WHY?
Why work on literacy projects in Nicaragua? When reviewing information from the United States Aid for International Development (USAID) recently, my commitment for working on projects that will provide literacy opportunities for the people of Nicaragua was reaffirmed. On average, Nicaraguans complete fewer than five years of schooling, and nearly 500,000 children, aged three to 12, remain outside the formal education system. Ask anyone who has been to the country recently, it’s not hard to believe these statistics as young children are everywhere selling items at the stop lights, fixing roads and tending to animals. Children in Nicaragua, even those privileged to education, lead a very different and difficult life than what we see in the US.
The dramatic growth and success of Wisconsin Nicaragua Partners Learning Centers (over 80 throughout the country) clearly illustrates the need and desire among Nicaraguans for further education and skill development. The Learning Centers... what better place to introduce and house a lending library! We did just that and here is a pictorial story to lead you through how this came about and is continuing to grow with your help...
HISTORY
. 2002
Our counterparts in Nicaragua ask for help to meet the challenges of the growing illiteracy level in their country’s children.
. 2003
W/NP and Peace Corps joint grant application to the Sabre Foundation is approved and we are awarded 12,000 new Spanish books to be divided equally with Peace Corps. Schools and Learning Centers graciously receive the books, set up small libraries and we begin to introduce the “lending” idea.
. 2004
W/NP visits the San Juan Del Sur Biblioteca, the first lending library in Nicaragua to see what the possibilities are…..founder Jane Mirandette gives a fabulous reception and demonstration of how the library works and offers to share her lending library prototype with W/NP!!!
. 2006
April, W/NP’s 1st Lending Library opens in Tipitapa at Rosa’s Learning Center with 150 books!
IMPORTANCE
Research unanimously demonstrates the importance of introducing and exposing children to reading materials at an early age. We already have the Learning Centers, which is a place in the community associated with skill development. Why not begin lending libraries within the center that will provide access to reading materials for all ages, children through adult?
At the launch ceremony at UN Headquarters in New York, Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette said, "Literacy remains part of the unfinished business of the 20th century. One of the success stories of the 21st century must be the extension of literacy to include all humankind… There is no time to lose if the world is to meet the Millennium Development Goal of increasing literacy rates by one half by 2015.”
Rosa's Report
Presently we have 40 kids who come every Saturday to read and afterwards they take 2 books home which they turn in the following Saturday. They're very punctual. There are Saturdays when we're left without any books; we can't keep up. As far as the little kids are concerned, we need many, many more children's picture books. They have read and reread our books, and they're asking for the following in Spanish:
- Dora the Explorer
- Disney stories
- Barney
- Sesame Street
What Can you do?
Please contact the W/NP office if you would like to participate in the library project.
- Collect Spanish reading materials
- Donate funds to purchase books
- Come along and visit the libraries in Nicaragua as we celebrate the gift of reading!
