(Versión en Español mas abajo) La Lima, a small city in Honduras, is steeped in history. In the 1960s, most of the North Americans from the banana corporations that flourished at the time lived here. The Tela Railroad Company, part of the well-known Chiquita brand, was also based here at the time, and one of … Continue reading “For every 100 students who enroll, most don’t make it to the end”: Bringing books to La Lima, Honduras
Versión en Español mas abajo On a sunny Thursday morning in Honduras, a truck laden with the books and desks rumbled its way up through the Honduran coffee-farming countryside to the rural town of Trinidad. Far too big for the town’s narrow streets, the truck barely made it to the school’s entrance, where the carpenters … Continue reading “Viva la Biblioteca” at Escuela Guadalupe Ulloa
Along the colourful streets of Trinidad, Santa Barbara, just out of the centre, is a small one-story building covered in brightly painted murals. Trinidad’s only kindergarten has just over 100 children, and though resources are limited, the posters and paintings that cover the walls both inside and outside create a warm, friendly atmosphere. Though it … Continue reading Closing the Gap in Early Literacy
A library inauguration party is key to creating a sense of value for the community of this new space. It acts as a celebration of the work they have completed, and creates a sense of anticipation for the opportunities to come. Chispa Project, through whom we have been working to start the Adrian Mejia primary … Continue reading A Celebration of Literacy in El Progreso
(Versión en español abajo) A stack of miniature tortillas, ground beef, carrots, rice and tomatoes are heaped onto child-sized plates. Three mothers busy themselves handing out plates of food to the twenty-something chattering children in the room, sitting in two lines down a long wooden table that splits the room in two. All in their … Continue reading Community Comes Together to Create Nutrition Centre
(Versión en Español abajo) “Why do we read?” In the small, aluminum-roofed classroom, seven pencils scribbled. Chairs scraped on the concrete floor. A fan spun lazily in the corner, ruffling pages. On each desk sat a shiny children’s book, carefully selected from the new library. “Don’t write directly on top of the books - … Continue reading Starting a School Library that Actually Works
Things don’t always go to plan. Each time we begin a new project, we put a great deal of thought into it, but there are always circumstances that one simply cannot predict. This has been the case with our most recent project, the nutrition centre we fund in Talanga, Honduras with our incredible partner organisation … Continue reading Things don’t always go to plan: Nutrition Centre Relocation
We have recently partnered with the Honduran non-profit Manos Que Ayudan Talanga to fund a nutrition centre for children in the town of Talanga, Honduras. This project benefits roughly 20 children every day, who each receive a nutritious meal at the centre. Manos Que Ayudan Talanga is a small organisation founded and run by Carlos … Continue reading Child Nutrition Centre with Manos Que Ayudan Talanga
At the International School of Panama, grade 6 students have been busy over the past term organising a book drive. From logistics to publicity to sorting and storing the books, the project was 100% student led. The students managed to collect a grand total of 438 books, a number well over their goal of 350! … Continue reading Reflections on a Student-run Book Drive at the International School of Panama
For many months now, we have been working with the Honduras-based non-profit Chispa Project to start a library at a public elementary school in the city of El Progreso, Honduras. Due to the chaos that followed the Honduran presidential elections, our plans were delayed somewhat, but we are very excited to have a concrete game … Continue reading El Progreso Library Update: Adrian Mejia School!
educate. 