Member of Honour

The prestigious Argentine Pre-Columbian Research Center (CIP) is a non-profit organization that was created with the purpose of promoting and protecting cultural heritage.

Due to his long career in cultural research, our General Coordinator, Alfredo Mires Ortiz, received at the beginning of November ‒ in the framework of the XVI Argentine-Peruvian Binational Colloquium‒  honorary membership of the CIP.

We are very grateful for this unexpected recognition and, from the Rural Libraries Network, we want to congratulate Alfredo for this merit.

'Dios Cajacho' and 'The beings of over here'

We welcome the new edition of Volume 1, Dios Cajacho, and Volume 2, Los seres del más acá, from the Peasant Library.

The first is in relation to the narrations about the saints, apparitions and miracles of the Cajamarcan Oral Tradition, where our faith and our religiosity are embodied.

In the book 'The beings of over here', the life of what is commonly called "beings from beyond" is recounted; what is shown is that they are very close to us, from souls and goblins to apparitions and charms.

In these new editions of the Rural Libraries Network, stories from the provinces of Jaén, Cutervo and San Ignacio have been added, as well as stories from other characters.

Welcome reading!

CV of Alfredo Mires

A few weeks ago, an institution requested the curriculum vitae of our brother Alfredo Mires. Thus, we had to review this document where the main studies and activities that he has developed throughout all these years are indicated. However, seeing that this document is usually very precise and does not contemplate all the characteristics and qualities of a person, we decided to send his biography first, which indicates with more fidelity what Alfredo does, writes, studies, what and to whom he is dedicated, among other aspects. And even at that, there is much of his life that we have not managed to make known, not even with all our efforts, that is why I allow myself this note.

Alfredo is addicted to his family, and they are one, in their home life and at work, almost everything they do they do together, as a true community of volunteers.

And in the family of the Rural Libraries Network this same spirit is transmitted: we must all have the same objectives, make a single effort, journey together wherever we have to go.

Alfredo teaches us to read not only books: he teaches us to read nature, time, gestures, everything that surrounds us, even if it is hard for us to learn.

He teaches us to write, to organize ideas, to express ourselves in the most authentic way possible; to leave traces, as he himself says, of our own essence.

He has many qualities: he is demanding in order and cleanliness, because without these two aspects it is impossible to organize.

He is humble and careful in his expressions towards others, but is clear in what he has to say. And he is very creative, innovative: he plays with words with enviable ease, and turns physical spaces into incredibly beautiful and well-used places.

He has many qualities and feelings that would not be listed in his CV or his biography.

Today I just want to highlight a characteristic that, we all know, also has always characterized him and, in this time, is being noticed with more intensity than ever: he is a great fighter and does not give up. We know that he is going through a delicate state of health, but he continues creating and working, celebrating each achievement of the Network and worrying about difficult situations, forgetting that now his priority is himself.

Alfredo, on behalf of all your family and ayllu of the network, we want to thank you for that extensive CV that is not written, but that we all know and feel. We want to tell you that we admire your strength and we are with you. We want to thank you for your existence and the example of not giving up.

Thank you brother for keeping going, for showing us that there is still a lot to walk.

Lola Paredes

II Book Fair in Jaén

Jaén reading, the bicentennial is the motto of the II Jaén Book Fair that took place from 18th to 29th of November.

The Cajamarca Rural Libraries Network has a Library at the “Víctor Andrés Belaúnde” Higher Institute, in Jaén, which was formed at the initiative of Teacher Sara Moreno. Sara is one of the pillars of the Network and she works with great affection and dedication, transmitting the knowledge of reading and its values ​​in relation to the Andean oral tradition. Many students, especially from the Social Sciences career, enjoy the support, accompaniment and training of Sara Moreno and participate in various activities and initiatives that she promotes.

So it is not surprising that Sara and these students were also present at the Book Fair. On Sunday, 21st November, they presented the experience of Rural Libraries of Cajamarca within the framework of the activities programmed at this fair and, throughout the fair, they were presenting our books.

The teacher writes us:

"Our beloved core team,

To share that we had the honour of presenting our beautiful Network for the first time in Jaén. It was a very beautiful morning, we made a little offering to the earth, then we shared our feelings and thoughts about the experience of reading, the network and books.

A teacher is very interested in Rural Libraries in Educational Institutions for Yanuyaco and Sallique. We sold seven books, we hope that in the course of the week we will improve.

Big hugs".

Thank you teacher Sara, Elizabeth Olano, teachers, students and friends, for your work and help, but above all for being part of our family.

