Soaring with the Power Women of Kibera, Kenya

The women on the LitWorld team in the New York City office have a Skype date "Read & Bead" with the Power Women of Kibera, Kenya every few weeks and it is a highlight of the day, week, and month for all of us. After being ostracized by their communities because of their HIV-positive status, the Power Women came together to support one another and work together to improve their living situations and heal their lives.

The Power Women teach us how to make some of their incredible crafts, including paper beads and necklaces, and we read together and talk about being mothers, being daughters, dreaming big, and staying strong. Please give them a sign of support on December 3, their major fundraising day for the year, as these women are an integral part of the LitWorld family, and an example of how much having a community to share stories and words and resources with can change your ability to live a full life.

Click here to read more about LitWorld's Skypes with the Power Women.

Click here to visit the Power Women website and learn more about them and their work.

In Rwanda Dreaming Together About All the Ways Children Grow Up Healthy

LitWorld visits amazing friends at Partners in Health (PIH) in Rwanda to dream together about all the ways children grow up healthy! There was so much synergy and good energy, and we look forward to the possibility of collaborating with PIH in creating safe spaces for children to learn literacy.

Pam demonstrating the power of reading aloud to a school librarian in a village in Rwanda

The LitWorld delegation is inspired and beyond moved by the courage and resilience of the Rwandese people. They have rebuilt their world after years of despair and hope is shining. We are honored to hear their stories.

More updates soon, but for now, follow the journey at:

http://www.facebook.com/litworld

and via Twitter at: @litworldsays

Smiles in Kibera: The Wall of Dreams, a New Library, & the Magic of Dress-Up

 

The children have begun to build a library with LitWorld’s support. They write what they hope for and what they dream of for the impact of reading on their lives, and how the library can support their dreams.

The children worked together with us to create categories for their books so that the library will have deep meaning and purpose and use for them.

The library grew like the secret garden...its shoots turned green in two days, as Denise and the children carefully planted the beautiful books into their new home. The bookshelves were handmade by the wonderful craftsmen of Kibera.

Their stories are about dragons and dreams and hopes and… hunger. There is always hunger in their stories, for hunger is a real thing for them. And yet, there is always a once upon a time.

And happily ever after.

The LitWorld Team is in Africa!

Pam pictured with Denise Ortiz of Sharing to Learn Organization

The LitWorld team has arrived in Africa, and they have had an amazing journey so far! After spending a few days in Kibera, Kenya, they are now in Rwanda to push forward our crusade to share the gift of reading, writing, and story. Denise Ortiz of Sharing to Learn joins the team on this journey, and has helped the Red Rose School create a new library!

Our dear LitWorld friend Sophia, teacher of grade two, enjoys her role in creating the library.

As you may remember from our past blog post, we packed up a bag full of hats and fun costumes for the children in Kenya. We wanted to inspire them to create stories and explore their wildest imaginations, so we brought a few props to help them get in the spirit!  These photos below show the costumes in action, and as you can see from their smiles, these costumes have brought fun and magic to their community!

Speaking of big imaginations, the men of the LitWorld team sure know how to use theirs! Pictured below are  Bill Krupman, Jim Allyn, and Jeremy Kohomban of the Children's Village reading "Where the Wild Things Are" to a group of ecstatic young readers stirred up with excitement and a healthy dose of ruckus! 

Our Girls LitClubs in Kibera, Kenya are thriving and growing, and we're excited to find that the young women who are a part of the LitClubs have grown huge confidence & friendships, while being taught to read and write!

Needless to say, the team is having a wonderful time, and have left Kibera, Kenya, to journey to Rwanda. More updates to come soon! 

We hope you will come along with us on our journey. Follow our stories in Africa:

FACEBOOK page: http://www.facebook.com/litworld

TWITTER: Follow @pamallyn and @litworldsays

-The LitWorld Team

The Bags are Packed: LitWorld's Off to Africa!

Picture books, chapter books, notebooks, pens, pencils, dress-up clothing... Everything's packed and ready to go to our friends in Kenya and Rwanda this week!

We're Building a Library at the Children's Village at the Polo Grounds Community Center!

We are so thrilled to see the precious smiles on these little boys' faces as they watch their new library unfold before their eyes... Thanks to our Ambassador Denise Ortiz (there she is below!) and the hard work of our wonderful interns, the young learners at the Polo Grounds Community Center will have their very own community library very soon. They will be able to check out an entire catalog of books ready for their excitement and curiosity. Their smiling faces make us so happy!

To learn more about Denise and her organization Sharing to Learn, visit her website and view her work as she shares ideas and resources to promote global education in countries like South Africa.

Save the Date: Pam's Live Facebook Chat with Scholastic Teachers will be on 10/27!

On October 27th, 2011, Pam will be featured for a Live Facebook Chat with Scholastic Teachers at 3PM Eastern Time. Pam will be available to answer YOUR questions LIVE, and will be speaking on topics from her book, "Best Books for Boys".

Join in the discussion by visiting the Scholastic Teachers Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/scholasticteachers

Hope to "see" you there!