We celebrate our ‘without counting and four years with books on the earth...’.

 

New proposals

In mid-February we met with the coordinators of the Community Programme for our first training meeting this year. After last year's evaluation, we had proposed some changes to optimise our resources in working with children with projectable capacities in the field.

The methodology of the Community Programme, as we were running it so far, has a high demand for different therapeutic materials for each child because we were trying to provide for each of them according to their own needs. But we realised that it is not possible to continue with this dynamic; that is why we are now providing each coordinator with a stock of their own materials that they can use and lend to any child or family.

In this last meeting, then, we have delivered many and varied therapeutic materials into the hands of our coordinators, who returned, happy and grateful for this supply, to their communities.

How good they smell...

New books smell good. 

The process of producing a book in our Network involves a lot of dedication. We must respond in a way that is relevant to the needs of the readers, especially our brothers and sisters in the communities; the wisdom is passed down from the grandparents and our desire is to make this knowledge transcend.

Today, fresh off the press, two new children of the Network have arrived: Trenzando sombras, who tells us about the art of weaving hats and all that is woven around them, and José María, who tells us about the family and how it articulates with nature. 

Loaded with culture and a great deal of wisdom, these dear children are here to continue touring the different libraries in the communities of Cajamarca.

Rosita, in charge of the exchange centre, happily receives the books from Mr. Roger, in charge of printing.

Thanks to the friends of Heart Links for their contribution to make these reprints possible.

Bad copies

Over the years, the Rural Libraries Network has published, in addition to the series and collections of books with different rescue themes, other publications that are the result of the meticulous research work of our remembered Alfredo Mires.

Such is the case of his artistic representations which he called ‘Ñaupas’, or ‘Ñaupitas’, referring to the most ancient character of our culture. As well as other traces, graphs, icons, taken from the mountains - many times - by hand and fist in the absence of a good camera, as Alfredo himself said. All of them, captured in his books of Iconography, in the Qayaqpuma series and in other valuable printed treasures.

These books, which for us are a sacred legacy, for other people are a wonderful source for copying the work of others. We often find reproductions of these images on clothing, posters - such as the one for Carnival 2024 - to whose promoters we sent a notarised letter that they never answered, only asking them to clarify the origin of the iconography used. We also find Alfredo's drawings on handmade souvenirs offered to tourists - some of them even retain the watermark, characteristic of our digital publications. We also see, from time to time, some prints on carnival costumes.

As a community organisation we do not oppose the use of this wonderful heritage, we only ask that the credits of the artistic author of these representations be respected. That the work and memory of this great man who left his life in every step through the mountains of our peoples be respected.

Farewell Don Antonio!

We received the news that our beloved don Antonio Vílchez Chávez had passed away on 9 February 2025. With these words we would like to pay homage to our friend, to the veteran librarian, to the one who with determination and patience did his voluntary work as coordinator of the José Sabogal Zone in San Marcos.

Antonio Vílchez Chávez joined the Network of Rural Libraries of Cajamarca in 1994, after he met one of the coordinators of the Rural Libraries, who invited him to take part in this voluntary work with books. This is how he described it:

‘I was going to Coyón, and on the way I met Mr. Juan Garay, the coordinator at that time. I asked him what the Libraries were and how they worked. He said to me, ‘We lend books so that the community knows how to read, because some older people know how to read and forget, there are some children who know how to read, they are lent a little book. In your community, could you be a librarian? - So, I told him I was going to think about it, -call me when I think about it-, the next day they sent the request to the house and Don Fidencio, Don Pascualito, Gonzalo left with books. It didn't take long.

(Antonio Vílchez, veterans debate, 2009).

For Don Antonio, being part of the Rural Library Network meant a process of training, self-education and a change in his life:

I first read the books in order to be able to lend them to the community, I carried the books in a little bag and took it to every house, going from house to house, saying: ‘Look at the books so that you can be informed, here are stories, they are made this way’, and so I got readers. And the library educated me one hundred percent. Here in libraries, thank God I stopped drinking, and I'm fighting this way [...] thank God I learned a lot from here and I'm learning.

