24th June

On 24th June we received photos and texts from many celebrations at our BRIEs. 24th June is St John’s Day and Farmers’ Day. It’s also – still – a bit like the winter solstice in the Andes.

At the libraries, we don’t usually mark these dates in any special way, because for us every day is Farmers’ Day. Every day we must remember and honour those wonderful people who, through the hard work of their hands, fill our tables and our stomachs. 

But still: I think it’s worth remembering one date: 24 June 1969, when President Juan Velasco Alvarado, as part of the agrarian reform, set out to highlight the dignity and rights of those who work the land.

And so, we join in these celebrations. With all our hearts.

Happy Farmers’ Day, friends and fellow farmers!

Here we share with you some texts and images from the celebrations at our BRIEs:

At the “Víctor Andrés Belaunde” BRIE in Jaén, we held an All’pata paguikun ceremony on Farmers’ Day to give thanks to the land for its generosity, to our mountains, and to our departed loved ones.

An offering from our librarian, Tovías Silva Díaz, at the ‘Antenor Orrego’ Primary School in Jaén, with his pupils.

Kiara, a student and librarian at the BRIE of the University of Education in Jaén, performing the ‘all’pata paguikun’ with her pupils at the Alfonso Arana Vidal Primary School in Las Naranjas, Jaén.

Maricarmen, who is also a student and librarian at the BRIE library at the University of Education in Jaén, is making an offering to the earth in the park in the Bellavista district, together with her students.

At IE Los Ángeles, in José Sabogal, San Marcos, we are very proud to celebrate Farmers’ Day with a reading circle where we learn from the resources in our Farmers’ Library.