Meet our Librarian: A Letter from Incahuasi

My name is Rosa Ixcel Montero Cardozo, I was born on August 3, 1994; I come from a family of eight siblings, I studied elementary school in the Eduardo Abaroa Educational Unit, then the secondary school in the Junín National School in Incahuasi and I finished my studies in Pedagogy, in Mayor Real University and San Francisco Xavier Pontifical University of Chuquisaca in Sucre.

Today I am in the place where I was born and grew up, Incahuasi, which is located in Nor Cinti province of the Chuquisaca-Bolivia Department, at an average height of 2,970 meters above sea level. Its main river is the Incahuasi and it also has a large stream, called “Agua y Castilla”, from which our drinking water arises. In its sub-Andean strip, it is formed by a homogeneous plain, with a climate ranging from mild to cold. Formerly, this territory constituted the border area between the Quechua and Guaraní cultures. The origin of the current population is Quechua, however, the most spoken language is Spanish in the populated area.

One of the main tourist attractions of the Municipality is the Church, whose construction, in pure stone laja, goes back to the colonial era. The myths of the place tell that the church was built by the same Incas, who were robust men of more than 2 meters high, who managed to build the church in one night, before the rooster crowed, because the Virgin of the Rosary (who nowadays is the patron saint of Incahuasi) warned of the arrival of the Spaniards to the place.

Incahuasi is an eminently agricultural municipality; the production is highly mechanized, mainly in relation to potato crops (which stand out for their high yields), wheat and corn, among others. For its own production, its typical dishes stand out: roast pork, spicy chicken and the rich peanut soup that is not lacking in any ceremony, and we also can’t forget the delicious “chicha”. In Incahuasi there are also two large festivities: the Temptation Entrance and the Entrance in honor of the Virgin of the Rosary, patron saint of the place, where visitors can sample both indigenous and folkloric dances.

But Incahuasi is also a land of education and students, so currently, the Municipality of Incahuasi has 32 Educational Units, between primary and secondary levels. Both young people and children of the various communities that belong to the municipality seek improvement, despite their limitations in acquisition of educational material and having to travel long distances to finally reach their Educational Unit every day, throughout the year. In spite of the difficulties of any kind, they manage to smile, because they are all friends and the help is mutual through their mother tongue: Quechua. Among their games are hopscotch, and they play ball too, often with a makeshift ball; they run and jump barefoot or only with sandals.

Therefore, the creation of a library to reinforce what our students in the municipality of Incahuasi learn in the classroom was very necessary. Nowadays, being a librarian in my municipality and having received guidance on its use and management, I believe that we can work in different ways; that a library should not always be a symbol of just reading and nothing else, and that a librarian should not always be serious as a rule. Being able to be part of a world of diverse stories and theories; where a book is the ticket to a world without limit of imagination and information; it motivates me to convey this to the users of our library.

If you would like to help Rosa at our library in Incahuasi, why not become a volunteer!

Reflections from Sopachuy: 4 Volunteers Share Their Experience

Julia

Sopachuy, accustomed to German volunteers, greet you with a “hallo” even if they do not know where you’re coming from; we stick out in the streets, we are the novelty, and looking at the details the truth is not lost. Everyone speaks Quechua, and in that they feel united; they speak words we don’t understand; they leave dictionaries at our request; we start to blend in; we already know some words, and in their eyes we notice that they are amazed when we speak to them.

When you feel truly interested in understanding the other, the relationship flows; we not only share with the participants of the library but we share with the people. Sopachuy has life; it’s in activity and movement.

The library already has a regular attendance, but it increases with children who are curious to see who the new volunteers are.

We read together, we draw and we paint with the little ones. We sow some doubts, some questions in the adolescents. They pass us on the street, they greet us, they embrace us; we feel part of the place. They invite us to eat, to play a game; we learn a sport, we participate in a tournament. Sopachuy has a lot to offer, and is receptive to those who want to know it. It’s a warm and pleasant place not only for its climate, but for its people who made our passage an unforgettable moment.

