Tower and Town, October 2021 (view the full edition)Hoopoe - The Largest Children's Books Distributor In Afghanistan; August 2021Sadly, we have had to suspend our programme in Afghanistan. We are trying to help our key team and their families get out, or stay inside with the funds to survive. So far we are having no luck on either score, but have sent numerous visa applications, and wait for them to be accepted. Then, of course, there's the problem of getting to Kabul airport. Right now, there is no way to send money - banks and Western Union are closed. But we are still exploring ways around it, to prevent people going without food. There are just under 100 people of all ages in all, including our key team of 14 families, translators, and two large mobile libraries who've distributed thousands of our books all over the country. All now under threat of death, at least in part, because of their association with us. Sadly, as the largest children's book distributor in Afghanistan, we were well known. Since 2009, when we started the partnership with our Afghan friends, we've printed and distributed over 5.4 million bilingual Dari-Pashto and English books all over the country, even in remote areas. In 2018 we were asked by SIL.org to partner with them to publish and distribute Hoopoe stories in minority languages, such as Nuristani, Shughni, Sawji and Turkmeni, paired with the national language (Dari or Pashto) that kids need to know before they enter the schools system at age seven. Many don't speak the national languages at home, and so lag behind when they enter the school system. Our books gave them the opportunity to learn to read in their mother tongue and to transfer that skill when they were ready to take on the national language - reading the same story! We've trained hundreds of teacher trainers who've trained other teachers to teach literacy and cognitive skills. We've had the stories on local radio, and audio versions of them in Dari, Pashto and English were downloadable.
We had to close down the website, but will move some of the elements to the main hoopoebooks.com website as soon as possible.
For anyone who wants to help us support our friends while they remain in Afghanistan and support them if they are lucky enough to get out,(since they won't be allowed to work for possibly six months or more) go to: https://ishk.networkforgood.com/projects/93101-main-giving-page put in the amount and select Fund for Afghan Relief. Sallay Mallam |