Empower.

Educate.

Inspire.

We are so thankful to announce that the Shanto Community Library & Learning Center is FULLY FUNDED! The library is set to open late spring of 2018.

This library will serve over 118,000 people in rural Ethiopia.

Thank you to our donors for giving the gift of literacy!

March 2018 Update! Our team just returned from Ethiopia. It was amazing to see the library. Check out the video below.

History of this project:

A couple of years ago, FOVC's director, Desalegn Daka, came to us with his dream of building a library in his hometown of Shanto. Shanto is the administrative center of Damot Pulasa woreda. It is a very rural district which consists of 23 villages, 118,000 people, and currently has no library. It was Desalegn's vision to build a large community library that would not only provide books and increase literacy, but would also provide a safe, well-lit space for children and other community members to meet and study.

The Shanto Community Library & Learning Center will be built in four phases.

Phase I consisted of the excavation and foundation work, and we are thrilled to say that it is finished! Praise God! Here's a short video of the folks working on Phase I back in April 2017:

As you can see, this project is helping to employ a LOT of local people. One woman working on the foundation told us that she was thrilled to have this job, because it is enabling her to feed her children.

Phase II consisted of the the block work and roof work. 

Phase III consisted of metal work, pointing and plastering, and electrical work. 

Here is the progress as of March 2018. Our President, Ingrid Olson, and Vice-President, Renee Stauffer, toured the building on March 15, 2018.

Phase IV consisted of the interior furnishings, books, and library training. We are partnered with Ethiopia Reads who supplied the books, bookshelves, and provide library training. 

Thank you to everyone who made this project a reality!