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CONTACT: Cathy Leiber
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www.judithsreadingroom.org
2024 Freedom Through Literacy Award Winners Announced
March 1, 2024 — Judith’s Reading Room announced the winners of its 10th annual “Freedom Through Literacy Awards” with a purse of $5,100. The Award honors individuals who have done exemplary work to instill in others a love of reading.
Applicants from Pennsylvania and New York in the USA and from Africa, India, Mexico and the Middle East included poets, teachers, librarians, authors, a literacy “hobbyist,” community volunteers and literacy non-profits. Three overarching literacy themes were evident in this year’s set of
applications: (1) improved literacy to break barriers in rural communities, (2) focus on adult education to break the intergenerational cycle of low literacy and, (3) poetry as an essential means of expression.
Grand Prize Award
For the first-time in a decade, the “Freedom Through Literacy Award” announces an historic three-way tie for Grand Prize. The Award will be split equally, $1,000 each.
Brian Okinda, Librarian, Rafiki wa Maendeleo Trust, Bondo, Siaya, Kenya shares the Grand Prize for leading the “IREAD (Investing in Rural Education and Development) Project that focuses on improving the literacy standards of the Rarieda sub-county region. The project’s mobile community library and adult education has led to the graduation of 267 adult learners. Providing solar power to previously unlit communities and reproductive health programming has improved girls’ school attendance by 100%. “Literacy is about instilling a love for learning that lasts a lifetime. I am committed to building a community where the transformative power of literacy enriches the lives of all its members,” remarked Okinda.
Jeska Washington, Executive Director, Literacy Non-Profit, Nyamata, Rwanda shares the Grand Prize for her project “The Inzozi Center.” Inspired by Maya Angelou’s poem, “Still I Rise,” and the power of words inspired Washington to create The Inzozi Center to address the crucial need for English proficiency. In less than one year, attendance from 3 cities and hundreds of villages has surged to over 300 children daily. The Inzozi Center (inzozi means dream in Kinyarwanda) partners with local schools and includes the only public library, The Dream Big Library housing over 3,000 books with a library coach, movie screenings and diverse book clubs. Washington says, “The Inzozi Center is a beacon of hope and transformation in our rural community, shaping a future where literacy and passion for learning are at the forefront of young minds.”
Marie-Martine Yobol-Njonga, Literacy Non-Profit, Yaounde, Cameroon shares the Grand Prize for her program, “One Classroom, One Library” that installs small yet curated library cabinets in rural school classrooms across Cameroon. Her entire professional career has been devoted to developing literacy in rural areas, with a dual emphasis on developing adult and children’s literacy. Prior to her initiative, less than 8% of schools in rural areas had a library. In less than 10 years, Yobol-Njonga has set up classroom libraries in 149 schools with 61,000 books. She has trained 80 teachers, reaching nearly 41,000 students. According to Nathalie Tekam, founder, GetReady.org, “the impact of her work in terms of promoting reading in both urban and rural areas, in a context where reading is considered an elitist activity, is indisputable at a national scale.” From Victor Hugo, Yobol-Njonga dedicates her life-work with this thought: “Whoever you are, who wants to cultivate, invigorate, tenderize, soothe… put books everywhere.”
Judith’s Award
Amy Allison, English teacher, The Delta Program, State College, Pennsylvania, wins the coveted ‘Judith’s Award’ and $1,500 for her project, “Advocacy for Teens Class,” that teaches teens how to appropriately engage in civic and cultural literacy by first learning about State College’s local
library as a foundation for how to advocate for an issue. Students are guided and scaffolded for their first project, ‘Representing the Library,’ at their local township meeting. The process for this project includes researching their topic, preparing a timeline, interviewing stakeholders, observing the environment, and writing a proposal. “I feel it is my duty as a teacher to aid students in learning how to navigate our world, understand our cultural literacy and advocate for themselves and others,” said Allison. The ‘Judith’s Award’ was designated in 2019 to honor an applicant who best mirrors the intentions, the dreams, the insistence, the passion of Judith F. Krug, in whose name Judith’s Reading Room was established.
Board Option Award Winners
Patricia Baum, Librarian, Biblioteca Elena Poniatowska, Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, La Paz, Mexico. Patricia is recognized for her multi-level project, “Building Bridges to Literacy” at the largest bilingual library in the state of Baja California Sur. Established in 2003, the library is named after the illustrious Mexican author Elena Poniatowska whose belief in the universal right to literacy has influenced the library’s collection to include works of famous Mexican authors. “Building Bridges to Literacy” includes a ladder of initiatives, but the one the judges singled out is “Youth Poetry Mentoring,” that offers high school students a view of the world through poetry, mentored by a local poet. “Literature is the bridge that connects
us to the tapestry of human experience, both locally and globally,” stated Baum. For her work to enrich lives through poetry, Baum is awarded a $200 Board Option prize.