(Antonio Vílchez, veteran debate, 2009).

Don Antonio will be forever in our hearts and we will follow his teachings, his tenacity, his commitment to rural libraries. Goodbye, Don Antonio!

Nathalia Quintero Castro

Medellín, Colombia

The earth

- What is that little piece of dung doing in infinity,’ asked the God of Order.

- It's my creation,‘ said the God of Love, “I'll call it ”Earth’.

- Wait till you see the people I'm going to put on it...’ thought the God of Madness.

Alfredo Mires

in: El duende del laberinto

My saddlebag

The ‘My Saddlebag’ workshop, shared with some of the coordinators of the Community Programme, was an endearing experience. Starting from the meaning that the saddlebag has for each one of us, feelings and experiences towards it were expressed: a faithful companion that keeps secrets, family memories, gives us identity, balances us and accompanies us in our tasks. ‘Only she knows the good and the bad, our joys and secrets’.

‘If we were a saddlebag’, a personal reflection on the values that each of us has about ourselves, about what we give unselfishly and receive with gratitude. 

Taking care of the caregivers, we breathe consciously, we connect with our body, we play and we become the Moon, the Earth, the Water... and then we dance knowing that we are unique and important for ourselves and for those who accompany us on this path of Life. A paper heart with words that come from the heart. 

Thank you one and all for this unforgettable sharing!

Sara López, Lima

therapist and responsible for this workshop

For ever, Antonio

On 9th February our dear brother Antonio Vílchez Chávez, coordinator of the José Sabogal, San Marcos area, passed away.

Don Antonio was a faithful companion, dedicated to books and a lover of reading who spent whole days walking to visit the more than twenty rural libraries under his care. He organised many reading circles in various places in his homeland and was also a member of the team that rescued the Encyclopaedia Campesina. Many people still remember the meetings and offerings to the land that don Antonio held on behalf of the Rural Libraries Network.

Antonio Vílchez was a teacher, healer and storyteller, librarian and coordinator at heart. It is with great sadness that we bid farewell to a great friend and brother. He will always be in our memory and in our hearts. May he rest in peace.

During the year 2024...

As a coordinator, volunteer and member of the central team of the Cajamarca Rural Libraries Network, during the year 2024 I have taken on different tasks and carried out various coordinations.

I have frequently visited the rural libraries in my sector, I have met with other coordinators in my area for us to support each other and exchange experiences, and I have also been able to visit some libraries in other areas. I have participated in sectoral and zonal meetings in Chota, Cutervo and Contumazá, events that help us to strengthen links with other members of the Network and to understand the joys and difficulties of our work in other places.

My house has been a meeting point and starting point for many volunteers who have had different experiences in the Network. I have made new friends and so far, as a library family, we are in contact with Javier Naranjo, Orlanda Agudelo and Fernando Hoyos from Colombia and Jorge Ventocilla from Panama. Together with them we visited several libraries in rural areas, encouraging reading, librarians and other coordinators.

On my last visit I was very happy to see that my librarian in the community Manantial de los Andes has already formed a group of children with whom he conducts reading circles every Sunday afternoon.

Seeing that these children give themselves to books and reading in these times of technology and virtuality encourages me to continue with my own volunteering in libraries.

Sergio Díaz Estela

Coordinator of the Masintranca sector, Chota

Celebrating the rain

The year 2024 was a year with no rain. As a consequence there were many forest fires affecting our flora, wildlife, domestic grazing animals and also the fields of our farming brothers and sisters. 

Normally we were used to the first rains arriving in the month of October, to sow the corn, but the summer continued. The first days of December the first dark grey clouds appeared, signalling the arrival of rain, so longed for by all of us, generating hope for our crops and animals.

In the middle of December the first rains began to fall, which was an immense joy for all of us, since rain means LIFE for us; rain is a time when there is production of all our crops, the pastures for the animals grow and we are no longer carrying water from far away places for the consumption of us and our animals.

