We believe in the life giving power of books. Books can transport you to another world, teach you a new language, help you find a job, build community, and nourish your soul.
Books represent an important tool for self empowerment and for understanding what is possible. They can help shape a positive, multi dimensional future.
Our libraries are composed of an average of 99 books and are selected based on the population we are serving. We provide books in a variety of languages including; English, Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Kurdish, Greek and Turkish. Wherever possible, we also provide infrastructure and ongoing technical support.
Please consider donating to HADAYA’s Library Project; a single book makes a difference! For our current Wish List of books at Amazon, click here.
CURRENT LIBRARIES
GREECE: 2018-2020
Working with small local NGOs that service the refugee population, we will provide and install several libraries in and around Athens and on the island of Lesvos. This is an ongoing multi-year project.
INDIA: 2018-2020
Continuing our relationship with Dharavi Girls, we will provide libraries for children’s community centers in Pune and Hyderbad. The focus of these libraries are STEM learning: science, tech, engineering and math.
PAST LIBRARIES
BANGLADESH: 2019/2020
HADAYA partnered with the Rohingya Education Development Association (REDA) to print 750 school text and reading books for children grades 2-8. Printed was done using a local, refugee owned, business in Bangladesh.
Cox Bazaar is the world's largest refugee settlement... in one of the most densely populated countries in the world: Bangladesh. The vast majority of its refugees are women and children. The Rohingya are a Muslim minority group from Rakhine state in Myanmar who have fled extreme violence and persecution by the state military.
Traditional schooling is unavailable in the camp, but a group of passionate and courageous teachers (who are themselves refugees) have organized several home-school groups and are determined to help give these kids an education. HADAYA is thrilled to be a small part of this global team and will continue to support through 2020!
ATHENS, Greece: 2019
HADAYA supported the amazing work of ECHO Mobile Library in Athens by donating a large variety of books, educational supplies and a covered pavilion (for outdoor reading/classroom space). ECHO Mobile Library serves several refugee camps around the Athens area, including Malakasa, Oinofyta and Lavrio as well as several community outreach programs in central Athens. Several hundred refugees take advantage of the library each week and additionally they offer language and music classes at several locations. This summer, Jennifer (founder of HADAYA) and her son Lux had the privilege of visiting and volunteering with ECHO in Athens, and they were very impressed and encouraged by the impact that libraries can have on marginalized communities. For more information www.echogreece.com
Thessaloniki, Greece: 2018
Provided a small library to the ARSIS Unaccompanied Minor Shelter, for 30 boys between the ages of 12-17. Books were provided in Arabic, Farsi, Pashto, and English.
Lesvos, Greece: 2018
We added to the library of an incredible organization - One Happy Family - after they put out a public call for books. Please check out the amazing work they do here.
Laprak, Nepal: 2016
HADAYA ambassador, Kristian Gaylord, purchased and delivered a library of over 300 books to a remote village school, high in the Himalayas, which was destroyed a few months earlier by a devastating earthquake. The books will serve over 700 children.
Tamri, Morocco: 2017
HADAYA was thrilled to provide books for the library of the Azzaitoune High School in Tamri, Morocco. Organized by the amazing Jaki Shelton Green (2018 Poet Laureate of North Carolina) and Moroccan poet and teacher El Habib Louai.
