Empower Schools With Books

Our November/December mission was the perfect closing to 2008. Sitting in the T-Gates at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta I came to understand the importance of this particular trip. I witnessed our partner schools in Nicaragua open the school year, by delivering textbooks and reference materials to six schools. In June, I returned with more books and funds to build book cases. Now, I was returning yet again with more books to witness the last day of classes. After three trips this year and spending a total of 13 weeks with these learning communities, I now understand the power of follow through and how this one simple idea develops sustainable improvements.

During the year, I wondered and thought of how TALICA’s library programs were going to be collaborative and facilitate an abundance of local community involvement. What types of ideas could we bring that will empower the local educators and community members to take own the responsibility of maintaining a new collection of books? With each return trip, I saw local organic systems for maintaining the books evolve. Each facility took on a system that worked for them. Most use notebooks to record titles and names of borrowers, while another uses a card system. Our newest school has yet to finalize a system; therefore, students can stay after class if needed and use the books on campus. Time has been set aside for a teacher to stay to supervise. Are these systems like what we might see in our public or school libraries here in the first world? No, but they are extremely functional and more importantly owned and operated by local teachers. Which takes me back to my wondering of how to create programs that are sustainable and include the community at every level; we can give others the chance to be responsible, to own the success and challenges. All of this will naturally bring sustainable change. I feel confident knowing if something happened and TALICA went away, the books would still be in the schools, used, and cared for daily. The information that lies between those pages is priceless. The information that is now there waits for the next reader. This is what I have grown to know: the great equalizer in this world is access to current information. Our work is to bring it.