Biblioworks in Tarabuco

On Sunday, we headed out of Sucre on a 7:30 am bus with some of the folks from Biblioworks to promote literacy and the Tarabuco library.  By 9:00, we had our tables set up in the street and a steady stream of interested customers.

I estimate that we spoke with over 100 children and adults regarding the library, its resources, and the importance of reading. Most of the people we spoke with were residents of Tarabuco who were headed to the plaza to sell their hand-made textiles at the Sunday market, although we also spoke with a number of people from surrounding areas.

Our most popular attraction was by far the stack of books we were giving out for free, courtesy of Biblioworks. Although these books are by no means expensive--they´re actually simple pamphlets made of thin 0.07 mm paper--they are still luxury items for most of the residents of Tarabuco and the surrounding countryside.

We handed out books designed for people of all ages and skill levels on a variety of topics--math, science, writing, hygiene, childbirth and childcare, solar cooking, the history of the potato, healthy relationships, and of course some pleasure reading.

Among the recipients of the books was one woman selling her wares who had thirteen children at home, a man who had walked five hours that morning to get to the market to sell his mantas, and many many children, some of whom were clearly child laborers, working on Sunday to sell goods and shine shoes.

Giving out books to people who clearly need food, water, soap, and medicine can seem counterintuitive at first. It seems that basic needs must be met before we can start worrying about knowing multiplication tables or being able to read about the animals that live in the rainforest. I like to believe, however, that all of these things are inter-related--that improved access to educational resources will result in an improved ability to seek out and obtain the other resources that we all need to live. In a world run largely by documents--laws, job applications, instruction manuals, etc.--illiteracy can be very disempowering. Indeed, it´s difficult to know one´s rights if they are only available in the written word. I believe, however, that Biblioworks and a number of other high-quality organizations are improving this situation.

Below you´ll find a few more pictures from our visit to Tarabuco.

Dona Marina, the local librarian, sits with two girls from Tarabuco outside the library.

We used a parachute game to practice math with the local children.

Ryan smiles for the camera after talking with two boys about the library´s resources.

A view of the textiles available for sale in the central plaza.

Ponchos for sale.