By Mark Ferenchik
The Columbus Dispatch

For nearly a year, Sagal Ali has traveled to West Side churches, food pantries and social-services offices to persuade low-income residents to become their children’s first teachers.

Yesterday, the Somali-American was honored at the White House, one of 14 “Champions of Change” from the Horn of Africa who are now leaders in their communities across the United States.

Ali, 26, of the North Side, works for the Columbus Metropolitan Library as a program leader for the Ready to Read Corps, an early literacy initiative that serves other areas, as well.

She helps teach parents of children as old as 5 years skills that will help the kids prepare for kindergarten. The idea is that parents should read to their children as well as sing to them and ask them questions.

“Little things you can do every day that make a big difference,” said Kim Snell, a library spokeswoman.

In a blog post yesterday, Ali, who holds a master’s degree in health policy and management from Columbia University, wrote that refugees and immigrants from Somalia have to overcome civil war and forced migration, with many settling in poor communities.

Ali learned about the White House honor about two weeks ago. She was nominated by a fellow honoree.
The Champions of Change program was created as part of President Barack Obama’s Winning the Future initiative.