Antonela

Before arriving in Sucre, my friends Josefina, Julia and Florencia were waiting for me with the aim of embarking on the adventure of traveling together, but not only that, I was also given the opportunity to volunteer through Biblioworks in Sopachuy. With great anxiety, the day after arriving in Sucre, we took a bus to Sopachuy, a small town of approximately 8,000 inhabitants located in the middle of the mountains and surrounded by two rivers, which reach a point where they unite to flow together more strongly. When we arrived we were greeted by Ariel, the altar boy of the church, an incredible person who opened the doors for us to stay, and there we found a place where humility, hospitality, respect, kindness, recognition of the other, the desire to learn and share, and the desire to celebrate, abounds.

The first days we became acquainted with the town and its people, and little by little we entered into confidence with some people and met Alfredo, the man who works in the library where we were going to carry out our project. Each day was better than the other.

When we began to proceed with our tasks with the children, everything flowed very well. They were very kind to us, and we managed to build a very nice bond with them. We helped them with their homework, we did recreational and artistic activities, we read stories and then gave them slogans to work on what we read, we played a lot, and above all things and the most special is that the learning was reciprocal. I learned and understood many things with them and with the people of the town, with their stories, their culture, their regional language, Quechua, and their way of living life. Ariel also gave us the space to do a workshop with the children of the boarding school; we chose to carry out cooperative and reflective activities, of which I feel very satisfied, since they were predisposed with enthusiasm and had the space to reflect and comment from their personal experience. We also had the opportunity to play with the children of the children’s center and help the teachers with activities and games more related to physical education.

In our free time we were able to meet the rivers, and there enjoy the sun, the water, and the beautiful and full landscape of life that Sopachuy has. The people also invited us to eat, to hang out and drink some mates and share stories and anecdotes, to cultural celebrations, and to just spend time together. It was incredible, this experience, and I am very grateful to Biblioworks and Sopachuy since they opened the doors to us to live something very special, full of learning and amazing moments. It exceeded all expectations. From those 10 days in Sopachuy, I take with me all the love from the people we met, the energy that is in that place–which is very strong and full of life–a lot of learning, the peace of having given my all and the best version of myself, and I also take very special moments and incredible landscapes. Simply, thank you.

Florencia

Many times they ask us where we came from. We always respond with the previous city we were at before. When they ask us where we were born, we say in Buenos Aires, but there is a question that we still do not know how to answer: where do you live?! We do not have a house … we do not have a house because in Buenos Aires there is only that of our family. We do not have a house because it is rolling, although it does not have wheels either. It could be said that it is a walking house, because it has feet. One of the girls answered [that question] once; “This is our house”, and pointed to her backpack.

It’s true. In there we carry all our coats, books, sleeping bags, as well as important things: loves, fears, worries, memories, friends, joys, stories, good energies sent from afar, and a bit of luck at times. House is something so big and so heavy that sometimes I wonder what I can let go, there are things that are impossible and many others that are difficult. However, each step taken, each staircase climbed and each street traveled are part of the path we chose.

We arrived in Sucre in search of heat. We came from a trip of tired backpacks, as an Argentine singer says, and we needed a warm place that felt good. This is how we decided to go to Boblioworks, an organization that a friend recommended, a very accurate decision because we found much of what we needed: open doors, receptive hugs, and a beautiful people who trusted us from the first moment. There we agreed that our destination would be Sopachuy, a small town located in a warm valley 197km from Sucre.

Sopachuy welcomed us as we had never imagined. Its people gave us everything they had, from a plate of food to the care of their most precious treasures: their children. We being four teachers, we were able to contribute a bit from our role. We helped in the nursery, we did a teamwork workshop with the girls and boys of the boarding school, and worked all the tasks in the library. There we help the children with their homework, read stories, drew, played, and learned a lot.

Equally, I think Sopachuy and its people gave us back a lot more. We were invited to play basketball and even wally, a sport that does not exist in our country. We learned to cook cakes from [our friend] Jeny’s hand and to be burned with our own hands. We studied Quechua and they taught us the Ayñi mink’a. We learned that when walking through town, a smile and a hug would be to the cry of ¡profe!, and it is worth more than any school work. We learned to enjoy the hills, the rivers and the Pacha. We learned to be away from home, but to feel close.

