Literacy: the greatest treasure of all | Alfred Chidembo | TEDxCanberra
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- čas přidán 25. 08. 2024
- NOTE FROM TED: TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: storage.ted.com...
Alfred Chidembo turned humble beginnings into a powerful sense of purpose to promote education for all and improve literacy through reclaimed and rescued books once destined for landfill. Through his charity Aussie Books for Zim, Alfred has established libraries and has sent thousands of books back home in Zimbabwe, turning trash into treasure. His goal is to place a book in the hands of every child in Africa. Born in Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, Alred grew up in the remote rural village of Mudzi. At the age of six, he would walk five kilometres to school each day. Alfred was desperate to learn about the world, but his school had no books to read or write in, so Alfred learnt to write in the sand.
More than 20 years later, Alfred has achieved his dream of obtaining a PhD and founded Aussie Books for Zim, a charity on a mission to improve the education and prospects of children in Zimbabwe. To date, Alfred and his team have sent more than 100,000 books to Zimbabwe. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx
Amazing story. Have the honor of calling Dr Alfred my friend - he really is one of a kind and works tirelessly to bring literacy to the world's most remote areas.
So happy to hear your story albeit the very very short version Alfred. You like some of those books tell an inspirational story, that will inspire a generation. Thank you for sharing and the world is truly a better place for me having known you! Congratulations a fantastic TEDx 👏🏼
My mother says she taught me to read when I was 3. I don't remember. But she never suggested any books to read all thru grammar school. But I stumbled across science fiction in 4th grade. My mother called my SF books "something crazy".
I ended up going to college for Electrical Engineering.
Why hasn't the US had a K-12 National Recommend Reading List of about 9000 since the 1950s? Updated every 5 years.
The following 2007 article may be of inerest:
"The end of literacy brings with it the end of society -- and of our humanity"
Great talk Alfred loved it
A funny thing.......in Africa they hunger for education. In America, the majority of Blacks ridicule other Blacks who are scholarly. I heard a similar type of story from an old friend and educator Dr. Montgomery who was a head master somewhere in Africa. I haven't spoken to him in decades, but He left America because people here didn't want to learn and over there they starve for education. I am glad Dr. Chidembo had his eyes opened and soared to the highest levels.
That was powerful