Here we are

They wanted to cancel us yet here we are, despite our regrets, walking on the path with a firm step and with enthusiasm; proud of our roots, adapting to the new times, without neglecting our essence.

We still are; we are earth, we are water, we are the air we breathe; descendants of wise men, workers, fighters and, above all, respectful of everything that exists.

Here we are in the Rural Libraries Network, together because that way we are stronger; thanking our mother earth, giving her our appreciation for everything she gives us: the rich potatoes, the ollucos, the ocas, the mashuas, the good wheat, the barley, the corn, the lucmas, the tunas, the custard apples, the blackberries, pushgay, aguaymanto and many other products that remain to be mentioned. We also thank you for being the source of life for guinea pigs, partridges, vizcachas, hummingbirds and more. We thank our apus (sacred mountains) for protecting us from droughts, for acclimating our environment, for brightening the landscape; and we thank our deceased, for being a presence, for always accompanying us.

We are here to share this joy with those who are coming.

1971-2021: Tribute to our Network —11

Our Network has been a home and a place of permanence, a space for learning and a school; with her we have grown in courage and drive, in affection and perseverance. We have remembered our roots, our peasant and community existence. We have known that we are here and we continue on this path with conviction and with the books in the earth.

Tribute to courage and drive —11

A tribute to many fellow coordinators and librarians who continue their efforts in this journey of the Cajamarca Rural Libraries Network, from different areas and communities. From Cutervo, in San Andrés: Mario Sánchez; in Churumayo: Eusebio Silva; in San Juan: Aníbal Segura and Jorge Carrasco. From Celendín: Santos Rodríguez. From the Chota area, in Pión: Custodio Tello; in Cutaxi: Silverio Herrera and in Chalamarca: Rigoberto Vásquez. From the Hualgayoc area, in Ahijadero: Lino Gálvez; in Chala: Víctor Carranza, and in Pújupe: Antero Vásquez.

To them the affection and full recognition!

New spirits, new books, new journeys

Despite the pandemic changing our daily lives, the tasks of the Rural Libraries Network have been recovering their rhythm little by little. New actions and processes have been advanced, new books and new spirits accompany us in this stage - characterized, according to our brother Alfredo Mires Ortiz, by "purges and reinventions, cleanses and purifications."

The Network has several Rural Family Libraries (BR in FA), a new type of library that emerged from the context of the pandemic and that, today, strongly contributes to the fact that books are finding readers in their own homes. The books, the encounters to read are close, very close.

We have been asked for new Rural Libraries in an Educational Institution (BRIE), as is the case of the library in the educational institution of San Pedro, in Chiclayo, coordinated by Professor Marino Torres. We welcome him and his students to this library family.

The books "El campesino y la tierra", by our Contumazá community member Marcos Florián Alcántara, and "El puma al acecho" written by Alfredo Mires Ortiz and Miguel Garnett are now available for exchange.

We thank Francis Bazán and Mauricio Pérez, who gave us a hand in preparing these materials for the rural areas.

Some coordinators have come to Cajamarca, to the Central Office, to bring their already read books and take others, which will circulate among the communities. This movement of books encourages us, the exchange of books as seeds is an essential bastion in the conception of our Network.

We know that our library families continue to read, in addition to developing their work on the farm. They make their offerings to the land, take care of their fields and crops and continue their efforts as volunteers and community members of the Network.

It is very pleasant to meet together despite these times; recognize ourselves as great family of friends, brothers and sisters.

Coming together again

At the beginning of November - when there were not so many new cases of coronavirus here - we had the first face-to-face meeting with the coordinators of the Community Program for the accompaniment of children with projected capacities, after almost two years.

The Community Program at this time has nine peasant coordinators. Two of them could not attend this meeting and, as we were so few and we are all vaccinated, we were able to meet in the Hatun Wasi, the large salon of Rural Libraries, with the windows and doors open. We had also moved the dining room to the open space of the garage so that we could be more comfortable and safe during meals.

It was a truly moving encounter, with deep and enriching feelings at the same time. Being able to speak directly, see each other and share again has done us all very good.

We received and exchanged many experiences, we kept up to date with the achievements and progress of the project and of the children and we confirmed the importance of the work of our volunteers - without the Community Program, children with disabilities in rural communities would have been abandoned throughout the entire pandemic.

Thanks to this team of really great people!

Thank you for your presence, your continuous volunteer work, your dedication and love for the children and families of the Program.