An afternoon with Edy: The community "Reading Corners" get started

The community center in La Soledad

Things are really starting to take shape for the Book Bus project! This week we went into two of the four communities where we are going to start “Reading Corners,” the community center in La Soledad and the library in El Progreso. During the visits we took pictures of the spaces, got an idea of how we can help fix them up, and talked about what types of activities we are going to do in the spaces once they are all put together. We have big ideas for these “Reading Corners,” we aren’t just going to supply books through the Book Bus in the UK. First we’re going to give the community center and the library a “makeover,” which will include a good scrub down, a fresh coat of paint, and any extra projects needed to make these locations an inviting space for the community. We want these areas to be sources of pride in the communities, where people want to come with their families to learn and read. The plan for now is to do our first “makeover” in two weeks with volunteers from Hacienda Tranquila, and the international students studying at GAIAS (the Galapagos Institute for the Arts and Sciences). 

Let me take you on a little walking tour of the library in El Progreso, so you can see exactly what our plan is to transform this library from a place that has only 10 people visit a day to a place for the whole community. 

First things first, we want to take this sign and liven it up a bit (you know, make it so people actually know there’s a library somewhere back there). We also plan to do a bit of weeding, and make the path leading to the library more welcoming.

The sign out front the library

The work continues on the outside of the library, which could use a good scrub down to remove the lichen that has found a new home on the outside walls, and a fresh paint job to make the building look like new again.

The library

Once inside of the library, I was lucky enough to spend the afternoon with this guy, Edy, the librarian in El Progreso. He shared with me that he, on his own, found the computers for the library (they currently have four, but only three are working), and made sure that the little library of El Progreso was the first library in the Galapagos with an internet connection. He is just as excited as we are about the project, and we cannot wait to work with him more. 
 

Edy, the librarian, hard at work

The cleaning and painting continues on the inside of the building, as the walls, floors, and shelves could all use some touching up. If you saw the “Reading Corner” example pictures from earlier this week (check it out if you haven’t!), you know that we’ll be painting the walls, not just with new colors, but with figures and drawings as well. The idea is to make the space clean, fun, and exciting for the kids.

The library, inside

The library has about eight to ten students that come on a daily basis to use the computers to do their homework. The internet is free, and students can print things and make copies for free as well. We are hoping to find a partner that can help us do routine maintenance on the computers. 

Students hard at work on the computers

 The library is well stocked in books, but unfortunately many of them are out-of-date text books and encyclopedias that should be replaced with current copies. They could also use more children’s books, as there seemed to be a shortage of them. The volunteer troop is also going to do a massive reorganization of the book shelves, organizing the books in a user-friendly manner.

The books!

Finally, the library has two great side rooms that have been used in the past for such interesting projects as a community pet-neutering day (!). But we will plan on using them for community courses, once we get them cleaned up a bit, on subjects ranging from computer and internet use, to agriculture projects, to art classes for the children in the neighborhood.

 

One of the two side rooms in the library

With so many great projects planned for the library in El Progreso and similar projects for all of our community “Reading Centers,” how could I not be this excited! Thanks for reading, and check in next week for further updates!

The Nuts and Bolts of the Project

An example "Reading Corner" from mainland Ecuador

After a wonderful week of vacation for this volunteer, it was time to get back to work on the BookBus project. This week was busy at the Hacienda with other activities, so the BookBus project was not as action packed as weeks past, but it still involved some important budget making. The focus for this week and the upcoming week will be on the community “Reading Corners” that we are going to create (check out these incredible examples from the BookBus project already established in mainland Ecuador). The big goal for this week was to establish a budget for the materials we will need to put together these beautiful spaces of reading and learning. What does it take to put together a “Reading Corner” you might ask? Well we’re taking into account such important details as 5 pounds of nails, 15 gallons of paint, 50 screws, 10 paint rollers, and a package of garbage bags. We’ve compiled a budget with these important items, plus others, to send off to the offices in the UK and Quito to continue the planning process.

An example "Reading Corner" from mainland Ecuador

All of these tools will be used to establish “Reading Corners” in four different rural communities on San Cristobal: La Soledad, El Progreso, Cerro Verde, and Socabon. As Hacienda Tranquila is located in La Soledad, we were already able to gather the necessary information about this community. La Soledad has about 15 families, with 35 adults and 16 children; we are going to establish a “Reading Corner” in the community center there that will supply books, but will also give courses on topics such as computer and internet use, and agriculture. We are so excited about the possibilities we see in La Soledad, and cannot wait to explore the other three communities that we are going to work with on San Cristobal. Next week will be a busy one, visiting these three other communities to collect more information to send off to the UK and Quito; it will be another big step in our efforts to spread the love of learning in San Cristobal. Check in on Friday to hear all about it!