Quite an interesting article - Semei
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6929404.stm
Venezuela's four-legged mobile libraries
A university in Venezuela is
using a novel method to take books into remote communities and encourage
people to read. As James Ingham reports, the scheme is proving a great
success.
The village children love reading the books that the mules bring
Enlarge Image
Chiquito and Cenizo greet me with a bit of a snort and a flick of the
tail.
Mules are too tough to bother being sweet. They do a hard job which no
other animal or human invention can do as well.
But these mules are rather special.
They are known as bibliomulas (book mules) and they are helping to spread
the benefits of reading to people who are isolated from much of the world
around them.
My trek started from the Valley of Momboy in Trujillo, one of Venezuela's
three Andean states.
These are the foothills of the Andes but they are high enough, especially
when you are walking.
Slow but steady
The idea of loading mules with books and taking them into the mountain
villages was started by the University of Momboy, a small institution that
prides itself on its community-based initiatives and on doing far more than
universities in Venezuela are required to do by law.
Spreading the
joy of reading is our main aim
Christina
Vieras, project leader
Accompanying us was local guide Ruan who knows a thing or two about mules.
He was their boss, cajoling them carefully as they started up the hill at a
slow-but-steady, no-nonsense plod.
The deeply rutted, dry and dusty path snaked its way up. The sun beat on
the back of my neck.
We were all breathless, apart from Ruan.
Diving for books
A break came when it was my turn to ride a mule. I enjoyed a great view of
the valley but held on tight as Chiquito veered close to the edge.
Hot and slightly bothered after two hours, we reached Calembe, the first
village on this path.
Anyone who was not out working the fields - tending the celery that is
the main crop here - was waiting for our arrival. The 23 children at the
little school were very excited.
"Bibilomu-u-u-u-las," they shouted as the bags of books were unstrapped.
They dived in eagerly, keen to grab the best titles and within minutes were
being read to by Christina and Juana, two of the project leaders.
"Spreading the joy of reading is our main aim," Christina Vieras told me.
"But it's more than that. We're helping educate people about other
important things like the environment. All the children are planting trees.
Anything to improve the quality of life and connect these communities."
Internet plans
As the project grows, it is using the latest technology.
I
love reading books and we get told some really nice stories
Jose Castillo
12 years old
Somehow there is already a limited mobile phone signal here, so the
organisers are taking advantage of that and equipping the mules with laptops
and projectors.
The book mules are becoming cyber mules and cine mules.
"We want to install wireless modems under the banana plants so the
villagers can use the internet," says Robert Ramirez, the co-ordinator of the
university's Network of Enterprising Rural Schools.
"Imagine if people in the poor towns in the valley can e-mail saying how
many tomatoes they'll need next week, or how much celery.
"The farmers can reply telling them how much they can produce. It's
blending localisation and globalisation."
Local enthusiasm
The book mule team played noisy games with the children, listened to
them read and lunched with the adults, discussing over a hearty soup and corn
bread how the community can develop the scheme.
This
four-legged mobile library is not just keeping this place alive but making it
thrive
One idea was using the mules to transport medicines which can be so hard to
get hold of here.
Everyone I spoke to - both adults and children - was full of enthusiasm.
"It's great," said 12-year-old Jose Castillo. "I love reading books and
we get told some really nice stories."
Looking up from reading her book about Harry the cat and his trip to the
vet, Gesenae Guerdo told me she loved reading too.
"We share a lot of these books," she said.
Javier Sulveran, a young, bright man in his twenties, tells me that the
village is very supportive of the project:
"The children are really motivated to read and we are too. A lot of the
adults are reading more. It's great that they come up here."
The university has acquired a new mule. They are going to keep it in
Calembe under the care of the locals, something Javier really approved of.
The mule will be able to get further into the mountains and spread the word
to more villages that so far remain too remote.
With fond farewells we left Calembe behind. It was clear I was leaving a
place with a strong sense of community.
This four-legged mobile library is not just keeping this place alive but
making it thrive.
From Our Own Correspondent was broadcast on Saturday, 4 August, 2007 at
1130 BST on BBC Radio 4. Please check the programme schedules for World
Service transmission times.
---------------------------------
Looking for a deal? Find great prices on flights and hotels with Yahoo!
FareChase._______________________________________________
Ugandanet mailing list
Ugandanet@kym.net
http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet
% UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including
attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way.
---------------------------------------
