We just received some photos from our Guatemala Program Director, John van Keppel, of a celebration in one of the communities where Child Aid works. Yesterday, the Kaqchikel community of Las Canoas gathered to inaugurate new furniture, bookshelves and a computer for the library. Thanks to the Planet Wheeler Foundation, the kids now have tables to sit at, and newly delivered Child Aid books are on shelves low enough for them to reach. The Las Canoas librarian is now cataloguing the books and will be using the new computer to help organize a book-lending program.

During the celebration, students displayed exhibits outside each classroom showing some of the reading techniques learned from Child Aid. Director of Development Danny Palmerlee was able to attend. He described the community’s excitement in seeing teachers and students so involved in reading activities. The local school director has been very supportive of Child Aid’s work in Las Canoas, and teachers are regularly using the techniques they have learned. Many teachers, for example, are using the “Star Readers” charts (shown below) to encourage reading, and such techniques have realized impressive results. Primary schools students have become more engaged in and enthusiastic about reading. Also, the librarian reports that, with more reading in classrooms, kids are using the library more than ever.

Danny mentioned that Guatemala’s Ministry of Education recently passed a law requiring every child in school to read five books per year. Within the schools where Child Aid works, however, teachers report that some students are reading five books per month. The entire school attended the event to show support for the library and reading programs, as did parents, community members, and the mayor of Las Canoas. Yesterday’s celebration was an excellent opportunity to see the results of and enthusiasm for Child Aid’s work.