Interview

On 18th September, the first program was broadcast ofRadiolibros (Radiobooks), on Radio Nacional del Perú (National Radio of Peru). For this occasion they interviewed our brother Alfredo Mires Ortiz about the experience and work of our Network.

Here the interview link (which starts about halfway through the program):

http://www.radionacional.com.pe/audios/radiolibros/radiolibros-ya-esta-en-el-aire 

In Catache

At the end of September we traveled to Catache, in the province of Santa Cruz. There we met with teachers, students, authorities and parents interested in learning about our Rural Libraries.

The participants of the meeting - at the San Agustín de Catache Educational Institution - watched, listened and spoke: they were the creators of a moment in which sensitivities sprang up and projections flourished.

How is it possible to forget the words of a communal authority when he said that, in his 72 years of life, he had never heard a proposal like ours. Or the words of one of the young teachers, recognizing with joy the fact of being a peasant and to be proud of the dignified and firm references of the agricultural tradition. How is it possible to forget the reflective and attentive look of all the participants and the words of our brother Alfredo saying that reading is a developer of the mind, that reading is a frank passion and that the book is a source in which we can see ourselves ...

The participants, in communion, wove with words the possible encounters, the possible community and educational links; they laid out the haystack of joint projects where books, readings, stories, traditions, the Andean world and a future reading plan can open up vibrant and generous paths where we will most surely walk together.

Coming alive in Santa Cruz

Memories of the roads traveled at the end of September, previous conversations, rock art sanctuaries to be visited and the exuberant sacred and planetary geography united with the immense and warm presence of the people of the community of Poroporo, in the district of Catache, Cajamarcan province of Santa Cruz.

In all these years, we had never been an institution in Santa Cruz: so we traveled there after much coordination by telephone and correspondence with Prof. Luis Calderón, who also acted as our gracious guide.

Our brother Alfredo, to the rhythm of some stories collected in the communities of Cajamarca and published by the Network, demonstrated how the voices of the community members extend from province to province, from family to family, from heart beat to heart beat through the extensive territory of Cajamarca. Alfredo exalted the treasure that is being a farmer: to cultivate and to read the earth, to live in community; he explained how it is to work as volunteers, with books, readings and rescue of the traditions of our peasant communities and the ways of doing it.

Many interested eyes and hearts, enthused, showed that they wanted to have the books in their hands. Many voices told how many stories they have to relate, how many meetings are left to go forward.

The community assembly decided to form its Rural library.

After delivering the batch of books and choosing their librarian, the community of Poroporo integrated into this desire to read and be read, to write and be heard, to meet letters, conversations and presences.

We welcome teacher Gabriel Paz, the new librarian, and the entire community of Poroporo. It is an immense joy that they are part of this family of the Network of Rural Libraries of Cajamarca and that together we start this walk, this journey, this communal beat.

In the communities of Socota

At the beginning of September our sister Rita Mocker travelled to Sócota, in the province of Cutervo, to visit the Community Program Coordinators in the area, accompanied by Ilse, a visitor, and Hannah, a volunteer for the Network. The green of the mountains and the song of the river welcomed us to this pleasant village.

In the house of Abel we had a meeting with the parents and children in his charge. The mothers had made a great effort to come, they were animated and in a good mood. Rita talked with each mother and child to see how they were doing and whether to start some other therapy or support them in some other way. Coordinator Nadia also came and attended the meeting: we were very impressed with the effort that the coordinators and the families of the children are making. And we very much regret the death of one of the children: we think a lot about his mother and all his family.

The next day we left early to the town of San Luis de Lucuma, and with Abel we visited some children in the village of Chilac. In the afternoon we met in San Luis de Lucma with the coordinator Luz Nelva and the children she attends. Rita talked to each child and their mom or dad and showed them some exercises and foot and face massage.

The last day of our stay we visited the coordinator Angela in the town of Huarrago. Arriving, Angela introduced us to the teacher and her daughter Aldana's classroom, and the girl Fiorela who is also in the Community Program. The two girls, attending classes every day, were attentive to the teacher's instruction, and had become good friends with their classmates, thanks to the efforts of Angela and the teacher. During the meeting at Angela's house, we met all the children in her care, as well as their fathers and mothers.

For lunch the adults cooked, while with the children chopped fruits to make a salad. For dessert, Ilse prepared a quinoa mazamorra with fruit salad that we all liked! To end the meeting, Ilse gave a short presentation on nutrition, explaining what we can eat to feed ourselves. Quinoa, an ancestral grain native to the Andean highlands, has a nutritional value that can not be compared to any other grain. In addition to being good to eat, it is easy to plant, so everyone should leave a little space on their farm to grow their quinua. We give our sincere thanks to those who voluntarily support the Community Program and who accompany us in our work!

