A Lot of Work, All Worth It

We spent this trip in a small village that overlooked the city of Nauta, right off the Amazon River. It was here where we spent long days raising up the walls of the library and showcasing the resources of the library to children who flipped through pages faster than we could read. Here where we stayed nights under the Peruvian stars, cataloging books before returning to our sleeping quarters, crossing amazonian swampland via wobbling wooden bridge. Although the physical construction of the library is essential to the VBB's mission of globally spreading a culture of reading around the word, it was not the construction that keeps kids yearning to learn more. Instead, this is accomplished through the display of volunteer excitement in books, promoting the avenues that reading opens for bibliophiles. Books can provide an escape from poverty. They do this both mentally through the emotional outlet they provide in fantastic stories (both by reading and writing them!); but they also do this logistically through their intrinsic connection to education, driving interest while opening opportunities for social mobility.

There has yet to be a day passing in which I don't think about the dedication that the village had in providing this asset for future generations. Although we had many late nights in Darwin Grandes, giving it our all for the week we were there, it will be the village who sustains the library. I have no doubt that our collaboration with them will be fruitful for generations to come, and I can't wait to hear about their progress.