On Friday, the 26th of April 2014, La Choza Chula opened the Buena Vista Library. El Paredon has never had a library and most of its inhabitants have never before used a library. This means that in its creation, the library is not only bricks and mortar, it is an ideological meteorite, and La Choza Chula bears the responsibility to encourage El Paredon locals to revel in the twists and turns of plot and narrative, sink into comfy cushions and disappear into distant lands.
The 25th of April was a day of hope, and the atmosphere was contagious. Volunteers from all corners of the world helped with story hours, art projects, literacy exams, raffles, speeches … the whole works! The school did their part and put on an official ceremony with anthems, flags and all the regalia. A representative of the Ministry of Education came to cut the ribbon, and most importantly, the school was bustling with hordes of local people coming in to discover what was going on!
The excitement of the day almost created the illusion that the opening event, itself, was the final achievement. Yet the following morning it was again clear that the road to increasing El Paredon’s community literacy is long, difficult, and laden with a duty to succeed. La Choza Chula has a lot of learning, growing and adapting ahead of us, but with a wide base of support and a continued commitment to excellence we are fully confident that the library will become a cherished and well-used addition to the community
Stay tuned to find out more about the library and all of the latest developments.