Education Germany Project #61936

Libraries & Storytelling Workshops for Resilience

by Lilipad e.V.

Project Report | Jul 2, 2025
Lilipad's Quarterly Report

By Sara Arsalane | Founder & Managing Director

Arabic & Music with Taha in Berlin

A Season of Growth & Recognition: Spring 2025 at Lilipad

This quarter, Lilipad continued to grow - building new spaces, deepening community connections, and expanding creative programming. And as we worked, something special happened: we were nationally recognized for it!

We’re thrilled to share that Lilipad was awarded the “Bewährt vor Ort” (Proven on Site) seal by the German Association of Towns and Municipalities and the Welcome Alliance. This national recognition in the “Arrival in Germany and Social Participation” category affirms what we already know: that grassroots, migrant-led work matters. We’re proud of this milestone and even more motivated to continue creating spaces where every child feels seen and inspired to grow.

Germany: Fresh Starts and Flourishing Programs

A New Library in Spandau!
This spring, we opened a new library at GU Spandau, a refugee accommodation in Berlin. It replaces our previous space at GU Columbiadamm, which we closed due to logistical and administrative limitations. By relocating resources to a space with high demand, we’ve created a vibrant new home for stories, learning, and play. This is the first time in almost 10 years that we’ve made the tough decision to close one of our libraries. While it wasn’t easy, it taught us a lot about staying flexible and responsive - and ultimately, we’re confident it was the right step toward deeper impact.

Taha’s Weekly Arabic & Music Sessions at GU Britz
Our weekly sessions at GU Britz, led by hip-hop artist and educator Taha, continue to thrive. Through music, games, and joyful interaction, children are engaging with Arabic language and culture in fresh and exciting ways. Taha’s lived experience as a refugee and his creative approach make these sessions especially meaningful. This program is entirely self-funded by Lilipad and your support means the world to us - a big thank you!

Morocco: Rooted in Experience, Growing with Care

Agadir: A Library Led by Lived Experience
The library in the Agadir shelter for girls is officially opene and what makes it especially meaningful is that our Lilipad librarian is a former resident of the Casablanca girls’ shelter where we've had a library since 2018. Her journey from participant to leader reflects our belief in centering lived experience and supporting community-led change. With her insight and heart, the library is already becoming something special.

Workshops in Casablanca & Mohammedia
In June, we hosted a rich slate of workshops across our Moroccan centers, including:

Art therapy sessions encouraging reflection and creative expression
Feminist political education workshops focused on identity, rights, and collective voice

Thanks to strong local partnerships and renewed agreements with all centers, we’re now set up for a summer of consistent, meaningful programming.

Get Involved!

Become a Monthly Donor: Sustainable support powers long-term impact. Join us as a monthly donor and be part of the story every step of the way.

Volunteer With Us: Whether in Berlin or remotely, we welcome volunteers in reading workshops, event planning, and creative communications. Email community@lilipadlibrary.org to get started.

Join Our Donor Book Club (Berlin): Our monthly donor book club, BOOKED FOR GOOD, is currently reading Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi. It’s a powerful novel that will for sure spark interesting conversations. Monthly donors in Berlin are invited to join, just email info@lilipadlibrary.org to sign up.

Thank you for being part of this journey and for standing with us.

With gratitude,
The Lilipad Team

Lilipad Library in Agadir Shelter for Girls

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Mar 4, 2025
Lilipad's Quarterly Report March 2025

By Iva Parvanova | Fundraising Leader

Warschauer Platz library opening

Reflecting on Our Journey & Looking Ahead

As we enter 2025, we’re taking a moment to look back on the incredible journey we’ve been on over the past eight years. Lilipad has established 18 libraries, provided hundreds of books, and hosted countless reading sessions and creative workshops. It’s been a journey filled with both challenges and successes, and through it all, we’ve remained dedicated to meaningful, long-term impact for the children and communities we serve.

