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Barbara Hoenselaar is about to return to Guatemala. |
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The mobile library was built with donations and fundraising efforts of the Rotary Clubs in District 5050 which comprises 50 some clubs in NW Washington and SW British Columbia. It is the result of efforts of the Literacy Committee for the District and was done as a Rotary Centennial Project. I serve on the District Literacy Committee. We started planning the project in 2003 and finally inaugurated the library in April of 2006. The mobile library is a converted 1999 Bluebird school bus which we purchased in Guatemala. It was retrofitted, painted and stocked with books in Guatemala. The bus has seats for about 70 Guatemalan-sized kids, a study table, and contains over 2500 books and a video machine. The bus travels on a route around the highlands near Antigua to 12 schools and serves about 5000 children who do not have access to books because their schools don't have libraries. Sometimes parents come to use the bus but it is primarily for the kids. At the present time the books stay on the bus. It is not a lending library. District 5050 is committed to maintaining the bus for a minimum of 3 years with hopes of establishing a fund that will continue to support its maintenance for the life of the bus (generally about 15 years). Maintenance includes gasoline to run the bus, the salary of the driver and the librarian, and a constant resupplying of books. Anyone who may be interested in learning more about this project or donating to this effort should contact me. Anyone interested in learning more about Rotary International, an organization of business and professional leaders who volunteer in their communities and promote world understanding and peace can visit rotary.org, district5050.org, or fidalgorotary.org. People wishing to learn about this program can visit www.Probigua.org - Barbara Hoenselaar |
