Wanderings in Cuntumazá

"Colladar mountain announces rains: the apu has put on a cap," said Alfredo. They are the signs that nature in her fullness- by the roads towards Contumazá - showed us. We could say that this province, besides being "Land of intellectuals and good wheat", as announces a huge poster at the entrance of the town, is land of librarians and community members, as the movement of books, readings and conversations daily encourage families from Cuntumazá. And the encounters had heart and feeling.

With the family of Ramiro Yglesias, coordinator of the area, Doña Isabel, her son Javier and the pleasant company of Roque Florián, veteran coordinator of the sector La Cocha, we learned the meaning of the word Community, how this way of land tenure works, the difficulties and the organizational strategies.

With Andres Léon, another of the network's veteran librarians, we had an interview to recall the beginnings, his recollections of Father John Medcalf and Alfredo Mires ("When he was a little one" he told us).

With Marcos Florián, librarian of Taya El Colal, we also had a memorable encounter. He, with enthusiasm, showed his rescue book full of letters, memories, wisdom and simplicity; the words, drawings and peasant knowledge made available to be published, to share and enliven our voices.

Contumazá is really a province of immense community members; they, with the books, the readings and the writings of their own traditions, have made of the Network of Rural Libraries an exemplary experience for all this family.