By Paco Alcaide | Regional Director
In March the Coronavirus pandemic reached Central America. The governments of the region closed their borders and implemented a variety of self-distancing, curfew and non-essential business closures. The Riecken Foundation’s (www.riecken.org) 65 community libraries in Honduras and Guatemala were directly impacted by the closure orders. Travel to the communities by the foundation continues to be impossible due to strict curfews.
To date, the Coronavirus is present in all of the provinces or Departments in Honduras and Guatemala. The Coronavirus curve continues to surge upward as the infection continues to spread in poor neighborhoods and rural communities. While we so far have no confirmed registered cases in any of our library communities, there is a stigma to catching the virus and certainly some unproven information circulates, Though closed for library services, COVID-19 has, however, driven the need for the Riecken libraries to take on a greater leadership role in their communities to support international aid and health officials in their efforts to provide relief where most needed. As trusted resources in their communities, the libraries have become hubs of updated and accurate information regarding the virus. The library buildings provide much needed meeting and storage space and the library volunteers are trained and eager to help. The Riecken staff – working remotely – helped make this happen.
In most Riecken library communities, library volunteers help create and maintain rosters of community members most at risk and with the greatest need. This data serves local relief efforts well, ensuring that those in greatest need don’t fall through the cracks.
Over twenty Riecken libraries are actively involved in minimizing food insecurity their communities. The library, normally a lively hub for community activity, has become a receiving center for food and other basic supplies from the local government and international aid for families in greatest need. Librarians, and library volunteers are key to the coordination of food supplies with the municipality – sorting, organizing and making deliveries to those who need it most.
With support from GlobalGiving and other donors as USAID/ASHA (American Schools and Hospitals Abroad) to upgrade books, technology and furniture, and building renovations, Riecken community libraries will continue to help transform a single building block -- a community library with free computers, internet, print resources and programs -- into a springboard for democracy building, local leadership development, women’s empowerment, civic engagement and social justice in Honduras and Guatemala. Riecken community Libraries are a demonstration and promotion American principles of inclusiveness and equality, civic engagement, free expression and independent inquiry. Together with the USAID / ASHA program, we will give a concrete response to promote community cohesion, so damaged by the current situation.
We are proud to see the flexibility of the Riecken Community Library sustainability model in action, allowing for relevant local response to this worldwide calamity.
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