Thank you Sopachuy, thank you Biblioworks, and thank you Bolivia, for your beautiful people.

Josefina

We said goodbye to the Biblioworks headquarters in Sucre and Juli, Anto, Flor and I went to Sopachuy. Although we were advised by the girls in the office, many questions haunted us: if there would be some kind of organization in the village library, if it would be difficult to generate links with the children and also with the inhabitants of Sopachuy, what would the physical space be like where we would have to intervene, and many other questions that among so many lived moments now I forget.

We arrived in Sopachuy and were greeted by Ariel, altar boy of the parish who was our guide and friend during our stay there. He helped us as much as he could and integrated us well with the youth of the town.

On our first night we were invited to an event that was held in the central square, we danced regional rhythms and experienced some meals. It was a very nice night with bonfires on the street.

On Monday morning a woman named Jenny, collaborator of the Parish, came to ask us please to go to the garden [the children’s center] to play with the children and guide the girls who are in charge since they are not educators and therefore they do not have many educational and pedagogical tools.

Our commitment was to the library but we decided to collaborate with the garden by putting together a curricular design (with our knowledge of the curriculum design of Phys. Ed. mainly) with subject-matter and didactic strategies that included many activities and variants so that the people in charge of the center could use it during the year. It was a good day to think and plan this time for the little ones.

On Wednesday evening / night, at the request of Ariel, we planned and conducted a workshop for the boys and girls of the boarding school. We decided to address the theme of “Teamwork”. It had an interesting dynamic, because everyone had to participate in 4 groups, and boys from 12 to 18 years old united to achieve the goal of each game. There were about 40 children who participated and when we said goodbye we gave them didactic material donated by the Library.

Those were the activities we did as volunteers.

From our experience in Sopachuy as volunteers, I take each hug from the children with whom in a few days we generated a nice bond, the adults who have invited us to meet their home and their family, and have given themselves very generously, and the spaces where we could work, exchange and know in depth a geographically beautiful valley with very receptive, kind and ACTIVE people!!

Thank you BiblioWorks for this opportunity.

Science at Barrio Japón!

This past Friday, our library at Barrio Japón hosted its first community science class! The class was taught by university and high school students from local organizations Peque Innova and Tu Ciencia Joven, whose mission is to promote the learning and application of science, technology and innovation in younger generations here in Bolivia.

Twenty students from the local elementary school in Barrio Japón took a field trip to our library in lieu of their usual lesson, and were treated to a morning of fun activities, building wind-powered electric conductors (powered in reality by the students’ own breath!) and learning about various types of energy and the importance of conserving natural resources.

This event was truly a great success; the students were so excited to be a part of the class, especially when they were successful in turning on the small red light attached to their homemade wind turbines! A big thank you to our volunteers for helping out during the event, and to Peque Innova/Tu Ciencia Joven for teaching our local students how fun science can be!

 

 

 

 

 

At Biblioworks, we rely heavily on our volunteers (both local and abroad) to help us implement educational programming at our libraries for the local communities we serve. If you would like to volunteer with us and help create other educational events or programs, please send us an email at volunteer@biblioworks.org.

Meet Our Librarian: An Example in Overcoming Adversity

Sixto Vargas Pachacopa is 29 years old, born in the community of Fuerte Rua, and is responsible for our library in the Municipality of Tomina. He finished his studies with much effort, and graduated with honors from the CEA (Center for Alternative Education). Currently, he is in the second year of his agriculture studies at the José Martí Institute, where he studies in the mornings, and during the afternoons he is a librarian.

Leadership
From the age of 15, he began to attend meetings in his community because his father was sick, and later, was elected catechist leader to teach classes to children. At 18, he was hired to be a journalist, using the training he received at ACLO (radio station). In August of 2017, he was elected to be the president of the Municipal Youth Council, and he is currently the Secretary General of the José Martí Institute of the Municipality of Tomina.

His Goals
To be a professional, and to own his own enterprise as an agricultural producer in his municipality; in this way, he can help the people that need it the most by giving them the opportunity to work. He also wants to continue learning and specialize in agricultural issues.

