Reading Circles

The reading circles that the coordinators and librarians carry out in their provinces, constitute one of those rich moments of encounter that inspires reading, learning and teaching in community. It is a meeting to read and encourage reflection and criticism of a book, a fragment, an article, a poster or other material that is selected according to the questions and concerns of the communities themselves. A group of three or four people already makes up a reading circle: they can be boys or girls, young people, adults, men, women or everyone together; It depends on each zone, on the appropriate time so as not to interfere in agricultural tasks, and on the spirit that each librarian, coordinator or community inspires. Finally, reading is what brings us together.

From Cajabamba, in Condorcucho our sister Laura Palacios and in the sector of Araqueda, animated by our coordinator Jacinto Aguilar, carry out their meetings with reading and the offering to the land. In Cajamarca, in the sector of Jesus, Marcial Rumay; Santos Rodríguez, from Cortegana, in Celendín; Donaida Guevara, from Masintranca, and Rigoberto Vásquez, from Chalamarca, in Chota. In Contumazá, Ramiro Yglesias does not stop organising several reading circles; in Cutervo, our brothers Camilo Quiroz, in La Congona sector; César Eladio Burga, in La Ramada; Jorge Carrasco, in the sector of San Juan, conducts reading circles with adults and children.

In Bambamarca, Hualgayoc, our librarians Lino Gálvez in the sector of Ahijadero; Antero Vásquez, in Pújupe; Víctor Carranza, in the Chala sector. For the sector of San Isidro, in San Marcos, Antonio Vilchez performs monthly reading circles and always with the offering to the land. And, in Huamachuco, in the province of La Libertad, Rocío Altamirano encourages shared reading with children, with people who have migrated from different provinces and with people who cannot read: in this case, children are the teachers. In this way, also, reading is encouraged with children who have not yet learned to read but are listening readers, another way of reading in the countryside,

Many of the books used in the reading circles are from the Los nuestros collection, editions that reflect the Andean traditions and memory of the Cajamarcan campesinos, and which continues to be the commitment of our Network of Rural Libraries of Cajamarca. The books written by our brother and co-founder of the Network, Alfredo Mires Ortiz, are also read often, such as "Resuellos", "El hombre que curaba", "El Duende del Laberinto", among many others.

The rural librarians encourage and enthusiastically give to these meetings on reading, to remember that we are not alone, that we are still here, and that the communities of Cajamarca are still alive through their stories, through their immense wisdom.