A tale of 3 libraries
Once upon a time in a world far away, 3 libraries were installed to brighten students’ days…
It has been a productive start to the year, as in just two months of school we have completed 3 library installations, bringing 1,710 books to 759 students in the Tegucigalpa and Copán Ruinas regions of Honduras. We have a deep appreciation for the passionate, vivacious volunteers who brought these libraries to life and the dedicated, resilient, and enthusiastic educational communities that collaborated on these incredible projects. You can read more about each school below. 3 libraries down, and 7 more to go in 2025!
Jose Angel Ulloa Elementary School
Located in Tegucigalpa, this school serves 20 teachers and 353 students, many of whom face the harsh realities of extreme poverty and challenges related to migration (family separation, school absence, etc.). In its earliest years, classes were held in neighborhood homes! Now, though most classrooms are built from wood due to the instability of the land the school is on, 3 cinderblock rooms have been constructed, one of which houses the brand-new library, ensuring that books remain protected from the elements for generations to come. These are the first-ever books this school and these students have access to, and they’re loving it so far! In fact, teachers are switching out their classroom boxes of books for the first time, as students have already read through their teacher’s first picks from the library. During a recent visit, 4th grader Fabian said, “I loved the Magic School Bus a lot because the bus flies like the wind!” What a voracious appetite for more stories!
Manuel Bueso Pineda Elementary School
This school, located in Copán Ruinas, Honduras, has two campuses; yet both focus on preparing students with professional skills, like sewing and coffee roasting, to engage the creativity of their students while preparing them for the real world. Here, we provided a library for 210 students and 12 teachers, all of whom were thrilled to explore their new book collection. With an homage to The Little Prince (a Honduran favorite) as a mural in their library, this school embodies the power of enlightenment through exploration (through books)!
Cesar A. Cueva Elementary School
This school stands out for how they cherish and revive their Chortí Mayan culture by teaching the language. Students here were in awe of their library, inaugurated just last week, with the patriotic (and cultural) Scarlet Macaws donning their walls. This library benefits 196 students and 8 teachers; however, they’re sharing their collection with the attached kindergarten and middle school, meaning even more kids will benefit from the resources. These kiddos are just starting to get acquainted with their books, so we’ll have more updates soon. Be sure to follow us on social media to learn more!