His Message
“Everyone can study and be someone in life. Studying facilitates knowledge, so do not be content with only being a college graduate; if you have the opportunity to continue studying, do it in a way that contributes to the development of the municipality and the country.”

Volunteering in Sucre, Barrio Japón

This piece was written by Aurélie, a French volunteer, who describes her experience in the library of the ‘Barrio Japón’, and gives some tips for future volunteers. 

I was a volunteer for nearly 2 months at the library of Barrio Japón. It is a poor area in the suburb of Sucre, easily accessible by bus in approximately 20 minutes from the city center.

The library is quite small: two small classrooms (one for the youngest kids, one for the eldest), a main room with 5 shelving units containing all the books, and a small IT room including 3 PCs. There is also a bathroom and a luminous patio outside which can be used for games on a sunny day (though many dogs pass by, but they’re harmless).

As for the kids, their number, gender and age will vary everyday. Hence the difficulty of planning activities suitable for all, either small or large group. Some really do come everyday, some others show up twice a week, or every 2 weeks, or even just for the last 20 minutes (the library opens Monday to Friday from 2.30pm until 5.30pm).

Most of them come from step-families, and have attention, hygiene or discipline issues due to their education or complicated life at home. It’s important to keep patience and to remain understanding and tactful. A typical afternoon consists in opening at 2.30pm and checking that all kids register in a notebook for Biblioworks’ records. After that, it’s homework time until 4pm, so we help them, check that their do it seriously (especially as some parents think they only play at the library, and also because there is a tutoring center nearby where they could send them to instead). Those who don’t have any homework, or have already finished it can read.

At 4pm, we take a short break and go outside so they can eat a bit and have some fresh air, and the last hour and a half can be used for activities, tutoring the PCs’ use (they love Paint, copying texts in Word and watching educational CD-roms), playing games. This of course depends of the number of kids present, their age, if they’ve all finished their homework… It can be very demanding to watch them all when there are 15 children spread over the 4 rooms, some being always distracted from their homework, some not understanding how to solve divisions, some asking how to use Paint, some asking for a pencil or if they can go to the toilet…

I guess the best, which I haven’t managed to do, would be to come up with a fixed activity schedule to attract kids to come (or come back). But keep in mind you may not have time or sufficient number of kids to stick to the plan. Also, you need to know that there are many games, toys and puzzles in the library, that of course the kids prefer to books, so it’s a challenge to promote reading, especially with the noise the kids can create, and the fact that they cannot borrow books to read at home.


The first steps are a bit hazardous: as the kids know that each month comes a new volunteer, not knowing them and not knowing the rules applied before, with a level in Spanish more or less good, so they sometimes try to take advantage of it, by asking things they know are not allowed (like taking material or books home, using the computers before 4:30 pm…).

My main tip is to be firm right from the start so that you are respected. Ask for “hello”, “please”, “thank you” and don’t let them help themselves in the stationary shelf or play loudly before 4pm. I would say these are the most basics but most important rules. If you apply them, you will really enjoy the best side of these kids and help them in the best conditions possible.

Though this experience was been challenging, I have really enjoyed the contact with these authentic and spontaneous kids. Some have really touched my heart and I do hope the best for them. I can only wish I have had a small impact in their life just like they did in mine.

– Aurélie

Volunteer helps inaugurate the ‘Hygiene Corner’ in the library of Presto

This piece was written by Melissa Knell, an American volunteer who spent her time at the library of Presto.

“This week in the library has been full of playing hangman, doing the YMCA & Macarena, teaching the kids English, making origami and reading short stories! It’s been nice because there hasn’t been more than 10 kids in the library at one time, so I’ve been able to have more one on one time with a lot of them or small group sessions. A few of the students are super excited about learning English and like to take colorful notes on all the new words I’m teaching them. This week we went over colors, good morning/afternoon/night, and lots of animals. Usually there’s a handful of students doing their own thing during the English lessons, and then a handful who are very focused and ready to learn. There are a few younger brothers and sisters that are only 2 or 3 years old that are happy doing puzzles and playing with some of the building blocks. I’m happy if the students are happy!”

