We have moved!

Our sincere apologies for the long absence; due to a lack of volunteer translators we were unable to maintain the upkeep of this English version of our blog Andares de las Bibliotecas Rurales de Cajamarca.

We would like to thank those who worked so enthusiastically for previous translations!

And now we can announce with great pleasure that we can resume transmission. The resurrected ´Wonderings of the Rural Libraries ofCajamarca´ will continue at the following web-address: http://rurallibrariesofcajamarca.blogspot.pe/.

We look forward to sharing the fruits of our labour with you there. 

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