This year, we are focused on strengthening and refining our work—how can we maximize our impact? Our mission has always been to harness the power of reading and storytelling to foster well-being, self-confidence, and resilience in children affected by displacement or social exclusion. In today’s world, this work is more critical than ever, and we are committed to improving how we do it.

Your support has been essential in bringing us to this point, and we are deeply grateful to have you as part of this journey. As we move forward into 2025, we’re excited to continue this important work together.

How You Can Make a Difference

Become a Monthly Donor
One of the most impactful ways to support Lilipad is by becoming a monthly donor. Your ongoing contributions help us create a sustainable future for children in need, providing them with books, storytelling programs, and safe spaces for learning and growth. No matter the amount, every donation directly supports our mission. [Click here to become a monthly donor.]

Volunteer With Us
We’re looking for dedicated volunteers to join our team! Whether you’re interested in Content & Social Media (remote), Event Planning (in-person in Berlin), or leading Reading Workshops (in-person in Berlin), there’s a place for you at Lilipad. Whether you can spare a few hours a week or take on a bigger role, we’d love to have you. Email us at community@lilipadlibrary.org to learn more.

Join Our Book Club
February’s pick: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. This month, we’re celebrating Black History Month with a powerful memoir about childhood, resilience, and identity. Our book club, exclusively for monthly donors in Berlin, provides a space for meaningful discussions and a shared love for literature. If you’d like to join, email us at info@lilipadlibrary.org.

Kicking Off the Year: January & February Highlights

Fresh Start at Britz Library – We’re starting the year with renewed energy! A new reading volunteer has joined
us at Britz, and we’re reorganizing the library space to create an even more inviting and inspiring environment for children.

A New Beginning at GU Warschauer Platz – Our newest library at the refugee accommodation in GU Warschauer Platz is officially open! We marked the occasion with a joyful day of storytelling, creativity, and exploration, and children excitedly discovered the new books now available in their space

Thank you for your ongoing support!
Let’ make 2025 a year filled with stories, learning, and impact.

Warmly,
The Lilipad Team

Britz library's team and reorganization

Links:

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Nov 6, 2024
Lilipad's Quarterly Report

By Sara Arsalane | Founder & Managing Director

Dear friends & family,

While our world is in turmoil, our little grassroots initiative is still attempting to make a positive impact through its libraries and storytelling experiences. Year over year, our projects are developing further and we are excited to share the following developments with you:

New Library in Berlin (Gemeinschaftsunterkunft Warschauer Platz): We're very excited to announce that we are opening a new library to serve the local refugee community in Berlin! In collaboration with Familienzentrum Wrangelkiez, we are providing children’s books, shelves and learning resources for the establishment of a multilingual reading space in this refugee accommodation.

Reopened Library in Casablanca (Child Protection Centre Abdeslam Bennani): We recently renovated and reopened one of our very first libraries, originally launched in 2018, to support girls who have experienced trauma, including abandonment and legal challenges. In addition to the renovation, we procured new furniture, books, and organised a special reopening event with the support of our Lilipad librarian Samira. This project is very close to our hearts and has been one of our most rewarding. We also had the opportunity to organise our first ever artistic workshops there, a full day of activities, creative writing and theatre expression with the support of incredible local facilitators, a published author and a theatre programs specialist.

Summer Break Workshops Closing (GU Britz, Treptow & Columbiadamm): We wrapped up the summer break storytelling workshops for youth in various locations across Berlin, funded by local foundations GLS, Pfefferwerk and Auf Augenhöhe. For these, we acquired an amazing selection of Arabic kids and youth books from the indie Arabic bookstore Khan al Janub - check them out for some great reading events in Berlin and don't forget to support your local bookstore when purchasing books ;)

These are some highlights but we have been working on much more behind the scenes. Stay tuned for our 2024 Annual Report which is provide a much more comprehensive overview of our work and impact.

As always: Thank you so much for the continous support. None of this would have been possible without the support of donors like yourself.

Yours,
The Lilipad Team

Shopping with our librarian Samira (Casablanca)

Links:

https://www.lilipadlibrary.org/

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