My experience volunteering as a librarian in Presto, Bolivia was full of highs and lows, successes and challenges, and good and bad days. Presto is a small town made up of around 2,000 people, and located a 2-3 hour bus ride northeast of Sucre, Bolivia. Each day in Presto was a new adventure. On the day I was set to open the library I got a call from my supervisor saying the library was going to be moved to a new location. I quickly learned that I had to be prepared for any situation, and have patience for when things did not go as planned.

My first day in the library was a whirlwind. It was myself and 30 to 40 students that were coming and going constantly throughout the 4 hours. The students were thrilled that the library was open again and spent the afternoon drawing, playing chess, reading, and doing puzzles until it was time to go home. Throughout my 2 months at the library different students would come and go. The students had 4 weeks of vacation from school while I was there, and during these weeks there were fewer kids at the library, which allowed me to do more one on one reading with students. I also got to know the students that were coming consistently during the vacation weeks. This allowed me to develop meaningful relationships with each of them.

After a few weeks went by, the people in the town were also getting to know me, as I was getting to know them too. Each day there were less stares, and more friendly greetings of ‘buen día, buenas tardes, buenas noches.’ I was the only person who spoke English in the town, therefore I was forced to speak Spanish whenever I was out and about. This made me want to go out and talk to people, in order to use my Spanish and to feel more comfortable in the town.

I quickly picked up the Bolivian way of speaking Spanish, and even learned some words in their indigenous language of Quechua. By the end of my two months, the local restaurant owner, greeted me with “Hola amiga!”, whenever I ate there for lunch. Presto had become my home.

The children with Lissi

Throughout my time in Presto, I also was fortunate to spend my mornings at the elementary school in a kindergarten and 1st grade classroom during the weeks school was in session. I taught English lessons, and assisted the teachers in whatever way they needed. This helped me adjust my expectations and plans for the library because I was able to see how the students behaved in their classes, and what kind of activities the teachers were doing. My first day in the classroom, the teacher left me with the students because she had a short meeting to attend. I took this opportunity to teach the kindergarteners “Head, shoulders, knees, and toes.” They loved it! I really got to know the two teachers I was helping out, and they happily welcomed me into their classrooms.

While I was there, we started “El Rincon del Aseo” (The Hygiene Corner) in the library. My supervisor, Magaly, and I worked with the local doctors, nurses and orthodontist to create a space where a handful of students are given lessons about good hygiene habits. Magaly was the main contributor to this project! She did an amazing job planning, and organizing all the meetings that took place before the inaguration and preparing all the materials.

The ending project consists of one fourth grade class will receive weekly lessons from rotating employees at the hospital about how to keep their body healthy and clean. These lessons will last through November, when the school year ends. The students will also receive materials to enforce these habits at home and share with their brothers and sisters.

The children and teachers thanking Lissi for all her hard work

I was fortunate to still be in Presto for the inauguration of the ‘Rincon del Aseo.’ This was also my last day in the library. I was given the opportunity to speak at the inauguration to the people from town hall that attended, as well as the students in the chosen 4th grade class, their teacher, the doctors who would be participating in the project, and Magaly from Biblioworks. Without Magaly this project would not have been possible. I was very nervous to be speaking in front of all these people, and of course it was all in Spanish. I was afraid I might mess up, and they wouldn’t be able to understand what I was saying. I had prepared some notes, but once I got up there I just started going.

It wasn’t until the end of the speech did I realize how much this experience meant to me. Tears started building up in my eyes, and before I knew it I was crying in front of everyone. Luckily I managed to get through everything I wanted to say. I am beyond thankful for the opportunity to live in the remote community of Presto and for the people there to accept me as one of them. I can say this was one of the hardest experiences I have been through, but I would not change anything about it. I hope to return to Presto one day, and see how the library is being utilized by other volunteers, students and teachers.

A recent volunteer from France shares her experience

Clémentine Riot volunteered with us for about a week, assisting us at one of the municipal libraries. She summarizes her experience below (translated from French).

I had only about ten days to devote to a Biblioworks library. Because of the national holiday this was reduced to 6 days.

On the 1st day, I met the nice Martha who works in the library of El Tejar (Campo close to Sucre). I helped university students and librarians to make cardboard games for the feria.

