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Worldreader is on a mission to bring digital books to every child and her family, so that they can improve their lives. The increasing ubiquity and diminishing costs of digital technology enable us to solve these problems in a simple and straight-forward way. Using e-readers, mobile phones and other digital technology, we reach readers in 37 countries, providing them with over 6,000 book titles in 23 languages. We work with 140 publishers to acquire and digitize the best, most relevant content for our readers; 70% of our library comes from African and Indian publishers. Since 2010, we have made it possible for over 200,000 people to read 1.7 million books and our data shows this work has had significant impact. Students in our e-reader programs make more progress in oral reading fluency than those in neighboring schools, and girls in Worldreader’s school-based programs outpace their peers by a factor of three to five, closing a gender achievement gap. Through these efforts and our partnerships with the private sector, teachers, education experts, and other organizations, we continue to work towards a world in which every child and her family have the books they need to improve their lives, the practice of reading is commonplace, and where illiteracy is a thing of the past.

Africa Schoolhouse (ASH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing quality education, medical care, job training and clean water to rural villages in Northern Tanzania. In order to achieve these goals, ASH works in partnership with communities and the local government to build desperately needed schools, deep wells and medical clinics, creating an environment that enables residents to live full, productive and healthy lives. ASH was founded in 2006 after village elders from Ntyula, Tanzania approached founder Dr. Aimee Bessire with the idea of building a school for their children and a medical clinic for the entire community. Dr. Bessire, who has a decades long relationship with the people of Ntulya, was determined to take action. Within six months, the Africa Schoolhouse board was assembled. ASH broke ground on its first project, the Ntulya Primary School and campus, in July 2008 and completed construction in 2010. President of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete, personally inaugurated the new school and declared it a model for all rural schools in the country. The villagers talked about how proud they were that the President came to visit the school they had helped to build. Following the request of the Ntulya elders, the organization completed a modern medical clinic the following year, which now serves approximately 4,500 people. ASH continued working with local communities in the region to identify need and completed the renovation of Mwaniko Secondary School and Shilanona Primary School in 2012 and 2014. Improvements at these locations included building a bio-chemistry lab and the installation of the first solar-powered computer lab in Misungwi District. ASH also trained a local work-force to help with the construction and continued maintenance of these projects. ASH's newest project is to construct an all-girls boarding school-the first in Misungwi District. This exemplary school will provide space for 360 girls in Forms 1-4, with the possibility to expand the campus and add another 80 girls in Forms 5-6 as needed in later years. Currently only 1% of Tanzanian girls complete secondary school education. They face a wide range of obstacles to their education, including everything from families who privilege the education of sons over daughters, to girls being married off at young ages, and unsafe journeys to school. One of the largest issues faced by girls is finding a safe place to live while pursuing their education. In this rural area, many girls travel long distances to reach school. Safe passage to and from school is a critical issue. We want to provide a safe living situation for young women to delight in their education. ASH is partnering with Misungwi District to build a much-needed safe haven for girls, empowering them through education to grow into strong, healthy women. In addition to a standard academic curriculum, the school will also promote leadership, entrepreneurship, social justice and care for the environment. The school will create an essential safe space where young women can successfully complete their studies and grow into empowered, independent adults. As with our other projects ASH is collaborating with the local communities, school committee, and Tanzanian government. We are building this school at the request of the local community, who identified this as their greatest need. The school will be staffed and run by the District once completed. The District has selected Florencia Ndabashe to be the school's head teacher. Ndabashe currently leads a co-ed secondary school in Misungwi and brings great energy to her work. She will be a strong leader for the girls school, inspiring her fellow teachers and serving as an excellent role model for young women.

The Cazale Community and Cultural Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering young people in Haiti to achieve their full potential. We believe that every child deserves access to high-quality education, extracurricular activities, and a safe and supportive community. Our mission is to enhance positive social interactions and build self-esteem and confidence among Haitian youth through a range of programs and services. We provide tutoring and year-round extracurricular activities at our after-school center in Cazale, which serves over 200 students in elementary and middle school every day with the help of 1 director, 1 administrator, 5 teachers, and 2 student aids. Our center is open after-school from 2 pm to 7 pm on weekdays and from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturdays, offering access to a library, English classes (ESL) , music lessons, and a range of other activities, including board games, dance, arts, computer workshops, and sports. We also provide students with access to excursions outside of Cazale. In addition, we collaborate with youth in New York to host summer camps for about 200 Haitian youth every year. This summer camp builds off the topics discussed during the after-school program, including promoting community service, health and hygiene, self-esteem, and the overall goal of loving your neighbor as yourself. We also host a yearly CCCC Genie summer contest on the radio, where contestants compete in a Jeopardy-like game and can receive prizes if they place in the top four. Our long-term goal is to expand our reach and impact by establishing community centers in as many communities as possible throughout Haiti. We envision ourselves as the "YMCA" of Haiti, providing a safe and supportive space for young people to learn, grow, and thrive.

Libraries Without Borders is an international nonprofit that expands access to information, education and cultural resources to vulnerable populations around the world. Our interventions address the structural causes of economic and human underdevelopment, reduce the digital divide, and promote cultural resilience. By focusing on the curation and customization of educational materials, along with the logistics and security involved with delivery, storage and construction of learning spaces, we have been able to develop innovative programs, create and re-envision library spaces and support librarians in over 25 countries. Most recently, we received the Library of Congress' International Literacy Award (2016) and won the Google Impact Challenge (2015). We advocate the idea of the library as a toolbox for communities to disseminate knowledge, promote social harmony, accompany the least fortunate, and ultimately, pursue human and economic development. We work in five areas of intervention: 1. EDUCATION LWB establishes libraries and information resource centers in universities and schools. This support manifests itself in the donation of materials, technical equipment, texts, and multimedia and electronic resources. LWB also provides support to teachers in their education responsibilities by putting in place educational resource centers as well as creating educational digital content. 2. INFORMATION AND CULTURE LWB supports the development of structures providing access to books, information and culture in developing countries. LWB enters into partnerships with libraries to help them develop their textual and digital resources and set up quality cultural programs. LWB also accompanies the creation of cultural projects for specific and disadvantaged groups such as visually impaired persons, prisoners and refugee populations. 3. CAPACITY BUILDING LWB initiates innovative specialized resource projects to reinforce the capacities of specific groups such as professionals from the medical or justice sectors. In facilitating access to verified and quality-controlled information, LWB accompanies their daily work in servicing their communities as well as their scientific research. 4. CONSERVATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE LWB assists in the conservation and promotion of local written or oral heritage through the creation of specialized structures (libraries, cultural centers) and the training of personnel in these professions. Within the framework of promoting local knowledge and supporting publishers in developing countries, LWB also promotes the diffusion of local literature. 5. CULTURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP LWB works alongside cultural entrepreneurs to design innovative and sustainable economic models. By setting up income-generating activities and training in management strategies, libraries are re-invented as social and cultural entrepreneurs with major economic benefits for their communities.