Library Support in the Cooperative of Nuevo Horizonte

    Background:

      Nuevo Horizonte is a cooperative that was initiated ten years ago by ex-combatants following the signing of the Peace Accords in 1996. It was born of the determination of about a hundred people who wished to continue to work together to build a future oriented to the principles of social justice. Today, 400 people, the majority of whom are under the age of 15 years, are involved with initiatives that embody development at the social, political, and community level. With fish-farming, agricultural, reforesting and ecotourism projects, the cooperative embodies the vitality of its members and the hopes of an entire people. Integral to the future of the cooperative of Nuevo Horizonte and to Guatemala as a whole, is literacy and education. Within the first year of arrival, community members had built a daycare centre, primary school, and more recently, a community centre and library. Most recently they have completed construction the high school and classes are about to begin in their new site. People in the community are very excited. And their reasoning is obvious! To date globally literacy has meant poverty. Ample statistics demonstrate that people who can’t read earn less. We also know that illiterate girls begin bearing children earlier in life and children born to illiterate mothers in the developing world have a lower chance of survival. Illiteracy is linked to poor heath, higher incarceration rates and low self-esteem. And in Guatemala these facts are visible everyday despite the Peace Accords as Guatemala has one of the highest illiteracy rates in Latin America. There are few books in Guatemala and even fewer libraries. On average, Guatemalan children attend only three years of school. Depending on whose stats you read, as many as 75% of the indigenous population cannot read or write. Child labour is common with one out of five children, ages 7-14, working 30+ hours a week. Library support is critical to sustainable community development. Every book makes a difference in a child’s life as each of you know.

        For more information, please contact: Mary Ann Morris, RN, MScN Instructor, Nursing Program Selkirk College mmorris@selkirk.ca