Yohannes Gebregeorgis, a native of Ethiopia and children’s literacy advocate, visits the Maplewood Public Library on Thursday, December 11, sharing his personal journey and message about the life-changing power of books. Recently nominated as a “Top Ten Hero of the Year” by CNN, Yohannes will speak about his work his work establishing libraries for children in Ethiopia, a country where books for children simply do not exist.
Growing up in rural Ethiopia with very little access to books, Gebregeorgis was 19 years old the first time he picked up a book for pleasure. This experience went on to shape his life as a literacy advocate, children’s book author, and co-founder of Ethiopia Reads, a non-profit organization based in Denver, CO and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Gebregeorgis came to the United States in 1983 seeking political asylum from the then-military dictatorship in Ethiopia. He worked as a hospital pharmacist and continued pursuing his education, earning a Bachelor’s of Arts in journalism and English literature and a Master’s degree in library science.
Later, as a children’s librarian at the San Francisco Public Library, Gebregeorgis realized there were few books published in local Ethiopian languages. So he wrote Silly Mammo, the first bilingual Amharic-English children's book.
As a “CNN Top Ten Hero of the Year,” Yohannes is recognized his work to bring positive global change by empowering children through education. Please visit www.heroes.cnn.com to vote for Yohannes. Yohannes will be featured as part of the “All Star Heroes Tribute,” hosted by Anderson Cooper, to air to a global audience of 70 million on Thanksgiving evening.
Gebregeorgis is also a recipient of the 2008 Presidential Citation for International Innovation from the American Library Association, the first to receive this honor in its inaugural year.