In honour and gratitude to the gods for giving us the agüita, community men and women from the various communities, readers of rural libraries, we make our little offering to our mother earth, as the source of life that feeds and shelters us, to our sacred mountains, the apus, for keeping the agüita in their womb for times of drought and in memory of our deceased for their honour, passion, strength, wisdom and their mystical spiritual faith with mother nature. 

Now it is time to sow seeds, words and knowledge by reading our books after a little offering to the Pachamama.

Javier Huaman Lara

General Coordinator

Sandra writes about Libraries

A few days ago, Sandra Rodríguez Castañeda, anthropologist and friend of Bibliotecas Rurales, sent us some copies of the magazine Lectura. In the first edition of this magazine, December 2024, there is an article that Sandra wrote -from her experience and her heart- about the Network. 

The article is entitled Domesticating the Word, Recreating Utopia and refers to Sandra's opinion and vision of our organisation and the lessons she learned in her conversations with Alfredo Mires - such as ‘getting to know oneself’. But Sandra's article is also an attempt to narrate the history of Bibliotecas Rurales: our beginnings, our concepts and our conception, our wanderings and growths, our stumbles and challenges, our dreams and visions, what we are and what we want to continue to be.

In an affectionate way, Sandra reminds us of Alfredo and the things he taught us over the years. She says: ‘Because after so many years, Alfredo continues to be an interlocutor in my head and the work of Rural Libraries a reference for me’. 

It is the same for us, dear Sandra.

Thank you for your clarity, for your reflections and for this tribute.

Learning...

We started 2025 by returning to work in the Exchange Centre of the Network, after a few days off for Christmas and New Year.

As is well known in this area, we always need the support of helping hands to carry out some tasks in the Exchange Centre, the operational area of the Network. One of the tasks is to count, order and place the books produced by the Network into boxes to preserve their good condition, which are ordered and placed on the shelves, according to the themes.

On this occasion we had the valuable support of Don Javier Huamán Lara, General Coordinator of the Network, who very enthusiastically offered to support us in this task that greatly benefits the work of the Network in rural areas.

We are extremely grateful to him for taking the initiative to get involved, learn and support the work of the Exchange Centre.

Idylls

The reflection of the moon

in a wet petal

the first honey of the day

of a hummingbird in love.

A drop of dew

the wing of a beetle

the top of the mountain

looking up at her from below.

That's you and by far

the most beautiful inspiration

the dream of desires

the most precious smile.

The gleam of a tender eye

a ray of sunshine singing

the echo of a faithful sigh

a thread of you shining.

The smell of the earth

after the first downpour

and a cartridge of lily

toasting with a shooting star.

The ledge of a rock

to climb the mountain

a clean space

in the middle of the tangle.

Alfredo Mires Ortiz

in: Resuellos

Idilios

El reflejo de la luna
en un pétalo mojado
la primera miel del día
de un colibrí enamorado.

Una gota de rocío
el ala de un escarabajo
la cima de la montaña
mirándola desde abajo.

Eso eres vos y de lejos
la inspiración más hermosa
el sueño de los deseos
la sonrisa más preciosa.

El brillo de un ojo tierno
un rayo de sol cantando
el eco de un fiel suspiro
un hilo de voz brillando.

El olor de la tierrita
tras el primer aguacero
y un cartucho de azucena
brindando con un lucero.

El saliente de una roca
para trepar la montaña
un espacio limpiecito
en medio de la maraña.

Alfredo Mires Ortiz
en: Resuellos

Our own

At the beginning of the 1980s, Alfredo Mires and his team began to rescue the oral tradition of Cajamarca, a collection of the great wisdom of our grandparents. Since then, the Rural Libraries not only promote reading but also produce their own books which we proudly call 'Los Nuestros' (Our own) - those that speak of our roots, that take us back to past times but that also make us value the present and tell us that we are important, that we know something and that we must continue learning. Most importantly they make us reflect on the care of nature, because everything has life, everything has a reason for being.

