Publisher's Synopsis
Addis Ababa became the capital of Ethiopia in the 1890s, when Menelik II became Emperor of Ethiopia and chose a spot for a city to be named new flower. Building houses would take a lot of wood, so the emperor looked for a fast-growing tree. Australia supplied eucalyptus trees that still grow along city streets and out in the countryside. Now millions of people live in Addis Ababa, the biggest city in Ethiopia and one of the highest capitals anywhere in the world. In recent years, China has invested in building new roads, skyscrapers, and trains that carry at least 300,00 passengers an hour.Ready Set Go Books, an Open Hearts Big Dreams Project, is focused on increasing the literacy rate in Ethiopia through giving readers books with stories in their heart languages, full of colorful illustrations with Ethiopian settings and details. Profits from books sales will be used to create, print, and distribute more Ready Set Go Books to kids in Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous country. Ethiopia's population is 44% children, ages 0-14 (43 million out of 97 million total). Only 5.5% of children attend pre-school or kindergarten, and the adult literacy rate is 49%. Our books are based on wise Ethiopian sayings that often rhyme in Amharic. If an adult says the first half, many children can chant the second half. Sometimes the meaning of these sayings is clear. Sometimes it has to be puzzled out and argued over. But sayings and idioms and proverbs help people express truths and beliefs in unusual ways. Open Hearts Big Dreams Fund (OHBD) is a 501(3)(c) not for profit organization that believes the chance to dream big dreams should not depend on where in the world you are born. Our focus is to support nonprofit organizations and their programs that provide literacy, K-12 education, and leadership as well as that support the parents and communities where the kids live, in Ethiopia.
