January is always an exciting time of year for our literacy team in Guatemala. School is back in session and our trainers are busy getting ready for a new year of literacy and learning.

One of the highlights of the year is book delivery day, when we bring new books and shelves to each of the schools participating in our Reading for Life program. This is an especially exciting time for the new schools entering our program who often have very limited resources for teaching and promoting reading with their students. There is always a buzz in the air when teachers and students open the boxes and begin exploring the new books!

This year, Child Aid delivered over 32,000 books to our 103 participating schools. The next step is organizing and labeling books for use in the classroom. Our first workshops began in February, with dozens more happening over the coming months.

Check out this fun video of book delivery to new schools in the community of San Pablo la Laguna on Lake Atitlan. It features another first for us – delivering books by boat!