A book narrating the true life story of an Eritrean, who found refuge in Malta, earned Clare Azzopardi first prize in the 2013 National Book Prize – children’s category.

The book, Kidane – Ġrajja ta’ Tama/A Story of Hope, was the result of a project launched by the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) during the academic year 2011-2012. The project, called The Art of Storytelling, aimed to promote a deeper understanding of the refugee experience among primary schoolchildren through the use of various art forms.

The book was published in Maltese and English by JRS and was partly funded by the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts through the Malta Arts Fund. The touching storyline shows that refugees are individuals with a unique history and personality.

Azzopardi wrote the book after conducting several interviews with Goitom Yosief, an Eritrean who was granted protection in Malta and who coordinates the JRS Malta school outreach programme. This programme, which has been running for the past eight years, makes schoolchildren aware of the causes that force thousands of asylum-seekers each year to flee their homes and seek refuge in other countries around the world.

Kidane is the result of a joint effort between artists and professionals in education and refugee issues. Apart from Azzopardi and Yosief, other contributors include Marisa Attard, who supplied all the illustrations included in the book, and a core team which included a representative from the Education Department, teachers and members of the JRS staff.

Copies of Kidane can be obtained from JRS Malta by sending an e-mail to info@jrsmalta.org, or by downloading it from www.jrsmalta.org/content.aspx?id=365022.