Aksum University helps his staff and Janet set up KOHA.
Our host town, Debre Birhan, is known for its chilly weather. This town is known also as the heart of the Shewa Amhara. Predominantly Orthodox Christians, the people are said to be adhering to their ancient beliefs and local culture. Janet said she was told of the chilly weather by many people who heard she would come here. I agree with these guys - my town is popular for its chills and liquor. In the late afternoon we headed back to Ras Abebe Aregay Library where we met our friends and readers. We each ate locally made round bread, tibigna, with tea.
Then, we left for Badmas Hotel with Dr Hailemicael Lemma from the College of Education. On our way there, Janet told us about the first time she came to Ethiopia. She was here at the time of Emperor Haile Selase, 1974. She taught English in grade 7. The students, whom she liked, would go on a campaign and for some time schools would close. Surprisingly, the first time she saw a white person in five months was in Emdeber, where she was a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV). She remembers that she was astounded and her jaw hit the ground. She told us that she almost considered herself one among those people in southern Ethiopia. I asked her if she met the Emperor and she told me that she saw him. Someone would ask her if she wanted to see the emperor and they would take her to the Trinity Cathedral where she saw him leave after a church service. “He was as tall as the limousine, however he was majestic.” However loved the emperor thought, he had to be deposed. This was in September 1974. Janet was by Churchill Boulevard at that time. The youth were prancing towards the train station then. As they were absorbed by the revolution, they didn’t take a look at her, whom they would otherwise stare at for a moment. They were in a complete sense of disbelief and confusion as the 3000 year old ‘God-sent’ monarchy was over.
You should know this! The military junta would take over and things would change and PCVs won’t come back. Whether it is an Ethiopian or US decision, Janet could not tell. Janet said she also knows Obama. As a lover of books, it was at a book signing that she met him.
At Badmas, along with dinner, we talked about many issues: Diversity Visa, Trump, Ethiopians in the USA (She said there are 30 000 Ethiopians in Denver).
Since Janet is not planning to write a memoir, I wanted to the living legend a space here. That is why I related all this to you. But, finally, I should indicate that Janet told us some things that she saw changed in this Eastern African nation in the last 40 years. More girls are wearing blue jeans. More girls go to school. Many people have smart phones.
Punctuality is not the pride of the Ethiopian ‘princes’:
The venue, Ras Abebe Aregay Library, was opened in time. Genet and Rut, the librarians, were in. The other participants didn’t show up in the first thirty minutes as it is customary in this part of Africa. The first one to come was Ali Getahun of the Cultural center. He came a bit late because that morning he went to the university, where he thought the venue was. He suggested we call and remind the participants of the workshop and we heeded. Some answered, whereas others didn’t. Fortunately, in advance, we had informed other people to get ready in case some of the workshop participants don’t come. So we reminded these and they came. The workshop started about an hour later than planned. I regretted not telling the participants the workshop started at 8: 00, half an hour before the actual time it started. Then, they would have come at 8:30.
As for Janet, this would not be a pressing issue as it is to us. She is here not to complain and she says she is an optimist. If we start to complain, we may not have a stop and we could forget to focus on our main target, children’s literacy.
Cloth books, bilingual books, recycling ideas, collage …. Janet’s exuberant presentation:
For Janet Lee, this was a workshop that required much work in advance. Among others, she had to plan for it, write a grant proposal to procure funding, contact me, and travel to Debre Birhan. Two nights before it started she left her home in Aksum. Saturday morning came, and she was here as the first presenter facing a group of people who have limited acquaintance with children’s literacy.
She exhibited books she bought at different places. It was during a workshop that was organized by Benjamin that I first saw cloth books. Please read my blog on that: https://mezemirethiopia.blogspot.com/2015/05/six-hours-at-mendidairresistible.html
It was a great sort of art that could attract children. Now, during my second time to see cloth books, I have learned better than before.
Bilingual books were used to explain the power of writing in two languages. English - Amharic and English - Tigrinya books were read or seen by the participants. This is a good means to compare the same texts in two languages. Children learn a foreign language better this way. So this task has numerous purposes. The story of the robot Abi made was lovable. Abi had to teach the robot manners, so it would say, “Thank you, excuse me and please.”
Collage is an idea I knew in lower grade art classes. This time it comes from Janet. She used many collage books to teach us. The collage books are made by taking pictures of many collage works artists made. One was made using plastic bags to show recycling ideas. Another was a photo of an art work made by using pebbles at a beach.
Here, I should thank Biniam Asfaw of Abune Gorgorios School and Effort Zone Tutorial Center for his translation of Janet’s presentation.
Africanstorybook.org inside out in Amharic … Mezemir’s task of an hour
I started off my task by showing printed copies of ASb’s books found at Ras Abebe Aregay Library. These included Ox and donkey, Habtamua lij, Gebgabaw kinde, Nebrna ayt, and Nebrina midakua. Copies of the first two were what were donated to us from South Africa. Therefore, they were attractive and colored. The others were what I printed in Debre Birhan that they were in black and white. The participants saw these storybooks and they acquired ideas of what ours looked.
