Young Island Readers Advancing Youth Literacy into Yap’s Remote Outer Islands

More than 500 children across Yap State, from birth to age five, are receiving a book each month from Young Island Readers The program, a partnership between US nonprofit Habele and the Imagination Library, aims to foster a lifelong love of learning and literacy but introducing small children to the joys of reading in their own homes.

This week boxes of donated YIR books were packed aboard the Yap State field trip ship, starting the long journey to Yap’s remote Outer Islands, including Woleai, Ifaluk, Lamotrek and Satawal.

Young Island Readers” is a book-a-month donation program that provides children in Yap State from birth to age five a new age appropriate each and every month. In mid-October the 3,000th booked reach the Post Office box of a family on Yap. By the spring, over 550 children across Yap State had signed up to participate.

The heart of Young Island Readers is Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL). The Imagination Library was founded and created by songwriter, musician, actress, author and business-woman, Dolly Parton, in her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee in 1996. She envisioned a community-based program providing children with free, home-delivered books from birth to their 5th birthday.

Habele is the “local affiliate” or on-the-ground partner for DPIL in Micronesia. Established by former Peace Corps Volunteers, Habele is a US nonprofit, invested in the future and potential of Micronesian students since 2006. Though the program is both effective and efficient, there are still ongoing costs borne by Habele and these are generously provided by the individual Americans who support Habele.

On Yap Proper, generous logistical support has been provided by the Yap State Hospital and the Yap Community Health Centers, which raise awareness of the program and collect sign up forms. Families living on Yap have their children’s book delivered directly to their own Post Office boxes. Children in the remote Outer Islands receive their books through support of the Yap State Department of Education’s Neighboring Island Coordinator’s office, as well as the in-kind donation of cargo space aboard airplanes of the Pacific Missionary Airline, which serves those Outer Islands that have paved runways.

Babyor ko btir rom u Habele!

Habele ea bayi pii ko bitir rom bake babyor ni yu puul, nge mada’ ko ngiyal’ nike gamane lal eduw rok’ ni dariy pulwon. Gamad be a thapeg ni ra ilal ma baadag e bieg babyor. Kugoged ni be’eg babyor ko bitir, ma gubine bitir ni baye duuw rok’ ngatanggine laal, mara yog ninge sign faun ngay.

Ba’ba form ni bay ni pii ngom ningam fill nag mag fulweg ko chaan nike piingom, fa min moen’ ngalangin ere box ni baaray ko “Young Island Readers Dropbox.” Fa gara yan kore website ne baaray www.habele.org/read mag yiloy fidingam u online. Faan ra gamaa paru dakan e nam nu Waab, ma Habele ea bayi pii yuke babyor ngom ni yu puul u P.O. Box. Faan ra gamaa paru Ulithi, Fais fa Woleai, ma ra yibe yuke babyor nem ngomu sikokiy ko PMA. Faan ra gama paru yugrebe donguchen yu Waab, ma ra I yib e yuke babyor nem ngom nikan tay nga mail bag u barkow.

Yal titi babior mirel Habele!

Pangal meram nge Habele yebe fange seew buuku ngali laum saari gasiyee yela gola lago mena galimouwal yaal birthday. Yetoar paluwel iye book kale. Sitipeli be saari laum yebe mesaigeti gare geshangi geragireg iga yebe fefetaltag. Si faseongiu be “Young Island Readers.” Ye tai tiwegil semaliu saari ye chiil ragil faal limou raagi nge yebe mewl tabeye gare fateofato itale.

Gemaneo shagiu babiyor yeel nge gosa gatefali ngali yaremate la ye ganooge, gare iselilong lani Habele Young Island Readers kagool. Gare golago woal www.habele.org/read be gobe siine longo iyange. Gare go kasog woal Yap, nge yebe seew meram nge Habele yebe fange buuk reel yaamu PO Box. Gare golog woal Ulithi, Fais, Woleai nge PMA yebe gasine tage. Gare golog woal meratag, nge rebe fange tag shiul waafaliuw lani tutul mail.

3,000th book mailed to Yap so far in 2023

“Young Island Readers” is a book-a-month donation program that provides children in Yap State from birth to age five a new age appropriate each and every month. In mid-October the 3,000th book this year will reach the Post Office box of a family on Yap.

The heart of Young Island Readers is Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL). The Imagination Library was founded and created by songwriter, musician, actress, author and business-woman, Dolly Parton, in her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee in 1996. She envisioned a community-based program providing children with free, home-delivered books from birth to their 5th birthday.
Habele is the “local affilate” or on-the-ground partner for DPIL in Micronesia. Established by former Peace Corps Volunteers, Habele is a US nonprofit, invested in the future and potential of Micronesian students since 2006. Though the program is both effective and efficient, there are still ongoing costs borne by Habele and these are generously provided by the individual Americans who support Habele.

