Volunteers

The voluntary activities within our organisation are carried out in various forms: from a permanent presence, for specific periods or for specific tasks.

In recent weeks we have benefitted from the support of Laura Bazán Díaz, Systems Engineer and lecturer from the National University of Cajamarca who, with sincere enthusiasm, is collaborating with us in the process of computerising our Exchange Centre. 

The philosopher, mathematician and alchemist Isaac Newton said that “virtue without solidarity is only a name”.  To have help from volunteers gives us encouragement in our journey, even more so when experts offer their service to this supportive cause.    

Everyone makes mistakes

We sometimes find, on a receipt, a profroma, a request a report etc....  to do with our books, the names aren’t quite right.

Some mistakes are pretty terrible and so, for some time now, we have been making a note of the alterations, and we share them here.

Books from the Municipality

A few months ago, the Department of Education, Culture and Sport of the Provincial Municipality of Cajamarca, represented by Prof. Carlos Cabrera Miranda, offered a donation of five units of books from its editorial fund for the implementation of some of our rural libraries.

Our colleague Isabel Gutiérrez coordinated the necessary arrangements so that the books have already been received and immediately prepared to be distributed throughout the network.

We sincerely appreciate this kind of actions which, in a simple but effective way, help to encourage reading in the communities and to broaden the initiative of the cajamarcans to preserve our cultural patrimony.

Our recognition to professor Carlos Cabrera Miranda and his team for making this offer a reality. 

“Neither far nor foreign”

At the beginning of September we received a letter addressed to our colleague Alfredo Mires, Executive Advisor of our Network of Rural Libraries, from Mr Diego Ribadeneira Espinosa, Ambassador to the Republic of Ecuador.

In this correspondence, the ambassador mentioned that in the interests of furthering the Ecuadorian-Peruvian cultural integration, the Diplomatic Mission which he leads is currently running the bi-national project “Neither far nor foreign”, the first phase of which includes the establishment of a Cultural Directorate of the border region between Ecuador and Peru.

The result of this first phase of investigation by the Diplomatic Mission will be promoted via the distribution of a CD to the border institutions linked to cultural activity of both countries.  For this reason, on the 9^th, we received a visit from the anthropologist Víctor Vimos with whom we shared a pleasant and fraternal meeting.  

We welcome these efforts which strengthen the bindings between peoples; especially considering the insoluble unity between nature and culture.

As Mahatma Ghandi would say: “I wish to not only fulfil a fraternity or identity with beings called humans, but with all living things.”  

Weaving volunteering

In a note from May we reflected on what it means to Weave the Net: “...If we work together, we are always cheered up by a smile, a story, a song, or just tightening or adjusting the knots.  Together we not only weave but WE ARE A NET”.

In this voluntary experience – which marks the path of the Network of Rural Libraries throughout these 40 years - ,the knots become strong and solid links expressed through fraternal friendships sharing work, ideals and projects in the making, the need to be together in spite of the distance.

In February 2010 Melanie Irmey, a student from Germany, joined us for a few months as a volunteer in the family of Rural Libraries.  Following her return to Germany she kept in touch and now again she is back with us participating in our work, weaving the Net which is ever bigger.

Thank you Melanie for your company.  And you are always welcome: we hope that your stay will be fruitful and that we may continue learning together. 

Message from Mara

Mara Elina Mires Mocker is nine years old and participates as a volunteer, both in field work and in the Central Office of our Network.  A few days ago she wrote this note and left it, just like that, without making any comment.  Although it was not her intention that it appear in our blog, we thought it would be nice to share it.

The Community Programme of the Rural Libraries helps children with disabilities, in their improvement and good health.

In all the years that I have seen my parents work, the teacher Karina, Lola, Isabel, etc, I’ve never seen them give up and that seems to me a good initiative to continue with the community programme and with our libraries.

I feel that without them I would never have learnt anything about what the countryside is.  And I feel it is something very beautiful in which I would always like to live.

The truth is that I’ve never seen such good work that helps so many people.

This I write now.

Mara

On the path

When the family grows, and especially when its members are dispersed, it is always difficult to find a place where we can all meet, at least once in a while, to remind us that we are not alone, to ready ourselves together to continue our journeys.

Several years ago the family of the Rural Libraries began building its house, through the combined efforts from all the members of the Network from the different communities, in a joint and voluntary endeavour known as ‘minga’ in the Quechua language.

This house of ours, apart from being well built, is virtuous in receiving us for our assemblies: and for this reason we love it dearly and make sure we look after it and that every day it looks more beautiful.

A few days ago, our colleagues fixed the path at the entrance to protect it from the wet and from those who irresponsibly throw rubbish in the street.

“Come, Come!”, we say in the country when we encourage someone, welcoming them to visit us.   

Here we are...

Some two thousand five hundred years ago, the wise Master Kong – better known as Confucius – is said to have said: “Move a handful of earth each day and you will make a mountain”.

There is no shortage of will to continue and we carry on with an effort which is communitarian.

Our colleague Virginia said to us: “We have grown up with the Rural Libraries: this is ours”.

A few days ago, whilst a few Coordinators were together with us we took advantage to talk about our journeys, share some experiences, anecdotes and worries.  This has motivated us even more to continue consolidating our work, and so with much enthusiasm we have arranged a date to meet again and each of us will bring new ideas and a little something for the pot.

We anxiously await that date to soak up more of this positive spirit. 

Our elders' stories

Live food and the house of God

My grandfather told me that he was working building a wall and he also had a crowbar with him.

One day a snake appeared and tried to bite him, and he whacked it with the crowbar.  Just then there was a flash and hail and that’s all he remembers.

Then, he remembers several days being in heaven and God was healing his head where the lighting struck.  He also said that God gave him a glass of milk and some bread.

The place was a store full of all variety of foods and a room where sick people are treated.  And there he saw that all the foods were alive: a grain of wheat arrived dragging its innards, also potatoes that had lost their eyes, a grain of corn complaining about a limp and a corn cob came in all burnt, crying too, and a corn cob arrived dragging its insides.

That is what he saw in heaven.

Then God said to him:

-           Now I’ll heal you and you’re going to go back for a time, I don’t need you.  I’ll bring you back later.

And then he remembers being back in the same place, but traumatised with his face and head burnt.

That’s why he always told us not to throw the grains and cobs along the path because they get hit and split open and then they go crying to God.

Told by Dionisio Lobato, of Ramón Castilla, Libertad, Pallán.
Recorded by Santos Mayta Carrión, of 7 de Junio, Libertad, Pallán.

Visit of solidarity

Volker Mocker, brother of our colleague Rita who is responsible for the Community Programme, visited us with his daughter Dorothee.

What could have merely been a family visit was also a contribution to the efforts we make as an organisation.  Volker, who is a doctor, visited and treated several people with health complaints, both in Cajamarca and also in the diverse places which he visited.

During his stay he also joined us on excursions into the countryside, explorations and visits to the communities which our colleague Alfredo makes, along with some climbing practice with friends from the “Yachayhuasi” cultural centre in Cajabamba.

Our thanks for this gift of sharing in our journey.