NABU recently hosted its first-ever Haitian Creole Book Distribution Day within the vibrant community of Little Haiti in Miami, Florida, a milestone event that took place in collaboration with HP. This community-centric initiative was designed to promote literacy in the Haitian community, and included a range of engaging activities for guests to enjoy incorporating Haitian-inspired food and beverages, drum performances, coloring stations, and a Creole read-aloud of one of the printed books, “A Birthday Cake For Solange”. Guests in attendance included over 60 children from Toussaint L'Ouverture Elementary School, HP’s Global Education Strategist Matias Matias, Sara Mansback with Partners in Literacy Haiti, Nathaniel Sandler with Bookleggers Library, and representatives from Soaring Unlimited Haiti, The Miami’s Children’s Trust, and Sant La. The children were overwhelmed with excitement as they participated in the activities with our Creative Fellows, and even got to play inside a giant balloon globe.
Hosted at the Climate + Innovation Hub of Future of Cities, the event celebrated the distribution of 10,000 copies of NABU's Haitian Creole books to carefully selected community partners. These partners will integrate the books into their existing literacy programs, with 3,000 of those books being delivered directly to communities within Haiti, an effort we believe will have a ripple effect on our ongoing efforts to combat illiteracy within the Haitian diaspora.
"We are excited to work with our dozen partner schools in the city of Cap Haitien and the North Dept. of Haiti to get these great books into the hands of our students. We are thankful to the leaders of NABU and Partners in Literacy Haiti (PILH) for this amazing opportunity to partner together and maximize our collective resources!"
Rev. Dr. Laura Alexander Elliott, Missionary & Executive Director of Soaring Unlimited Haiti.
NABU has been a key player in the global publishing landscape, serving as a catalyst for the promotion of Haitian Creole literature since its inception in Haiti a decade ago. This event became a platform to showcase the exceptional talent of three titles created by Creative Fellows from the recent NABU Creative Fellowship. These inspiring individuals of Haitian descent collaborated to produce culturally relevant children's books, emerging as both published authors and illustrators. Additionally, one of the showcased books resulted from a special collaboration with the Haitian non-profit organization, WORK. The distribution of these four books is a testament to NABU's commitment to enhancing literacy programs and benefiting children and families within the local Haitian diaspora.
NABU's Haitian Creole Book Distribution Day celebrated collaboration, community engagement, and the power of literacy. Through events like these, NABU continues its commitment to furthering our mission of providing every child with equitable access to literacy by 2030. Together, we're turning the page and eradicating illiteracy, one book at a time!
Alongside the printed copies, all of the books distributed are also available for free within the NABU app.
Click here to watch a video from the event.
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