So, with the best spirit and learning a little at a time, we continue with this legacy, and now we are reediting our books of the Encyclopaedia Campesina; we already have again Dios Cajacho, Seres del más acá, Tintes y tejidos, Nuestras herramientas, Música maestro, Todos los tiempos, Trenzando sombras, José María and soon the Hombres de Kishuar. Los Nuestros will continue to tell, will continue to teach. We will continue to enliven the memory of our peoples.

Our gratitude to those who supported the rescue, and now to those who are working hard on the editing, revision and printing.

Shaki and her little ones

In the middle of June, we rescued Shakira, one of our dear cats who is now looking after the house, and we named her Shakira in honour of a great friend of Bibliotecas who helped with the rescue and took care of her when she arrived home.

Today Shakira is already a mother, always looking after her children, and her children are very affectionate and grateful to her.

They say that cats protect homes from bad energies, but we also know that they teach us life lessons. And, today Shakira and her little ones confirm it, they are teaching us day by day the importance of protection, of being attentive to any problem or need of the other.

Welcome little ones, great protectors.

The right to hope

At the beginning of this month, all the members of the core team of the Network met to plan the activities we intend to carry out this year.

We have an extensive calendar: team meetings, training meetings, general assemblies, sectoral meetings, coordination trips, publication of books, workshops and tinkus, visits of some volunteers... in short, we have an extensive calendar. And, looking at the dates, we realise that the whole year is full of activities.

Will we be able to do everything we have set out to do? In truth, we haven't asked ourselves the question and we don't have the answer either; but we are excited to know that we are willing to do it, we will join forces and we will ‘lend’ time if necessary.

We sit down to plan with enthusiasm, good spirits and a lot of hope. That is our right.

Christmas

Dear readers of our blog,

In these times, in our family we always remember a letter that Alfredo gave us ten years ago. Although we have read it many times, it still touches our soul. That is why we want to share it with you today.

Alfredo sent this letter also to his friends. However, it is still a personal letter. Surely, from where he is now, Alfredo allows us to share his thoughts and words with you. But we are equally sure that he would like you to mention his authorship if, at some point, you are going to use this text. It would be only fair.

Best wishes and hugs for the new year.

Rita Mocker and family.

Quindewach'anan, Cajamarca, December 24th

Very dear ones:

Once again for Christmas, the trees in the Plaza de Armas in Cajamarca have been lined with metallic paper, in blue, red, silver and gold colours (each sheet is not cheap and they have used a lot). Others have been covered with imitation snow on their foliage, and have been hung with little bells, flashing lights, boxes of panettone and presents lined with paper filled with teddy bears and sleighs, little angels and little houses with chimneys in the middle of a European winter.

I just walked by and imagined myself dressed as a bullfighter in Hawaii: these little trees are going to sweat it out for at least a month thanks to the decorative inspirations of the local authorities.

I had to ask myself - once again - if there is another holiday like Christmas that has become so spiritually drained and so ridiculous.

Let me explain: this is a festival commemorating a birth. The word comes from the medieval Latin nativitatem, which is an accusative of nativitas, ‘birth’. So it is not a question of piñata because it is not celebrating a birthday but the fact of being born.

What is Christmas apart from a long holiday? This unhealthy bombardment of saviour carols and shopping therapy of collective brutalisation rekindles in me every year-end the indigestion of a farce that gets worse and worse.

I know the wonder and risk of childbirth.

In addition to the cases that I have witnessed and assisted in rural communities, I attended the birth of my son Rumi at home with an old midwife who knew her job very well. A few years later we were together again to attend Mara's birth, although the elder had already forgotten her scissors and wanted to engage in great controversies with me about safety in modern times, while Rita could no longer bear the pains of childbirth.

While Rumi did somersaults to stay in the extraordinary world of the womb, Mara was born with two turns of the umbilical cord around her neck: we come into the world covered in blood and suffocation, exposed to the light and the challenge of orientating ourselves or dying.

