Support literacy and learning for 1,900 Maya youth

We’re excited to share updates on the last few months in our Saber Sin Límites Community Library! And if you missed our last update, we want to be sure you saw the big news—we’re honored to have recently won the 2021 UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Literacy Prize. 

Library activities resumed after brief COVID-related pause

In September, after we had to suspend some activities due to increased COVID-19 cases in Chajul, we resumed activities in our Saber Sin Límites Community Library. Our head librarian David and part-time librarian Cecilia Jacinta supported our library members with a variety of activities. Children benefited from math, science, and English classes, as well as reading club, research time, and book lending in limited socially distanced and masked groups. 

Three weeks of engaging year-end activities 

At the end of November, once school had finished for the year, around 30 of our most active library members participated in approximately 50 hours of all-day library activities over the course of three weeks. Children were super excited to join in a special reading club and story hour sessions, science activities, and a movie screening. At the close of these fun weeks before the holidays, each participant received a small holiday gift including some school supplies. 

Radio broadcasting continues with guest host Kendel

David and Cecilia Jacinta have continued recording bilingual Spanish–Ixil story hours at the local radio station that are broadcasted out to all residents of Chajul and its surrounding villages (population 48,000), reaching far beyond our library members who traditionally can come to the library in person. There is one library member named Kendel who loves to help host these weekly radio story hours to share stories with other children! Kendel likes books that promote gender equality and children's rights, as he believes that everyone should have the same opportunities. And David reflects, "children like him inspire me to keep working to support children, because they are agents of change in their families and in Chajul."

TV classes

Since the beginning of September we have recorded 10 math and language bilingual Spanish–Ixil classes for TV! The classes were shared via the local TV and radio stations, through social media, and distributed to school directors and teachers for them to share with their students. While most homes in the area lack internet, nearly half have TV access. Our short, engaging shows aim to fill in learning gaps from the pandemic and motivate young people to continue in school! We’re happy that our team was able to bring learning into homes in this way while most schools remained fully or mostly closed for in-person learning.

Links:

• 2021 UNESCO Prize

UNESCO Award

We are thrilled to announce that we were awarded the 2021 UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) King Sejong Literacy Prize for our library program “Broadcasting Bilingual Stories: Promoting Interactive Literacy Programming in Rural Guatemala”. We were one of six global laureates to receive the prize in honor of our innovative approach to literacy programming during COVID-19, using the radio, television, and smart phones to engage young learners and minimize learning losses due to the pandemic. Our programs include reading bilingual Spanish and Ixil (the local Mayan language) stories and conducting science lessons and activities on the radio, providing STEM and language lessons on local television, and implementing book clubs on WhatsApp. 

The prize was announced on September 8 for International Literacy Day, and Filipa Lopes, our Operations & Project Development Specialist, accepted the award at an international presentation on September 9. We are honored to have received this prize as we believe that by providing young learners in vulnerable communities with educational and literacy resources—coupled with guidance and role models—small transformations can occur that will have a catalyzing impact on future generations. 

COVID Update 

In the last few months, COVID cases have steeply risen in Chajul, moving the region from yellow to orange to red on the epidemic traffic light system. While we always continue our virtual services such as radio story hour, the circumstances have forced us to at times pause in-person library services. Now that our local staff are fully vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine and we have reinforced COVID prevention measures, including ensuring that everyone who enters the library wears a mask, disinfects their hands, and is practices social distancing, we hope to continuously offer a safe educational environment for learners of all ages. We are currently opening the Saber Sin Limites (Limitless Knowledge) Community Library every weekday for a maximum of 15 youth at a time. 100% of library members reported that the library has helped them to succeed in school during the pandemic.  

While schools have been closed for much of the year, library members can continue to build their literacy and STEM skills through participation in Saber Sin Límites’ virtual and in person activities. They are continuing to enjoy the wide world of reading while waiting for school to start back up. Despite the challenges, the Limitless Horizons Ixil team continues to be steadfast and motivated in supporting the youth of our library.  

Radio Broadcasts

Our librarians continue offering bilingual Spanish-Ixil storybook readings on local community radio. Librarians hear that local families wait for story hour to be on the radio and listen together as a family. Ana Dayana, a library member, says she enjoys radio story hours because she learns new things and can imagine what is unfolding in the story, and she shares this with her little brothers. The librarians also incorporate messages about the importance of education and staying in or going back to school, gender equality, and they encourage community members to visit the library in person.

New Library Team Members

Cecilia Jacinta is an alumnae who was a library fellow in 2015, studied teaching at university of San Carlos, Nebaj, and is now working in the library. She enjoys helping children to do their homework and research, as well as develop their vocabulary. Cecilia is passionate about the library as she believes that providing youth with education benefits the entire community. 

Amelia, one of our bright and promising alumnae, started an Emerging Leaders Fellowship in the library. She is happy to be helping youth in the community with their homework, science, and art activities. Amelia enjoys organizing books and learning how to run a library from head librarian David. She is also eager to soon start a Limitless Horizons Ixil university scholarship to study nursing on the weekends. 

Links:

• Read about the 2021 UNESCO Literacy Prize we were awarded!