Hannah Giacalone
Owner and Creator
Hi! My name is Hannah Giacalone and I live in America where I attended Brigham Young University. After spending 3 months in Ghana (where I met Kellie) I saw the gift that literacy and education can be. I couldn't help but think about being told when I was young that I could "be whatever I wanted to be when I grew up", and I realized what a wonderful thing it was to be taught that kind of ambition. I saw first hand the difference literacy can make in a child's life and I want these books to not only promote literacy, but promote ambition. "the beautiful thing about literacy is no one can take it away from you" - BB King. Literacy is the gift that keeps on giving, and that lasts forever.
Jenny Rollins
Author of NYC book
More information about me coming soon!
Kellie Addison
Co-founder
Kellie Addison
Author of New Zealand book
Kellie Addison
Author of New Zealand book
My name is Kellie Addison and I work in film and television in New Zealand. I have been involved with kids in one way or another for almost 20 years and I know first hand what a difference a love of reading can make in a child's life. The idea of promoting literacy across countries is something I am passionate about. I spent seven months in Ghana at Achaise Children's home and while there I worked on sight words with many of the younger children in the orphanage, seeing their confidence grow as their reading developed was an amazing thing to witness, literacy really is the best way to help kids as they progress through life. As Dr Seuss said "The more that you read, the more things you will know, the more you learn, the more places you will go" Please help us to help kids go places.
See above paragraph. I am also the co-founder!
Pip Boyed
Illustrator New Zealand book
Amelia Hillebrant
Illustrator NYC book
Hey! My name is Pip, I've been drawing ever since I could hold a pen and still do it every day of my life. Doodles and scribbles and little flowers filling up the margins has always been my speciality. My family and friends are an amazing source of support and I couldn't do what I love without them. To be a part of this project is to be able to give a little bit of what I do to a place far further than I ever could have imagined. My little sketches are suddenly travelling a lot further than the margin of my page and I couldn't be happier.
-Pip
My name is Amelia Hillebrant. I'm studying Illustration and English at Brigham Young University, with a love for story-telling and children's literature. Participation in The Maafia Project has been a wonderful opportunity for me, both for my career and my personal development. I believe that all children, regardless of their lot in life, deserve to experience the beauty of the world and to realize their potential as human beings to do great things. I hope that through this project, I can somehow play a role in helping children all over the world break stereotypes and become more than their circumstances.