Upon returning to Cajamarca on Thursday, we said goodbye to the coordinators, the children and their families, and the beautiful valley of Sócota, with a heart full of good cheer.

A new encounter

The last training encounter of the Community Program for this year was carried out during the first weekend of September. Unfortunately, for various reasons, not all coordinators could participate in this event. We know that they are the first to regret his absence, since our meetings are not only to learn and share, but above all to meet in family.

After this shared weekend we received a very pleasant and kind mail from our Colombian sister Nathalia Quintero who participated actively during this meeting. Here we share her words with you:

“I would like to congratulate you on the Encounter; the proposed agenda was excellent and its development orderly, illustrative and essential for the attendees. Infinite thanks for all your teachings, your immense wisdom, generosity and clarity to illustrate essential themes for the 'healing' coordinators of the program. They are very important subjects for anyone - how much I learned listening to you!

With all my admiration and affection.

Strong hugs!"

Thank you, Nathalia, for encouraging and accompanying our way.

Pascual

The road from Cajamarca to Chuco, in the province of San Marcos, took us about three hours; then we arrived with Alfredo to the house of Juana and Pascual Sánchez. The journey was full of enthusiasm and green tones, mountains, seeds, evergreens and hummingbirds.

When we arrived, after greeting Juana, we went to look for Pascual on the farm. In the distance we saw his thin silhouette and his San Marcan hat: he collected the wheat in the company of his son Manuel, coordinator and librarian.

His steps slow but steady, his head lowering to watch his steps and then rising to direct his eyes towards us, with that generous smile of welcome.

It was great to see the kind and wise Pascual again. In those moments it is not easy to contain the emotion, sealed with the genuine and affectionate greeting of Pascual. It is moving to see two great people embrace with everlasting affection, to see together the two veterans of this movement of books, communities, reading circles and families. It makes you want to continue reading, to be a farmer, to be a librarian and travel the countryside of Cajamarca again and again.

We went to the house and the magic continued. Pascual told us about his link with books, with reading, with knowledge. His father went regularly to the pharmacy, not to buy medicines, but to buy books that were sold there, books to take home. Hence he and his brothers had provisions for the soul. He told us that among his readings are books such as 'The Pillars of the Earth', the Bible, History of Ancient Rome and 'The Story of Charlemagne', among others.

With great historical solvency, Pascual told us the names and histories of several Lombard kings and Carolingians of medieval European times. He also explained to us the process of sowing wheat, potatoes, lentils, beans, alfalfa and many other crops that the earth offers us; he reiterated that he does not sell what springs from her, because they are gifts that are to be served in the family's food, to share with his neighbors and his community.

Then a rich lunch enlivened by the sonorous rhythm of Pascual's voice: life stories, experiences, deep and present reflections and much, much wisdom.

Thank you Pascual, thank you Alfredo, thank you to the community members of the Network for being, existing and persisting!

Welcome Hannah

Since the end of August Hannah Parschat has been accompanying us in the core team of the Rural Libraries Network.

Hannah is multicultural: of German parents, she was born in Holland; a few months later she moved with her family to Norway where she grew up on a small island, connected to the land and community. She is now studying in Canada and volunteers with us here in Peru.

Hannah's volunteering is also part of her studies in Linguistics and Anthropology. And Hannah is always present with a positive attitude, simplicity, criticality and frankness.

"Getting to know the Network of Rural Libraries has been an experience beyond anything I could ever have imagined," says Hannah. “The little that I know so far has entered my heart directly, and not even the forgetting of time can draw it from my memory. Especially Alfredo, Rita, Rumi, Mara, Nathalia, Karina, Lola and the rest of the central team, besides the coordinators and members of the Network that I have been fortunate to meet, have received me with so much friendship and affection, with a altruism that can not be explained by the knowledge of the sciences.

What is the most amazing about the Network, so far? For me, it's definitely the volunteer and community effort you make here. In addition to the hard work of the farms and other jobs, they are dedicating themselves to cultivating this land that is the Network, planting as seeds their wisdom and their history, thus sowing their culture to sustain those who come. I am speechless because of your conviction, your efforts, your goals and visions, and the incredible people I have known so far.

When I arrived in Cajamarca, I felt the kisses of her sun, the caresses of her air, the freshness of her water, and the strength of her land. It is something very special, and I thank you with all my heart for the effort you make in the Network of Rural Libraries of Cajamarca to protect your culture and our land.

Thank you very much for having received me and included in your community."

Welcome Hannah!