 

Babyor ko btir rom u Habele!

Habele ea bayi pii ko bitir rom bake babyor ni yu puul, nge mada’ ko ngiyal’ nike gamane lal eduw rok’ ni dariy pulwon. Gamad be a thapeg ni ra ilal ma baadag e bieg babyor. Kugoged ni be’eg babyor ko bitir, ma gubine bitir ni baye duuw rok’ ngatanggine laal, mara yog ninge sign faun ngay.

Ba’ba form ni bay ni pii ngom ningam fill nag mag fulweg ko chaan nike piingom, fa min moen’ ngalangin ere box ni baaray ko “Young Island Readers Dropbox.”

Fa gara yan kore website ne baaray www.habele.org/read mag yiloy fidingam u online. Faan ra gamaa paru dakan e nam nu Waab, ma Habele ea bayi pii yuke babyor ngom ni yu puul u P.O. Box. Faan ra gamaa paru Ulithi, Fais fa Woleai, ma ra yibe yuke babyor nem ngomu sikokiy ko PMA. Faan ra gama paru yugrebe donguchen yu Waab, ma ra I yib e yuke babyor nem ngom nikan tay nga mail bag u barkow.

Yal titi babior mirel Habele!

Pangal meram nge Habele yebe fange seew buuku ngali laum saari gasiyee yela gola lago mena galimouwal yaal birthday. Yetoar paluwel iye book kale. Sitipeli be saari laum yebe mesaigeti gare geshangi geragireg iga yebe fefetaltag. Si faseongiu be “Young Island Readers.” Ye tai tiwegil semaliu saari ye chiil ragil faal limou raagi nge yebe mewl tabeye gare fateofato itale.

Gemaneo shagiu babiyor yeel nge gosa gatefali ngali yaremate la ye ganooge, gare iselilong lani Habele Young Island Readers kagool. Gare golago woal www.habele.org/read be gobe siine longo iyange. Gare go kasog woal Yap, nge yebe seew meram nge Habele yebe fange buuk reel yaamu PO Box. Gare golog woal Ulithi, Fais, Woleai nge PMA yebe gasine tage. Gare golog woal meratag, nge rebe fange tag shiul waafaliuw lani tutul mail.

Matson, Habele keep books flowing to Yap’s Youngest Readers

“Young Island Readers” is a book-a-month donation program that provides children from birth to age five a new age appropriate each and every month.

A generous investment from the Matson Foundation will cover the cost of providing over 400 such books to children across Yap State this coming January and February.

The Young Island Readers process is simple. When a child is born in Yap State, the mother is provided a sign-up form at the hospital. She writes the child’s name and the post office mailing box their family uses. If she lives in the Outer Islands she indicates on which Atoll or Island they reside.

Sign up forms are offered again when a child is baptized or inoculated, ensuring newborns don’t slip through the cracks. These sign-up forms are collected by students at Yap Catholic High School, where the details are entered into a book ordering system. Mothers or other family members may also obtain forms directly from the Yap Catholic High School as well as submit completed forms there. They can also sign up online at www.habele.org/yir.

Monthly, each enrolled child is sent a new book. The specific title is based on their age and phase of development. The books, sent at USPS media mail rates, arrive individually wrapped and addressed to the child. Those going to children in the Outer Islands are received by the Neighboring Island Coordinators at the Yap State Department of Education. The books headed to children in the Outer Islands make the last leg of the journey on either the state field trip vessel or aboard a Pacific Missionary Airline flight.

The backbone of Young Island Readers is Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL). The Imagination Library was founded and created by songwriter, musician, actress, author and business-woman, Dolly Parton, in her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee in 1996. She envisioned a community-based program providing children with free, home-delivered books from birth to their 5th birthday.

Habele is the “local champion” or on-the-ground partner for DPIL in Micronesia. Established by former Peace Corps Volunteers, Habele is a US nonprofit, invested in the future and potential of Micronesian students since 2006. Though the program is both effective and efficient, there are still ongoing costs borne by Habele. A generous donation from the Matson Foundation in late 2022 will help with that.

Matson’s generous donation to Habele will cover all the costs for Young Island Reader books mailed in January and February of 2023,” explained Neil Mellen, founder of Habele. “We are grateful for Matson’s continued support of our -and others’- work in Micronesia and across the Pacific in addressing community needs.”