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Libro Amigo

In Nicaragua, easy access to well established libraries for both primary and secondary students exists almost exclusively in private schools.  In major cities, university and public libraries also exist and these are open to the public.  Although this provides a way for students to deepen their knowledge, most of the books found in these libraries are educational text books and these do not encourage reading in the same way as novels or stories.  In rural areas and amongst the poor, the situation is worse with most students having access to, at most, one or two text books provided by the Ministry of Education.

Nuevas Esperanzas has been working with the rural community of San Jacinto in the Municipality of Telica since 2004 on a range of development projects.  Building on the good relationship developed with the community over this time, a pilot project for a library at the Instituto Sara María Parrales was implemented during the 2007 academic year.  This is a school for both primary and secondary students which also serves five satellite schools in the surrounding area with a total of approximately 1,020 students.  During the year Nuevas Esperanzas worked closely with the Ministry of Education and the staff and students of the school to implement the project.  The school library was renovated and refurbished and new books were donated.  The books were catalogued and ordered and a programme of workshops was arranged for students and teachers.  In order to encourage reading and promote use of the library reading and poster competitions were held for the students.

The objectives of this pilot project are to improve the education, culture and general knowledge of students in rural areas, to foster an interest in reading which will continue into later life, to increase awareness amongst students in urban and relatively privileged areas about the needs of their rural and poorer peers, and to encourage reuse and recycling of books and educational materials.

In order to build on the work done in 2007, a second phase of the project is now underway.  During the first term of the 2008 academic year Nuevas Esperanzas will hold further competitions for the students, run workshops for the teachers in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and raise awareness of the needs of schools in rural areas by visiting schools in the city of León to present the ‘Libro Amigo’ project and collect books and educational materials for the San Jacinto schools.

To download the final report for the 2007 project please click here.