librariesfortheworld

Uganda – Abwanget Grand Opening

Grand opening day finally arrived! Children from the village attended, as well as students from a nearby school, the village chairperson, and government officials. We learned that nothing happens in a village without the village chairperson’s blessing, and he was there to give his blessing. Dignitaries spoke to express their appreciation for our work and to encourage people to use the library. Students performed a song and dance, and after a ribbon-cutting, students and adults took turns to go through the library. The phrase we heard most often was, “We have never seen anything like this in all of eastern Uganda!”

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Uganda – Day 5

Our final day before the grand opening was full of activity. We swept the floor before laying down vinyl flooring. We also cranked up the music so that the children could have a dance party! Many of the children were going to be in school the next day, so we gave them the opportunity to celebrate the library opening before the rest of the community. We also discovered a local food vendor who made delicious chapati and rolexes. Chapati is an Indian flatbread, and when rolled up with an egg omelette, it becomes a rolex!

We visited two of the students whose education we sponsor. And we took a walk along a river that borders Kenya, just down the road from the village. There was a point along the river where people had thrown a wooden pole across the river, allowing people to balance like on a tightrope to cross the river. At another point, people crossed with a raft, pulling themselves along with a rope that had been strung from one side to the other. Both crossings were illegal, but people use them regularly to bring items such as flour more cheaply into the country.

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Guatemala fundraiser

Help us raise funds for our Guatemala library project by donating $30 or more and receive either a mask or a coin purse!

These items were sewn by Lesly and her brother Jhonny in Guatemala using traditional woven fabrics. Lesly is a teacher in Guatemala. During the pandemic, many teachers have not received regular paychecks. The sale of these items is helping Lesly and Jhonny earn a living during a difficult time.

Donate at Paypal.me/LibrariesForTheWorld and leave a note telling us whether you’d like a mask or a coin purse.

Or send a check to:

Libraries for the World, PO Box 1331, Round Rock, TX 78680

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Guatemala partnership

We’ve entered into a partnership with Creating Opportunities for Guatemalans and are seeking hardcover books in Spanish to expand a homework help center in San Antonio Aguas Calientes. The town has a large indigenous Maya population, but many of the people speak Spanish. Most of the books that have been donated to the center are written in English, which many of the students are learning, but the goal is to turn the center into a community library for all people in the town. Books should be in hardcover for all ages, but books for children and teens are especially welcome. Visit our Amazon wishlist for Guatemala for ideas and donate a book today!