I continued this activity in Tejar with the kids after the homework. I also tried to teach them English but it was not easy as they all had different ages so a different level in English. In spite of that they were always enthusiastic and enjoyed the songs in English. I loved when they showed me their village. They were so proud to be the guides. The traditional dance course was a time of joy too, with Toto, a great teacher, very dynamic and funny.

To finish, our trip to the Castillo de la Glorieta with a guide was the cherry on the cake. The children were very happy and interested in this place so different from their daily lives. Situated just a few minutes away from their home, none of them had ever gone before! Although it was short, this experience taught me a lot and was very interesting. The children were generally curious and asked me a lot about France and my city, Paris. I was also able to question them to understand their culture and their needs. But also to observe the similarities or differences between our countries so distant.

Martha, my “binomial” at El Tejar was very attentive and received me in her family for a birthday. I hope to return one day to El Tejar.

Thank you again to Biblioworks for hosting me in a library and especially for agreeing to listen to my preferences so that the experience happens at best!

 

 

 

A volunteer’s experience in Japon, our newest library

Katherine, a volunteer from the UK who has been working in our Japon library (our newest!), graciously shared the following thoughts on her experience with us: 

I spent a month in BiblioWorks’ newest library in Barrio Japon, a suburb of Sucre. My arrival had been perfectly organised by the volunteer coordinator who had helped me to find somewhere to stay and met me on my arrival in Sucre equipped with advice for getting around the city and recommendations for restaurants, markets and much more.

On my first day in the library I was joined by the volunteer co-ordinator and another volunteer who was visiting Sucre and would join me for the first few days.

The library is open weekdays between 2:30pm and 5:30pm which is after the Bolivian school day. The kids seemed immediately excited upon our arrival, which I would quickly learn was their normal reaction to the opening of the library for the afternoon, it was not uncommon for me to arrive to find a number of them eagerly waiting for me to open the library. The arrival of new professores is also an exciting event for the children who are curious to hear about where the volunteers come from and why they are in Bolivia. They’re also keen to size you up to establish what your style will be (and what they can get away with). Fortunately, because the library is relatively new it is currently well stocked. However, this will not last forever given the children’s enthusiasm for making, drawing, colouring and, of course, reading!

There is no real structure to the library and what we do. I encouraged the kids to do a quiet activity – either their homework, reading or drawing for the first couple of hours and afterwards they are free to play indoors or out at the library with the toys available. The children are not obliged to attend so it is the volunteer’s role to ensure that they are engaged, enjoy the facilities that the library has to offer and want to keep using it!

The kids are a range of ages, some days children as young as 3 or 4 years come along with the oldest children being around 12 years old. With the younger children the main priority is to keep them entertained, for example, with jigsaws, reading books to them and playing games. The older children are more autonomous and will happily entertain themselves, seeking help when needed.

Activities which they particularly enjoyed were making things out of paper – such as origami animals, or cutting out shapes, especially when we could display them in the library. It was great to be able to spend time one on one with the children reading with them or helping them to do their homework and was a great opportunity for me to improve my Spanish. Some of the children were keen to learn some English so we also had some impromptu English classes so they could learn common phrases and the names of the things we used in the library.

Usually the kids would choose 5 people to be ‘Encargadas’ each day who I would ask to complete the register and to help tidy up the library. They are always happy to do this, often if they saw me tidying or cleaning the library they would be keen to get involved. It is important for the children to understand that they need to look after the library if they want to keep using it.

Generally the kids can entertain themselves and find things to do and will get on with homework or reading so volunteers shouldn’t worry about planning lessons in advance and don’t need to have any teaching experience – just an imagination and a sense of humour (and some Spanish, although you’ll definitely learn the important stuff quickly)!

Sucre is a lovely city in which to spend a month with lots of cultural highlights, outdoor activities and of course fiestas! With the library only being open in the afternoon it presented a great opportunity to explore the city’s many museums, parks, mercados and restaurants. I also took advantage of the opportunity to improve my Spanish with extremely reasonably priced Spanish classes. On days off I was fortunate to be able to visit Potosi, Presto and El Palmar.

