4.5 Eliminate all discrimination in education.
4.6 Universal literacy and numeracy.
4.7 Education for sustainable development and global citizenship.
With travel restrictions lifted in mid-2021, the Rural Library Network again took up its work to update and reprint its 20-volume Enciclopedia Campesina. The collection, which gathers stories and knowledge from across the mountainous region surrounding the town of Cajamarca, is the cornerstone of the network’s literacy program.
Rural librarians keep the books in their homes both to lend to community members and to use to lead reading circles. The network also distributes to a growing number of school libraries. During COVID-19 lockdowns, small family libraries were developed as another way to reach readers and encourage reading.
The revised edition includes new stories and knowledge drawn from communities that have joined the network since the last edition was published. This project financed the production of volumes 5 through 9. Five hundred copies of each title were then distributed to nearly 400 remote rural libraries and 20 schools. A new initiative encourages young readers to read aloud to elders, who are often illiterate. At the same time elders are invited to share their wisdom with children and youth at the different schools and libraries where the Rural Library Network is active.
Heart-Links is grateful to Strathroy Rotary for their support of this project.