Provide Quality Education to 15000 Amazon Children

Dear supporter,

If you have been following our story, you might remember that Vaga Lume’s educators have been traveling around the Brazilian Legal Amazon region since June this year to monitor and evaluate the work carried out at the community libraries where the organization operates.. Since the beginning of the trip, which is called "Vaga Lume Expedition - 15 years ", we've visited around 74 community libraries out of the existing 159.

Two weeks ago, I, together with two of Vaga Lume's educators, Celice and Aline visited the community libraries in Carauari, in the state of Amazonas, and met Melque. Melque has been helping Vaga Lume carry out its mission in Carauari since he was a teenager and today, he is the Representative of the municipality’s Local Team. Every month, Melque takes a small boat and begins a journey along the river Juruá (which is a southern affluent river of the Amazon River) to visit each community library that Vaga Lume helps to maintain. He usually takes with him new books to fill up the bookshelves and to encourage the people who live in those communities to engage with the project and to connect themselves with literature and reading.

During the last Expedition to Carauari, Melque took Vaga Lume's educators to a meeting with young protagonists that was being held at Pupuai's community. There, Melque introduced Vaga Lume Association to those who didn't know what it was, and made a brief speech: "I know that many of you have a library in your community that often receive books from Vaga Lume. I know that plenty of you here recognize the importance that those books have to you, to your parents, to our communities and to the region. I believe that education is something that leads us to a great future, and because of that, I'm part of Vaga Lume's team. We have the same beliefs; we consider education an empowerment tool and we know how important it is to put this tool in your hands. You, young protagonists, know what's best for yourself and for the place you live in. You know the importance of preserving your culture and what you -and all of us- need to do to keep it sustainable and alive. You have the tool that gives you power to build your own future".

Melque knows how important this job is because he understands the difference that books and reading had made in his life. Today, he knows how to read, but even more important than that, he knows that the world is much bigger than he thought. Today, he knows stories from all over the world! Through his own experience, Melque found out how inspiring literature can be and, because of that, he also became a role model for the children, young people and adults around him.

This is a simple but often repeated story of someone that does everything he can to provide a better education to the people of his community. And, thanks to your generosity, Vaga Lume is able to make it possible too. Every simple action can make a profound difference!

Your donation has been helping to change the life of Melque, young protagonists and all who live around them!

Thank you for being part of it!

Warm regards,

Daniela, on behalf of the very proud Vaga Lume Team.

Links:

• Vaga Lume's website