Offering

There are many lessons offered by the Rural Library Network of Cajamarca; among many of them is the process of knowing, recognizing and feeling the important meaning of the Apus, the sacred mountains, the tutelary hills, the heights of our Andes that give messages of reverence and strength, of religiosity and respect. 

Only invading, ignorant, predatory and mercantilist minds had and have the impudence to disrespect and defile the great Apus, full of ‘Gentiles’ and guardians, full of wombs and radiance; plants, springs, paintings, heart and soul. Everything lives and is alive in the Apu, all is surrendered and fortified: everything in the Apu takes us to the root and to the sky, to the depths and to the mystery.

It is not in vain that the library family of the Network constantly makes offerings, through the ceremony All’pata paguikun or offering to the earth, veneration and affection for the Apus, the earth and our deceased.

Because all is life, "the whole world is a sanctuary."

Tinku of Prehistory

Many years ago, the Andean Prehistory Studies Group (GEPA), founded and directed by our brother Alfredo Mires, began to take shape in the Rural Libraries Network. Thanks to their efforts, extraordinary information from our ancestors has been collected, researched and processed, which makes us proud of who we are and helps us refine ourselves into what we want to be.

The enthusiasm and perseverance of Alfredo, the interest in searching for our roots and knowing the legacy of our peoples, has made it possible for the second stage of this process to begin to germinate, with a team of thirty invited participants that met to develop workshops and study Cajamarca's Prehistory and Culture.

Thank you, Alfredo, for sharing your experience, for making these inter-learning and rediscovery spaces possible. Nothing is finished, we have not learned everything: we have to continue learning and unlearning.

Congratulations to all for your participation!

“A real career”

With almost 50 years behind us, in the Rural Libraries Network we have met many reading children who are now young people: they continue reading, they continue to maintain contact, although at this moment they may be preparing to enter a higher education institution or university.

A few days ago, one of these young people told us this anecdote:

“In the pre-university academy - where I prepare for the admission exam - we have had classes with a Verbal Reasoning teacher. In one class, the teacher asked me what I am going to study and I replied that I want to be a teacher.

As I am a reader and I am good at reasoning, the professor, delighted with my participation, suddenly told me:

- Child, you perform very well. Why do you want to be a teacher? Why don't you apply for for a real career?

I was completely baffled by that question! ... I regretted not having been faster to answer: "I want to be a teacher so that your children and grandchildren are well educated."

It seems that reading also makes us better people ...

Alejo on the road

Alejandro Sánchez has collaborated with our Network since its inception in the city of Cajamarca, in the early 80's.

Alejo, even though his formal work is a librarian in a State entity, he never lost his bond or affection with us.

A few weeks ago, visiting him, we found him carrying out a reading circle with children from the city, using the books of our Campesino Library collection.

We wish there were more Alejos!

Visiting

Lynda Sullivan is our volunteer in Ireland, in charge of translating our blog into English. In 2016, she directly supported the Network as a volunteer in the Campesino Encyclopedia Project: she went out to the countryside, made transcripts, put the files in order and dedicated herself to many other chores. But, above all, she was part of the Network's family in Cajamarca.

In January, Lynda returned for a few weeks, visiting. It was beautiful to spend time together, to laugh and remember the old days.

We hope you come back soon, Lynda: here we are waiting for you.

Céad míle fáilte - one hundred thousand welcomes.

Help for friends

Our dear friends of Help for Friends got to know our Network through "Books and clouds", the movie that tells our story. 

Since then, years ago, the contact has not stopped: the links that are born from the force that encourages us to continue on our journey do not cease. 

The idea was formed in 2004: “On a trip to Nepal - Claudia tells us - we met a young Nepalese bearer who had a dream: to open a school for poor children. He impacted us a lot for his intelligence and sensitivity. So we decided to help him. 

The dream was strengthened and came true: the school opened. To strengthen our support we constituted the association.” 

Those efforts that are not born of numbing philanthropy or charitable consolation, are what make solidarity a certainty and hope! 

Meritorious community

In recent years we constantly see, in whatsapp statuses, facebook posts, instagram and other social networks, images and expressions where many people proudly show their own successes or that of a family member. These "successes" range from arranging a room, winning a contest at a children's party, to obtaining a diploma or university degree, as well as opening a business or getting a job ...

Imagine, then, the immense pride that all members of the Network of Rural Libraries feel when they see the just recognition that our brother Alfredo Mires Ortiz has received from the Ministry of Culture, because, as he says, it is recognition for all the communities that are part of this organization, of this family.

Therefore, for us, being close to someone recognized as “Meritorious Person of Culture” is not only a source of pride, but also another reason to remain committed to this constant struggle in which we learn from our brother every day. Alfredo and everything he knows and shares about life, wisdom and the depths of community, our Peruvian history and culture and the entire world.

And this collective pride is due to Alfredo not only being a research anthropologist, but also because he is a brother, a companion that encourages us to continue, to move forward, to read, to learn and to unlearn. He encourages us with his songs, with his stories, with his poetry, with his drawings ... also with his jokes.

Now, with times being difficult with so many social networks and with so much television, people read less and have more vices, they publish and celebrate anything and not what is really deserving to celebrate, this recognition for Alfredo is a good sign for us. It is hope and encouragement.

Some brothers and sisters say it well in volume 22 of the Peasant Encyclopedia, "The Why of the When," from our series "We the Cajamarcans":

When you hear a little bird sing, it's because your day will be nice.

When many hummingbirds meet, it's because it will be a good year.

When we chew coca leaves and the coca sweetens us, we are doing well.

Thank you Alfredo for your work that predicts good times, thanks for those good signs that keep us believing.