In the summer of 2009, Club Penguin and the New Horizon Foundation generously committed CDN $900,000 to fund the Partners' portion of this six year project which will benefit about 50,000 elementary school children in the Gojjam Region giving them the use of libraries, books and reading rooms over the 8 years they attend grade school. This is commitment of $150,000 per year, which will be combined with the contribution from the local Ethiopian communities of $32,000 per year for an annual project cost of $182,000.

Project:  
Construction of 50 libraries in poor, rural elementary schools in Ethiopia. The project will include the provision of books, tables and chairs for each library. The intended libraries, approximately 13 metres x 6 metres, will have a reading room big enough to accommodate 70 students and a separate storage room for books.

Libraries will make a huge difference in this Region where, presently, children have virtually no access to reading material and where most schools do not have any library facilities. Textbooks are available, but the absence of electricity or windows in most mud homes makes it very hard for children to study.

Project Location: 
Gojjam is the Region encircled by the Nile in central Ethiopia. It is considered the ‘breadbasket’ of the country because of the productivity of its farmers. The Region is extremely poor and the people renowned for their strong work ethic. Partners in the Horn of Africa has extensive experience in Gojjam and Club Penguin’s two previous projects were in the area.

Purpose of the Project:
To improve a compromised and basic education system by encouraging children to read and learn on their own. The libraries will allow up to 70 children at a time to read, do homework and study...activities which are very difficult to do in rural areas where homes do not have electricity and where nightfall comes at 6 p.m. and where farm chores keep kids busy during working hours.

Program Beneficiaries:
Approximately 50,000 elementary school students who will have the use of libraries, books and reading rooms over the 8 years that they attend grade school.

Project Period:
October 2009 - September 2014 with 7 libraries to be built each year

Project Development Partner:  
A committee of villagers and teachers in each town where a library will be added to the elementary school facilities.

Project Cost (per library):*        

Total Estimated Annual Cost (for 7 Libraries per year)    CDN $ 182,000

Donor’s Share, annual,                         CDN  $ 150,000

Community Share, annual,                   CDN $   32,000

*Based on an current exchange rate (Summer 2009) of 1 CDN dollar = 10 Birr
(All Partners’ contracts are denominated in Ethiopian Birr)