Curated by the Education Team

Searching for a unique way to express your love or appreciation for someone special this holiday season?  Look no further than the list below, which highlights charities and books that focus on equal access to literacy and education in a variety of contexts around the world.  From our homes to yours, the Education Team wishes you peace and good health as we close out 2024, and hope and safety as we embrace 2025.

The FAWCO Foundation (TFF) – Designate your funds to the Environment Target Project (Awesome Blossoms), Education Awards, Development Grants or the General Fund, and TFF will send a card to the person you are honoring!  (The FAWCO Foundation is the philanthropic arm of FAWCO.) 

Libraries – Do libraries hold a special place in your heart? Here are some opportunities to keep that feeling alive for current and future generations:

• The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled: To honor a life-long friend of an Education Team member gone too soon, we recommend this branch of The Library of Congress that “administers a free national library program that provides braille and recorded materials to people who cannot see regular print or handle print materials. Established by an Act of Congress in 1931 to serve blind adults, the program was expanded in 1952 to include children, in 1962 to provide music materials, in 1966 to include individuals with other physical disabilities that prevent reading regular print, and in 2016 to permit NLS to provide refreshable braille displays.”
• Room to Read: “Room to Read focuses on two objectives: Literacy and Gender Equality in Education. Our Literacy Program enables primary school children to become life-long, independent readers. Focusing on low-income countries, Room to Read’s Literacy Program transforms primary schools into child-friendly learning environments that enable children to develop the skills and habit of reading throughout primary school and become life-long, independent readers.  Our intervention includes ensuring the school has a library with books in the children’s local language, as well as teachers and librarians who are trained in the best practices of reading and writing instruction.” 

Challenging Book Bans: 

• American Library Association: Librarians work hard to facilitate access to books for everyone, which may be one of the reasons that they work harder than anyone to challenge book bans. Join the fight! #UniteAgainstBookBans and support these courageous librarians!
• PEN America: Sitting at the crossroads of literature and human rights, this non-profit organization was created to protect the right to write (and thus to read!).  PEN America has been tracking book bans in the US and globally and has documented an increase in the US over the past several years. If censorship worries you, this is an excellent advocacy group to support! 

Various Ideas for Charitable Giving:

• Free Minds: “Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop builds community to foster personal development and systems change for justice-involved youth and adults through the literary arts, workforce development, trauma healing, peace-building, and member-led advocacy... since its inception, Free Minds has reached over 1,500 youths and adults with long-term, continuous support... Free Minds serves incarcerated and formerly incarcerated adults in the DC Jail, juvenile detention, federal prison system, and reentry... By reaching these youths at this critical juncture and exciting them about learning, Free Minds provides the necessary opportunities, resources, and support for these youths and adults to envision new possibilities for their futures, and to make those visions a reality.”
• Courageous Girls: the Cajabamba Girls Peru: Started by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado (author of In the Shadow of the Mountain, which was featured in a Global Issues Book Discussion), the Cajabamba Girls Peru project has been “supporting the education of 19 young little girls from the remote town of Cajabamba, a small town in the northern part of Peru. These 19 young...girls are survivors of sexual abuse committed by their elementary school teacher... Currently we are supporting their high school education in the best school in the area and we are committed in providing them with the best university education for them to become outspoken leaders and role models of overcoming adversity.”
• SPOSACHILD: “Based in the Netherlands, Stichting SPOSA Child was established by a small group of friends in August 2010. Our current board is comprised of individuals from various professions: psychology, law, journalism, social work and business.” In 2013, SPOSA CHILD received the AW of Surrey Hope Through Education development grant. This funding covered the cost of uniforms, books and other school materials, physical education, transport to/from school, meals, and reintegration counseling for primary school for three abused girls. Through FAWCO funding and additional sponsors, three girls were able to continue their studies at university level. They graduated with Bachelors of Science in Social Work. On 25 September 2024, all three passed the government Social Worker Licensure Examination. SPOSACHILD would like to continue to support girls to go to university to empower them further.
• Daktari Bush School & Wildlife Orphanage:  “DAKTARI Bush School & Wildlife Orphanage is a local NGO located in the South African bush near Kruger National Park. Founded in 2006, DAKTARI works to educate and inspire children to value their environment and stimulate community development.”

Children’s Books:

• What is a Perfect World?: This book, written by Education Team member Nancy Lynner (AWC Central Scotland), illustrated by Tharien van Eck (AWC Antwerp), designed by Joyce Halsan (AWC Central Scotland) and produced by Amanda Drollinger (AWC Central Scotland), allows readers to discuss eleven different world issues with young children and highlights the important work the children can focus on as they grow up.  All net proceeds will benefit the FAWCO Target Project in perpetuity. 

To order: 

• Within the EU: €15 (plus postage).  Contact Tharien van Eck at .
• Within the UK: GBP15 (plus postage).  Contact Nancy Lynner at . 
• Rest of the world: What is a Perfect World? (Amazon UK); What is a Perfect World? (Amazon).

• The Thankful Book, by Todd Parr: This sweet book engages children in the art of expressing gratitude.  (Amazon, $10.69 hardcover or $7.99 Kindle) (Amazon UK, £13.54 hardcover) (Amazon DE, Є10,67 boardbook).

Disclaimer: These resources are for information only. With the exception of the FAWCO-related options, there is no endorsement of the charities or products included in this review.

Photo from Canva