Alicia Dal Pra, bilingual children’s book author, Ardsley, New York. Alicia, a native of Caracas, Venezuela is honored for her book, Somos Ninos, Nos Vamos de Safari, a beautifully illustrated and highly educational children’s book about the hippopotamus that shows children a different way to
learn a new language. Dal Pra’s bilingual book provides a parallel vocabulary in Spanish and English, is accompanied by a Somos Ninos Podcast, and can be used as a tool for classroom projects. “I want to keep offering to Hispanic families around the world quality content not just for children but for families as well,” commented Dal Pra. For her inspiring book, Dal Pra is awarded a $200 Board Option prize.
Victor Owuor, Teacher, The Sunflower Trust, Nairobi, Kenya, is saluted for his unflagging literacy efforts with the project, “Pages of Progress,” a leadership development initiative in Kibera slum, Nairobi, Kenya. The project goes beyond the conventional boundaries of education — it gives anchor
to a sense of community in one of the world’s largest shanty- towns. Parents, inspired by the progress of their daughters, actively participate in reading clubs and storytelling sessions. The library is fostering a culture where families come together to share the joy of reading. Owuor says, “I see literacy as a collaborative effort, involving educators, communities and policymakers working together to create environments where the seeds of literacy can flourish.” Owuor is awarded a $200 Board Option prize.
Honorable Mentions
Stephanie Keiper, a proponent of literacy, Easton, Pennsylvania where she volunteers at the National Canal Museum. Stephanie is noticed for her creative approach to bringing a manuscript — One Tooth Hilda — to life. Keiper acts it out to the delight of hundreds of visitors each weekend
during the season. Her engaging approach teaches the story of America’s historic towpath canals, one of the first industrial sites in America and a crucible of the American Industrial Revolution. “I believe that you have to feel what you are reading. You should be able to envision the scenes
line by line,” noted Keiper.
Pamela Laskin, poet, director CCNY’s Poetry Outreach Center, New York City is recognized for her 20 year tenure and unrelenting dedication to offer skills to young people so that they may give voice through poetry. Under Laskin’s direction, CCNY’s Poetry Outreach Center sends trained poetry
mentors into schools to empower students first to express their feelings, to learn how to read poetry, then how to write a poem.“The core foundation of Poetry Outreach is to help young minds to use their voices to tell their stories. The goal is to hear their voices,” remarked Laskin.
Seraphin Niyonsenga, literacy ‘hobbyist,’ Kigali, Rwanda and Veterinarian by profession is acknowledged for his project “Expansion and Refurbishment of Kanzenze Little Free Library,” Kigali, Rwanda. Niyonsenga established the first-ever Little Free Library in Rwanda, replicating a best practice he learned while a Fulbright exchange scholar at the University of California, Davis in 2017. Inspired by his own experience growing up in poverty with only a book as a source of entertainment, he founded the Kanzenze Little Free Library in 2018 to allow children and adults from poor rural communities to borrow and return books for free. “Since kids are known in the neighborhood, they have all the incentives to return the books,” stated Niyonsenga.
Erin Roman, English teacher at ProJeCt of Easton, Easton, Pennsylvania is honored for her commitment to teaching adult education at this Easton institution that helps break the intergenerational cycle of low literacy. Roman understands that adult students are motivated to learn English because of need, while recognizing that they have many outside barriers that affect their learning, even attendance at school. They arrive at ProJeCt with low self-esteem and even shame owing mainly to family histories of low literacy. “My job is to not only change that mentality but to teach them that they have potential and the ability to succeed. They come in seeking education, support, food; they leave with so much more,” noted Roman.
Judith’s Reading Room, a global literacy nonprofit, was founded in 2010 in the memory of the founder’s first cousin, Judith F. Krug, Director for Intellectual Freedom, American Library Association. The organization’s mission is to enrich lives and societies by proactively encouraging freedom through literacy. To date the organization has established 106 libraries, 23 countries with over 133,000 books donated worth $1.4 million.
The Freedom Through Literacy Award has disbursed $58,600 to 71 champions of literacy, from 18 countries and 11 states in the USA. Applications for the 2025 Freedom Through Literacy Award will be available on October 7, 2024 at www.judithsreadingroom.org. Deadline for submissions for the 11th annual Freedom Through Literacy Award is February 3, 2025.
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