Project Report
| Nov 19, 2012
Girls Read, Girls Rule, Boys .......
By Joan Fuetsch | Project Leader
![Girls participating in a story hour.]()
Girls participating in a story hour.
As 2012 comes to a end help us bring this project to a close so that we can start another one. A little more than $1800 is all we need to get a few more books into the hands of eager female readers. Astrid, one of our young girl readers, is now in an international school in Guatemala on a scholarship and is asking in English for explanations about taxes, poverty and corruption. Yes, Astrid! So, you see what we can do for impoverished girls in Central America with your help.
We start with story hours then book clubs. Reading gives young girls confidence. This weekend we are delivering a load of books to one of our libraries. After a two hour drive the books will go into a boat for a 45-minute boat ride and then arrive at the library via a tuk tuk. Long journey but there are lots of girls waiting eagerly for the new books. Once the girls gain the reading habit then they are onto computers where the sky is the limit. Thanks you so much for all of your contributions and hopefully you can give these girls a little bit more.
![Happy to see the arrival of new books.]()
Happy to see the arrival of new books.
![Now the sky is the limit.]()
Now the sky is the limit.
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Aug 15, 2012
Good News! The Books are Wearing Out.
By Joan Fuetsch | Project Leader
![New books, Science, Debate, Links and more]()
New books, Science, Debate, Links and more
Today we had a group of visitors cross Lake Atitlan in Guatemala by boat to visit our San Juan La Laguna Library. This library recently requested new books as so many of their books were very, very worn. This library has a very high percentage of girl readers. Funds were raised from the Rotary Club of Reno and by the library itself by showing movies in the evening and asking attendees to pay for popcorn to buy new books for everyone including the girls.
Your donations also go towards buying new books particularly oriented towards young girl readers. Community volunteers engage the girls with story hours then help the girls read until they are reading on their own. As you might guess reading is power in a country where women and girls have been disenfranchised for decades. Included with the report are a couple of photos of the recent arrival of new books at this library. You might want to also listen to the interview done in 2007 with Allen Andersson, who with his wife Susan Riecken, founded the Riecken Community Library network. Muchas gracias (Thank you) for your help.
![Girls listening to story hour.]()
Girls listening to story hour.
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May 29, 2012
So Close to Our Goal - only $2,318 More!
By Joan Fuetsch | Project Leader
![Girls Attending a Book Fair in Patzun, Guatemala]()
Girls Attending a Book Fair in Patzun, Guatemala
We have raised $15,682 thus far with only $2,318 more needed in order to get more books into the hands of young Guatemalan girls. Not only do they need books but, believe it or not, they someone to help them appreciate stories and all the information that books can offer. Traditionally, in Guatemala, books mean studying rather than pleasure. With the story hours and book clubs that we offer young girls learn to enjoy books. Quite obviously once they learn to enjoy books we are challenged to provide new books in order to satisfy their new found interest. Recently we visited a town where the librarian had organized a school day totally focused on books with games and contests. It was very rewarding to watch so many girls be so interested in the books. Recently, we received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (see link below) to strengthen our network of libraries but we still need your help to fund special projects such as promoting reading to girls. No donation is too small. Muchas gracias.
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