Support literacy and learning for 1,900 Maya youth

Here at Limitless Horizons Ixil, we have begun 2017 with gusto after closing out 2016 in celebration of all that we have been able to accomplish. You, our faithful supporters, are an integral part of the success of the Saber Sin Límites (Limitless Knowledge) Community Library, and we are thrilled to be able to include you in this celebration. It is our pleasure to share with you some of what we have been able to accomplish together and what we are striving toward as we support the children, youth, and families of Chajul, Guatemala.

Story hours are both a success and an ongoing improvement. We are proud of the way our librarians, David and Marina, continue to engage the children in this important activity. Twice a week, between 25 and 40 children gather to hear a story read aloud. We continue to offer a variety of themes, including cultural story hour, where an elder from the community imparts a piece of Ixil history or culture, as well as craft story hour, where the children create an art project related to the book. Recently, we also added dynamic story hour, which includes interactive games and engages some of our more active children in productive ways.

Story hours offer more than just a fun time for the children (although they do seem to enjoy themselves!) Illiteracy is a looming problem in Chajul, and many parents are unable to read themselves. So although they understand the importance of this skill, passing on a love for reading to their children is not an option. Time and time again, parents have come to us to express their appreciation for the opportunity given to their children and the important role our librarians play in their development. It is an honor for us to support so many families in this way.

Another exciting development to kick off 2017 is Saber Sin Límites’ new look! In January, a group of international volunteers visited Chajul and worked with our Guatemalan staff, youth, and community members to create a beautiful new mural and sign for the outside of our library. Images were selected to highlight Chajul’s traditions and the library’s values.

We love the new look, but beyond just the pleasing aesthetic, library membership and participation have increased since the change. Many of our newest members have expressed that they were drawn in by the inviting design or didn’t know until they saw it that there was a public library they could join! Many of these new visitors have begun participating in our programs, utilizing our research materials, and getting homework help from our librarians. The new sign also displays our name in Ixil—the Maya language spoken in Chajul—as an invitation to those who don’t speak Spanish. We are elated to have such increased visibility in the community and excited by the new families we are now able to partner with as a result. 

We hope you know how much your support is making a difference. Thanks to you, literacy and education are being supported in ways that would not otherwise be possible. We are sincerely grateful for your partnership with Limitless Horizons Ixil—together we are creating change in Chajul that will have positive impact for generations to come.

Links:

• To learn more, visit our website.

This year has been a fun and exciting one at Saber Sin Límites community library, thanks to supporters like you! With Today, we wanted to share the results of our recent focus groups with you.

The purpose of our focus groups is to evaluate our programs and services, and most importantly to see how we can improve. We asked 31 library members between the ages of 5 and 13 what activities they enjoy participating in and how satisfied they are with library services. The results were extremely positive!

The activities enjoyed most by members we met with were reading, drawing, playing games, homework help, and tutoring sessions in math, English, and science. They also said they are all very satisfied with library activities, homework help, and tutoring sessions. They commented how kind the library staff are and how quick they are in providing homework help and research, and had no negative feedback about our librarians and library interns at all. We were thrilled to hear this, as it demonstrates how hard our library team works to keep members satisfied with quality services and support.

We asked library members, “If you were director of the library, what would you change?” The most common responses were more space for activities for younger members and more space for homework/study areas. In addition, they asked for additional books for drawing, stories, poems, Ixil language, English, science, social studies, and math. As our library continues to grow and become an increasingly popular space for learning and fun, our members are wanting and needing more resources, space, and materials for them to engage in the many services we provide.

Without supporters like you, we wouldn’t be able to provide such a wide variety of activities at the library to teach children how to read and create an environment of fun and learning for the community. Thank you for your continued support. As we wrap up the year with our annual Reading Adventures vacation programming now that children are on their break from school, we plan to finish 2016 strong while preparing for the new year. Sending you warm wishes and much gratitude from Chajul!