Tekleh doesn’t mean to cause trouble but everywhere he goes, it follows. When his exasperated father carves him a gebeta (also called mancala) gameboard to keep him occupied, he has no idea the chain of events to come! Follow a curious young Ethiopian boy as he tends his goats and stumbles upon a series of unusual encounters that help him learn not only the value of goods, but of giving.

As he trades his gebeta for a knife, a masinko, a drum, some corn and a papaya, he discovers the value of generosity and compassion. Bilingual text supports established readers in developing vocabulary and fluency in indigenous Ethiopian languages.

Charming illustrations bring the richness and beauty of the Ethiopian countryside to life. Open Hearts Big Dreams Ready Set Go (OHBD-RSG) Books were created to help increase the literacy rate in Ethiopia through giving readers books with stories in their heart languages, full of colorful illustrations with Ethiopian settings and details.

Profits from book sales are used to create, print, and distribute more OHBD-RSG books to kids in Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country. Ethiopia’s population has a high percentage of children ages 0-14.

Only a small percentage attend pre-school or kindergarten, and the adult literacy rate is around 50%. Some of our books are based on wise Ethiopian sayings that often rhyme in Amharic.

If an adult says the first half, many children can chant the second half. Sometimes the meaning of these sayings is clear.

Sometimes it has to be puzzled out and argued over. But sayings and idioms and proverbs help people express truths and beliefs in unusual ways.

Other books are based on STEAM topics, cooking, colors, counting and more. Since late 2017, OHBD has published over 150 unique OHBD-RSG bilingual titles in a number of Ethiopian, African and global languages plus English and has plans to publish more titles and add more languages.

New titles or languages are added monthly; follow our author page to get new release announcements. Open Hearts Big Dreams Fund (OHBD) is a 501(3)(c) not for profit organization that believes the chance to dream big dreams should not depend on where in the world you are born.

Our mission is to inspire and enable youth in Ethiopia through Literacy, Innovation, Inclusion and Leadership Projects in collaboration with individuals and organizations in Ethiopia and globally. .