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.

BiblioWorks opened two new community libraries in Bolivia this year!

Over the summer, a 40-foot, 17,000-pound shipping container full of materials arrived in Chile and was transported over the Andes Mountains into Sucre, Bolivia. With the help of BiblioWorks staff and volunteers, 15 pallets of furniture and 10,000 books were unloaded and sorted. Our new libraries in Villa Serrano and Yamparaez received their books and furniture by the middle of July and officially opened at the end of the summer.

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BiblioWorks Welcomes It’s First Volunteer to Bolivia

BiblioWorks’ Latin America Project Coordinator, Megan Sherar, is currently accompanied by our first ever BiblioWorks Volunteer in Bolivia.

Allison Dahl, from St. Louis, Missouri, arrived to Sucre in mid-April to begin working with BiblioWorks’ literacy and education initiatives and will be collaborating with Megan until the end of May.

She accompanied Megan during the inauguration of the Presto library, and the donation of computers to the Cororo high school.  She spent several days working in the Morado K’asa library with Julia Ortiz, current Peace Corps volunteer in Morado – practicing reading and writing activities with the kids.  She will be helping with library training courses in both Patacon and Presto this month, and will be participating in meetings in communities where we are considering libraries in the communities.  Allison has also been putting her efforts into helping us look for continual financial support for our projects, translate the biblioworks.org site, and do a running inventory of the books that we now have in storage in Sucre.

Welcome Allison!

BiblioWorks’ Latin America Project Coordinator, Megan Sherar, is currently accompanied by our first ever BiblioWorks Volunteer in Bolivia.

BiblioWorks’ Latin America Project Coordinator, Megan Sherar, is currently accompanied by our first ever BiblioWorks Volunteer in Bolivia.

INAUGURATION: Patacon Library “Biblioteca Adhemar Carvajal”

On March 22, 2006 the library in the Patacón High School was officially inaugurated.
Events started at 9:30 am with the national anthem of Bolivia being sung by over 250 students and guests.  Following that, speeches were given by the Director of the High School, Mery Calizaya, the District School Director, Ana Maria Quinteros, Peace Corps volunteer, Heather Hatfield and Peace Corps tech-specialist, Tom Boutureira, and by local BiblioWorks Latin America Project Coordinator, Megan Sherar.

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10,000 books bound for Bolivia!

The ocean-bound shipment for Bolivia of 10,000 books, 30 computers, and library supplies is at last on its way!

After months of receiving donations, sorting, and packaging, the shipment for the libraries in Presto and Patacon left our warehouse today, with 10,000 books, 30 computers and monitors, 6 laser printers, and 4 pallets of library furniture.  After growing so used to shuffling all of it around our warehouse for the past 5 months, it was almost sad to see it go!

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BiblioWorks attends the fall LEAF festival

In mid-October, BiblioWorks was pleased to have the opportunity to set up a booth location at the popular LEAF festival, 2005.  Neal Thompson, author of “Light the Candle,” was gracious enough to host a book signing in which we gave out free signed copies of his book.

Pictured below, a guest chats with Neal while having his book signed. Allen Singleton, President of BiblioWorks, looks on.

 

 

Allen Singleton
Featured Library: Padilla
To be inaugurated in June 2016
BiblioWorks’ 13th library
4 hours from Sucre

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