Chiquilistagua Community Library

Chiquilistagua is a rural community on the edge of Managua, previously made up of little more than homes, schools, and the occasional small convenience store. This changed in 2003 with the initial development of a community center run by Alongside Misinstries in partnership with Manna Project International. Over the years the community center, called El Salero, has grown to incluce a sports complex (baseball field, soccer field, basketball courts, volleyball court, etc.), a space for community gatherings, and an educational center (library, computer lab, and classroom space).  El Salero is open to the community every afternoon as a safe place for recreational, educational and social purposes.  Organized sports teach cooperation, responsibility, and teamwork, and offer an alternative to being involved with local gangs. Computer and English classes, as well as the availability of books for research and entertainment, provide the opportunity for individuals to gain the knowledge and skills to be successful in school and/or become better candidates for employment opportunities

Studies show that literacy in Nicaragua is widespread but very basic. Enrollment in schools is at 80%, yet only 29% complete the mandatory 6 years of education; and that, on average, takes a person a little over 10 years to accomplish. There are few resources available in the school system and the process of improving the quality of education in schools is slow.

Community Library Impact…

The Chiquilistagua Community Library is helping to supplement the education being received, hoping to fill the gaps and provide the educational resources and one-on-one attention that students are not finding in schools. The library is also striving to educate adults as well by providing access to literature, the internet, and English classes.

The Library opened to the community May 7, 2008. It began with a small amount of donated books and was able to greatly increase the number of books with the help of Books for Life, which also assisted the library with gifts of two computers and a printer. The library also has games, puzzles, and craft time to help increase the creativity and reasoning skills of children; skills that are not developed in the school system. Rosmery is the librarian and is a young lady of patience and dedication. She works with children that do not spend a lot of time with their parents and are often undisciplined and unfocused on their education. Rosmery is continually working with these children in hopes of also attracting their parents to the library. Collaboration between children and parents greatly helps the educational journey.

Your Impact…

Without this library there would be no alternate place for the people of Chiquilistagua to easily go to fill the gaps in their education. This library is contributing greatly to the lives of many that live in and near Chiquilistagua. The effects of this library are just beginning to take place and the positive influence on the community is rapidly spreading, attracting more and more of the community to become involved. The library is already in the process of expanding.You can partner with Rosmery and those she works with by helping to provide the growing needs they have. Resources needed are:

Books (in spanish)

Art supplies

Children’s educational tools (puzzles, games, etc.)

Being Impacted…

Kimberly’s face lights up every time she opens a book. She totes around a colorful cloth bag each afternoon, holding a different newly-borrowed collection of stories and pictures. Coming from a humble home, Kimberly’s spirit is not stifled by the hardships of a household run by a struggling single mom. She finds joy in reading and visits the community library daily to discover yet another new story. She is being given the opportunity to escape, for a moment, from the reality of a tough life; a chance to uncover an imaginary world and a way she can share with her siblings and cousins a neighborhood beyond their own.

For a child who’s seen far more than her six years should allow, Kimberly’s eyes hold a bright innocence each time she opens a book and takes in the vivid pictures, her finger slowing touching each word as she pronounces it softly. This simple act of reading holds a deep charm not only for Kimberly but for all ages in the surrounding community.

Reading opens doors to a world of prospects beyond rural Nicaragua. It inspires dreams and plants aspirations, exposing both child and adult to a realm of opportunity outside their bubble of existence.