I am grateful for the opportunity BiblioWorks gave me to immerse myself in Bolivian culture and participate in a rewarding experience.  You have access to a network of volunteers as well as Maritza, Magali and Jovanna who work in the office if you ever need any advice or assistance. I would recommend volunteering with BiblioWorks for any amount of time to anyone visiting Sucre or looking to stay on a long term basis, it is certainly an experience from which you get back as much as you put in, if not more.

New Library! Barrio Japon

Biblioworks recently opened a new library! The team is proud to announce that the Barrio Japon library is now up and running.

The Barrio Japon library stands out as a bright, vibrant, colorful center for children to play games, learn, and read. While the library encourages play, the area schools also utilize the library as a helpful resource for work. Every morning during the school week, elementary school teachers bring their students to the library to study and work on their assignments. After lunchtime, the library remains open as a designated study hall space. Afterwards, the center becomes a place for students to play and read books.

The library has two rooms: one for elementary school students and one for high school students. Biblioworks volunteers spend time at the library in the afternoons to help students with homework, and the staff is working in the library while school teachers create a schedule for the library to be open in the evenings.

While in Bolivia, Maritza, the Biblioworks Director in Bolivia, reported that this library has become a “haven” for many children. Recently Bolivia has faced violence towards children, including that of physical, sexual, and domestic abuse, alongside child labor. One of the reasons these hardships arose stems from parents working long hours in the city, where children are left alone in result. In face of these challenges and struggles, the library is a place where kids are able to escape such harsh realities and “be children again.” The library is a place where children can be carefree, inquisitive, and happy. Here at Biblioworks, we are very proud of the Barrio Japon Library and the way it is already impacting the community around it!

Sucre Lee is Coming Up!

Get Ready for Sucre Reads!

The April Literacy Event, Sucre Lee, is in just a few weeks! This is Biblioworks’ biggest event of the year where reading itself will be celebrated across Sucre, Bolivia.

At the event, Biblioworks staff and volunteers will board buses across Sucre. Once on the bus, they will then explain who Biblioworks is: an organization that fosters literacy and builds libraries. Our representatives will then distribute reading materials and read a story to those onboard. Sucre Lee highlights the beauty within literacy and the magic that reading encompasses. Biblioworks will become more engaged and involved with the Sucre, Bolivia community, and more people will know about the services our libraries provide. This is sure to be a fun day for everyone!

We need your help to better spread Biblioworks’ message across the Sucre community in upcoming weeks. Donate today to support the implementation of Sucre Lee!

New Office to Plan Sucre Lee!

Our team in Sucre recently moved into a new office to better accommodate their hard work! The office is an approximately 15 minute walk from the central plaza of Sucre. According to Delphine, our Volunteer and Communications Director, it has a very nice and homey atmosphere. Here, our team in Bolivia will continue their awesome work to promote literacy, build sustainable libraries, and positively impact communities in Bolivia.

In the new office, our team will be planning the April Literacy Festival, Sucre Lee. At this event, staff and volunteers will board buses in the Sucre area and distribute books as well as facilitate discussion about why reading is so important. Not only will staff explain who Biblioworks is and the work they do, but they will also advocate for participation in community libraries and reading itself. Through Sucre Lee, the love of reading and Biblioworks’ message will be spread across Sucre.

Please click here to learn more about this event in April and donate to help support Sucre Lee.

 

 

We Have a New Fundraising & Outreach Coordinator!

We have a new Fundraising and Outreach Coordinator on our team!

Kaitie Hess is a second year student at Grinnell College studying anthropology with a concentration in global development studies. Within that, she is interested in both environmental and educational studies. Someday, she dreams to see a world where everyone is given equal educational opportunity, and she believes literacy is a crucial step towards that goal. Outside of the classroom, Kaitie has worked as a tutor, teacher’s assistant, and planned an interactive environmental class for young children. Her passion for both learning and reading led her to Biblioworks, and she is very excited to begin working for our organization. Through her experience with our organization, she looks forward to learning more about the nonprofit environment as well as connect with people interested or invested in Biblioworks.

If you want to reach out to Kaitie to say hi, ask a question, or tell her about your experience with Biblioworks, please email her at internbiblioworks@gmail.com!

 

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