original documentary series about books, education and literacy
Read To Grow
10 Million+ Books Donated
200+ countries as recipients
weekly episodes
documenting the journey of books as aid from sender to recipients
Spotlight
International Book Project
- Lexington - Kentucky, USA
International Book Project believes books change lives.
They are a 501(c)(3) whose mission is to develop lasting partnerships with under-served communities to provide books, promote literacy, and advance economic opportunity throughout Kentucky, across the country, and around the globe.
The books shipped are individually curated to the requests of our partners and range from a few dozen books to sea containers of 30,000+ books for libraries and schools.
In central Kentucky, they provide resources to Habitat for Humanity, Kentucky Refugee Ministries, God’s Pantry, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, Family Resource Centers, local Prisons, and many others. Since our founding in 1966, International Book Project has shipped close to 8 million books to 168 countries.
Key Moments
- Filming thousands books arriving in containers
- Interview with directors
Casa Hogar Nueva Vida
- Oaxaca - Mexico
In Oaxaca, Mexico, the plight of vulnerable children is stark: only two government-run orphanages serve a population of over 4 million. The situation is exacerbated by the lack of funding for private orphanages like Casa Hogar. These children face daunting challenges, coming from backgrounds marked by violence, abuse, and exploitation.
This episode sheds light on Casa Hogar’s tireless mission to provide these children with education and a chance at a better life.
Key Moments
- Facilitating the donation and receiving of books from Read To Grow EU to Casa Hogar
- Organised a clothes making workshop with local designers for the children
- Interview with the manager Ammi
- Interview with an adult with grew up at the orphanage
- Interviews with the children
Biblioteca Mao
- Mao - Dominican Republic
Biblioteca Mao wants to make children and youngsters excited about literature and improve their reading skills.
The library has a range of books, for children, youngsters and adults. Through storytelling in English and Spanish, children at a young (and older) age can gain interest in literature and other languages. The books of the library are sorted by level and by category. The readers take a test to determine and monitor their reading level. This is done in collaboration with the classroom teachers of the schools.
Key Moments
- Interview with key players
- Interview with sponsors
- Interview with volunteers
Better World Books
- Mishawaka - Indiana, USA
Better World Books have shipped over 100 million books and are the worlds largest socially conscious book distributor, sells new and used books, ships to over 200 countries.
Alongside retail customers, Better World Books donates books and works with passionate nonprofit partners to provide better lives and a chance for economic, social and political freedom through literacy.
Key Moments
- Interview with CEO, Dustin
- Filming thousands books loading to containers
- Touring and filming the space with 4 millions books
Why Action Towards literacy matters
there is virtually no debate
the shocking failure of world leaders to protect and prioritise children’s education
- 387 MILLION CHILDREN UNABLE TO READ
Literacy Changes Lives
Education equality
Literacy is a powerful tool against poverty
There is a clear correlation between more education and higher earnings
- Of adults with the lowest literacy levels, 43 percent live in poverty,
- Illiteracy costs the global economy $1.5 trillion annually
- For every 10% increase of female students in a country, the gross domestic product increases by an average of 3%
The united nations Sustainable Development Goal 4
is to "Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all"
pre-pandemic loss in reading
COVID created an education crisis that has pushed millions of children into ‘learning poverty’
- Children whose education was disrupted could lose $21 trillion in future earnings, it’s estimated
- 70% of 10-year-olds in low- and middle-income countries cannot pass a basic literacy test
Around 14% of the world's population can not read
Yet literacy is a fundamental human right.
- Two-thirds of illiterate people are women
- In sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 30% of the population is illiterate
Read to Grow saves 300.000 m2 forest
Recycling and upcycling of 1.000.000 books
Read To Grow contributes also to a better environment. Read to Grow has investigated how many trees were saved with the recycling of 500.000 books.
