By Paco Alcaide Canata | Regional Director
“For me, the library has been a center of learning, because I had not been able to learn in my life, now I have been given that opportunity to change my way of thinking and discovering my abilities" says Brenda Margarita, a women benefited by Women for success project of Gabriela Mistral Library, in San Juan Chamelco (Guatemala).
One of the greatest successes of Riecken Community Libraries is the high level of community volunteerism they motivate. One factor in this is the degree of trust that the communities have in the leaders who manage Riecken libraries. Another motivating factor is the high level of knowledge and skills transmission generated by the libraries themselves.
The Riecken Foundation encourages training workshop participants in a way that results in a multiplier effect; in other words, women train women. This allows strengthened local capacity in the design, facilitation and evaluation of participatory training.
The Riecken Guatemala Foundation empowers girls and women through its network of community libraries.
In Guatemala, 970 women have strengthened their social skills through programs in Riecken Community Libraries. With stronger social skills and willingness to be actively involved in the community, they have learned to organize fairs featuring handicrafts and other products, wherein the women take advantage of dialogue opportunities with visitors to raise awareness about gender discrimination and violence against women.
Learn more about the work of the Riecken Foundation and its network of community libraries in Guatemala.
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