Next, I explained how I came to know ASb. I explained the role the US PCV Benjamin Rearick played. You can get a detailed account of this and other issues in my previous blog at: https://mezemirethiopia.blogspot.com/2017/10/african-storybook-initiative-in-ethiopia.html
In short, I mentioned the MOU ASb signed with Debre Birhan University, our workshop at Mendida School, the worshop in Addis and my trip to Johannesburg. The story writing competitions at Melikt Acaemy, Debre Birhan (in Amharic), and Ras Abebe Aregay Library (in English), were also dealt with.
The ease of use of the stories was the next issue. I got interesting ideas from the participants on how we can get the stories to children at different places.
The next task was a pair work on how the writing process would look like. After they explained what they thought would be the process, I told them the following stages I thought would work: inception, organizing, writing, editing, leveling, illustrating, publishing (50 a year in ASb), translation, adaptation, class-room use (online, digitally (pdf), hard copies), research, and improvement.
Assessing Amharic and English ASb stories and face to face with the two authors … Alemayehu’s facilitation
The next task was Alemayehu’s. He is the librarian from the Tebase Medhanealem School. He chaired a discussion in which participants assessed ASb stories. First they read the printed ones and gave us significant ideas. Thanks to ASb who donated to us a laptop and a projector, then after I projected the story ‘Fana and Her Animals’. The writer of this story, Fozia, and the illustrator, Salem, her brother of the same age, was there. The participants gave them feedback. Fozia in her part explained the ideas she had starting from the beginning. “Fana and Her Animals” was liked by the participants who raised the following ideas:
“Use sheep instead of goats since, in Debre Birhan, mostly it is sheep we have. As Ethiopian children may not think of animals going to doctors, use vet in the Amharic version, not just doctors. In addition, use pet doves instead.” It was an interesting encounter because it gave us points of improvement on the story and the translation, which is my own.
The writer of “The Shepherd and His Best Friend”, Biniam Asfaw, was also given a chance to explain about his story.
Everyone writes
Janet had this idea of writing stories in the workshop. We got time for this as one of the presenters went for an emergency. Everyone of us wrote stories on the issue of a female Bajaj (a three-wheeler) driver either in pair of individually. We read them and ideas were given to us. From the Amharic ones Dawit Girma’s story was selected. Janet’s story in English was also selected. If we find a means, these stories may get published.
Reading Aloud – A Key to Attract Kids towards Reading
Janet read stories aloud. She said it was important to use texts that fit the children’s age, interest and that invite them to ask and imagine. They should be entertaining and the illustration visible to children. Try to consider recorded books. And above all involve children.
Ayelech, from Model Number One School, said that she gave no place for children’s stories before. “Today I learned more about this. I can say I learned like children. This will make me to choose books and to read to children at my school.”
Finally, interested participants also practiced reading storybooks aloud.
The role of technology in telling stories to children
The task of moderating this was Birhanu’s. Birhanu is a key person. He is from the ICT in the North Shewa Zone. Therefore, he gave us his ideas on how technology can help us reach children. Since he is in charge of disseminating audio files of educational radio programs to schools across the Zone, he can send our stories to schools. He explained the advantages of various ways of disseminating the stories. Since Janet had mobile hotspot, I was able to show the participants how they can access africanstorybook.org.
Final Comments and suggestions from the participants
Atinaf: We should undertake the assignments we have taken and find out about each other’s efforts. The main question is whether our children get the books in question. Stories from countryside should be collected and incorporated into the ASb website. Training on child literacy should also be given for language teachers in town.
Ali: Libraries should be organized in such a way that attract children. The Cultural Center and DBU libraries will work jointly to train librarians.
Alemayehu: This workshop opened the door unto me. We have no shortage of such books at Tebase Medhanealem. We need ideas to get them read. Trainings are vital.
Mezemir: We should start an association of librarians and interested people on children’s literacy. This helps to find the problem areas and find local solutions.
Workneh – Access to these beautiful mother tongue matters. We were forced to take 5000 donated books in English. We need translation or librarians’ training and other professional services to make these 5000 books useful for our children most of whom don’t have good English-language skills. We should also contribute our shares to help these ASb stories reach children. I will notify Mezemir and he will help me. We will make our library truly a kids’ one. If we meet once a month, if we invite parents and if children involve, we can improve the situation we are in.
Biniam: It is possible to photocopy these ASb stories at our schools. We can show theatre or film and get money for that. There are also other local fundraising ideas. I was thinking of this starting from the ASb story writing workshop here.
Dawit: We should cultivate our reading culture from below. We can create a readership through these stories and the likes of Aesop’s fables. In addition to flash drives and CD ROM, Ras Abebe Library should start publishing children’s stories. Such trainings should be given in partnership with organizations. Moreover, our libraries should have convenient seats, toys, so we should exert an effort.
Janet: I’m here because the expert on ASb is here and I hope everyone learns from this workshop and we make mother tongue materials available for children. I wrote a grant proposal and this workshop is made possible. I hope we will keep in touch and do more even in other towns.
Thank you for reading. I look forward to your ideas.
