| October 8, 2013

Doris: Surviving in the Slums and Chasing a Dream

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Doris is beating the odds. E-books are helping her rise out poverty and get ahead in the world.

Doris is beating the odds. E-books are helping her rise out poverty and get ahead in the world.


Books are liberating girls everywhere. Doris can vouch for that.

Doris, a teenager living in Africa’s largest slum in the middle of Nairobi, Kenya, has the odds stacked against her. Both her parents have died, opportunities are limited and and her surroundings don’t prove to be the safest of places.

But, she has learned to cope, find a tune to dance to and dream big. E-books and Kindles have found their way to her school, Kibera Girls Soccer Academy, and they have planted a seed of hope. They give her a sense of freedom, keep her mind busy and urge her to study more diligently so she can one day become a doctor. Books matter to Doris–a lot. Here’s why.

Let’s Celebrate Girls

This October, and especially on International Day of the Girl, let’s honor Doris and other young women who are beating the odds. Let’s pay tribute to the young ladies seeking out opportunities for themselves, finding strength in the books they’re reading and taking steps to improve their lives and the lives of others around them.

Want to help more girls like Doris discover a sense of freedom? Donate today and join Worldreader as we celebrate girls today, and every day.

Let’s Celebrate Books

And, just for fun…

How well do you know your book heroines? Take our “Girls that Rock Books” Facebook quiz and find out. You could win a Kindle.

Oct. 11 is International Day of the Girl. Let’s celebrate all girls who are beating the odds.

Oct. 11 is International Day of the Girl. Let’s celebrate all girls who are beating the odds.

“I feel…free when I read a storybook or a novel.” ~ Doris, a student at Kibera Girls Soccer Academy, Nairobi, Kenya