The number of books equals 3000 trees or 300.000 m2 of forest
Currently, Read To Grow have a Tree program to compensate our CO2 output with planting over 100 trees locally and 300 trees in DR Congo from 2020 to 2025
Read To Grow Countries Map
1,481 projects in 75 countries since 2003
2023: Canada (72), Jamaica (73), Angola (74) Mexico (75)
2022: Belgium (68), Netherlands (69), Suriname (70), Poland (71)
2021: Dominican Republic (67)
2020: no new country
2019: Niger (66)
2018: Vietnam (65)
2017: Mozambique (63) , Georgia (64)
2016: Zanzibar (60), Belize (61) en Greece (62)
2015: Iraq (54) , Mauretania (55), Kosovo (56) , Togo (57), Eritrea (58), Nicaragua (59)
2014: Ivory Coast (49), Comoros(50), Somalia (51), Ecuador (52), Colombia (53)
2013: Liberia (41) , Chad (42), Botswana (43), Madagascar (44), , Central African Republic ( 45), Morocco (46), Swaziland (47), Somalia (48)
2012: Laos (39) , Myanmar (40)
2011: no new country
2010: Burundi (33) , Sierra Leone (34), Guinea (35) , Egypt (36), Haiti (37) , South Africa (38)
2006-2009: Moldova, Lithuania, Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, Dem. Congo, Nigeria, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Namibia, Congo, Mali, Senegal, Indonesia, Philippines, Nepal, Pakistan, Cambodja, Guatamala , Bosnia, South Sudan (32)
2005: Ethiopia (10), Zambia (11)
2004: Ghana (4), Romania (5), Uganda (6), Malawi (7), Zimbabwe (8), Albania (9), Sri Lanka (10)
2003: Peru (1), India (2), Gambia (3)
- Distribution
Release date: September 1st 2024
- Our Combined Audience
When we release Read To Grow, the first to know will be those on our newsletter in our combined audience.
- Read To Grow: Pending
- Casa Hogar: 700 people
- Better World Books: 100 million customers
- International Book Project: Shipped 8M books
film festivals
That's right, we are shooting for all the major film festivals and at the very least landing on the Netflix & co moon, whatever that is.🤩 Can we do it? Yes, but only with a strong sponsorship community effort.
online mini episodes
Each week, a 12 minute episode will be released on YouTube, Facebook and TikTok
- Goal: Exposure, Brand awareness, engagement, List Building
- Screening goals
The goal is to screen online exclusively and at as many screening events as possible around the world.
Our goal is for 250 venues worldwide to host a screening for the local community for each feature film.
Goals: Read To Grow
Shipping is the main obstacle
Inspire funding support for book shipments for more schools around the world.
One of the biggest challenges literacy foundations face is the high cost of shipping books to underserved communities.
- It costs roughly $10-$25k per container shipped from usa or europe to africa, asia and beyond
raise awareness about donating books
Attract more people to donate books to literacy serving non profits and foundations.
Inspire viewers and organizations to contribute to book donation drives and literacy programs.
awareness first, then action
Raise awareness about private funded orphanages and education inequality.
Show the critical need for books in impoverished areas and how access to reading material can significantly improve education and literacy rates.
Compassion is key to change
Allow the audience is imagine a world where they could not read!
Together, let's improve universal literacy
Let’s fight literacy poverty and bridge the fairness gap together.
Read To Grow creates eco systems by raising awareness about literacy serving organisations and shares the stories of those in need
Goals
more countries visited
1,481 countries are the recipients of books from Read To Grow. We hope to visit more of them and share their story.
upgraded film equipment
We'd love to acquire a cinema-ready camera set up for better filming and the opportunity to appear on Netflix and other streaming sites who only allow a list of selected cameras
Animate & add special effects
With an upgrade to our editing workspace, we will take our editing to the next level with animations and special effects.
Weekly Episodes, for years
Our vision for "Read to Grow" extends far beyond a limited series—instead, we plan to produce weekly episodes indefinitely.
Our commitment to weekly episodes
we will continue to amplify the voices of those impacted by literacy initiatives, shining a spotlight on the ongoing efforts to promote education and reading worldwide.
there's no shortage of inspiring stories to tell
With thousands of orphanages, schools, and shelters around the world receiving book donations regularly
Who next?
- Future Guests Wishlist
- Books For Africa
- Read To Grow, Europe
- Local non-profits
- Schools in the UK and USA
- Librarians in USA, UK and Europe
- Published Authors
- Countries/Recipients Yet To Visit
- The Gambia
- Uganda
- Rwanda
- Somalia
- Indonesia
- India
- Vietnam
- Bangladesh
- Pakistan
- Jamaica
- Holland
- Belgium
- France
- Poland
Read To Grow documentary represents Read To Grow Foundation and tells the story of the journey of books and their powerful impact on the world