I can't help but wonder what Maria's birth must have been like.

The sister must have been a little girl (nothing like the immovable woman painted on the holy cards). There wouldn't have been the obedient donkey behind the stable gate, nor the contemplative cow, nor the meek little sheep keeping pious silence. That place must have been full of carcasses and sandy piss.

The sweaty, unbathed fathers, tense from persecution and hunger, would they have had a passable rag to clean the bloody fats from the birth, would someone have brought them some hot water, would Joseph have had a candle to light himself and would someone have helped him to keep the flies away?

As I also do carpentry work, I know what it's like to blister your hands with the saw and to cut your nails with the hammer. I know what it's like to peel your skin with the chisel and to slice yourself gracefully with the rasp. So José, engaged in a slightly different profession to that of a registered nurse, probably without an apron and without the minimum aseptic conditions that are recommended (especially if the child to be born is the son of God), must have outdone himself with his calloused and glued hands to cut the umbilical cord and give courage to the woman in labour.

Would there have been someone - in the midst of that squalor - to prepare a little broth for the newborn to replenish some of their strength, would her breasts have had milk, would there have been enough room with unrubbed straw, a blanket to wrap the baby in, would he have been cold?

The Father of this companion is brave enough to put him to the test like this, from the beginning, with so much care. And quite fresh, moreover, to charge the bill to the intermediary father.

Jesus was able to live after he was born, probably because of that incredible capacity of the poor to adapt to the threats of death. Because, given the conditions, it doesn't seem to me that God would have been too careful not to attack him with tetanus or fulminant bronchopneumonia.

I'm probably going to be a spoilsport, but this Christmas thing we're celebrating is nothing like the birth of the Carpenter's Son. That silly image of a pink baby on clean straw in a dazzling little box is uncookable; that trite representation of Mary overdressed and immaculate is unfair; and that bland portrayal of Don Pepe (the Josephs are called Pepe for Pater Putativus, PP for short, ‘considered or held as father’), as a useless old man, incapable of doing anything with his wife, is opprobrious.

Nor is the appearance of the three wise men as they are presented to us swallowable (hopefully, being wise, they had the sense to bring something edible besides gold, frankincense and myrrh). And, if they arrived at the famous manger late at night, the shepherds must have been pretty grimy and tired after having herded piles of other people's goats in the middle of sandy fields without the comfort of water.

Thus, the Christmas films in which all the Jews of that time are dressed in spotlessly clean robes are not to be thankful for. The snow-filled cards for the arid deserts of Palestine are pure mockery. What do the fluffy chocolate bars and the mutilated pine trees covered with garlands, red balls, stars and frost have to do with the child born in the midst of misery and destined to give himself to his people?

Shall we toast to the Master whose old man was immutable and did not take away from him the terrible drink that was coming his way (‘Father, if it were possible, take this cup away from me’) or shall we toast to the fat jojorojo (RedHoHo) dressed in the colours of Coca-Cola? Will it be good to remember human misery amidst the lights going on and off (with Iraqi oil, Bush family investments, etc.), sharpening our ears amidst the (unbearable) electronic Silent Nights, the unholy toys, the binge offers, the Merry Christmas, the reindeer and the ‘The Saviour is born!’ sermons?

Will we remember you, brother?

Tonight I'll eat turkey and drink champagne. We'll say to the Son of Man: Come on home, brother, we love you here.

Let's drink a toast to the good fight together.

Perhaps your mother told you how you were able to turn natural death around from the beginning; how you could not escape from the bastards who murdered you, from the traitors who sold you out, from the empire that took your hand, from the hierarchs who insulted you, and from the friends who denied you when the chips were down.

And we will also talk about those who loved you. You were always a party-goer after all (it was great to turn 600 litres of water into 600 litres of wine!)

While we toast, thousands of other hungry and rebellious people will have been born, without any advent promise but with enough guarantees of crucifixion.

We may not be able to change the world, but we will not allow the system to turn us into its rams either.

A hug,

Alfredo Mires Ortiz.