This is an article I wrote for the B2B blog. It tells some of the history of the literacy program and where we are now. Hope you enjoy :)
Did you know that 1
out of every 4 Mexicans does not have a book in their house nor has ever
visited a bookstore? According to an article by El Norte, a prominent Mexican newspaper, 73% of Mexicans have not
read one book in the last year. How sad.
Poverty is directly
connected to literacy. Therefore it is not hard to believe that the country of
Mexico is largely impoverished. Children
growing up in poverty are at high risk for having low literacy skills. Low
literacy skills directly impact the child’s opportunities in life. It has been
found in the United States that low-literacy skills can lead to school drop
outs, teen pregnancies, low -income jobs, and delinquency.
Literacy should be
taken seriously. Providing literacy opportunities to underprivileged children
in Mexico is one of the keys to breaking the cycle of poverty that has run
rampant for generations.
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| The girls, no longer board :) |
Back in 2011 I began a
reading program with a handful of children in an impoverished community where
Back2Back serves in Monterrey, Mexico. I remember the first day quite well. I
pulled up to the community in my dusty, silver Impala to see several small
girls sitting in the dirt outside their house, completely board. I happened to
have a few books in my trunk that I pulled out and began reading to them. The
girls loved it. Slowly, reading picture books in the dust turned into a formal
class in a soup kitchen where more than 11 students came weekly as well as a
few parents.
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| Our literacy class in the soup kitchen :) |
Since that day
Back2Back’s literacy program continues to grow. Several donors have contributed
to build libraries in the children’s homes where we serve, others have
committed to filling them with books. We have begun to develop a reading program
I like to call Back2Books J
In the fall of 2012 we
welcomed kids into the Del Norte children’s home library. Every Tuesday and
Thursday myself and librarian Lucia host reading programs for the children in
this space. Primarily we strive to develop in the children a love for books and
an appreciation for reading. The change
we’ve seen in the kids over just a few short weeks is remarkable. I remember one boy in particular, Josue, who
made a face and asked, “Why would anyone want to read books?” on the day we
told him we were going to open the library for him to enjoy. Now he fights to
be the first in line when we open the door. The children at Del Norte love to
go to the library, participate in the read aloud activities, and spend some
time exploring books on their own. Usually it is all we can do to get them out of
the library when it is time to go.
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| Fernando exploring a book in the Del Norte library |
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| Blanca and Rosa with big books |
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| Librarian Lucia reading the kids a story |
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| Kevin excited that his book pops up! |
Our hope and prayer is
that the Back2Books literacy program will continue to grow and be available to
all the children we serve, providing them yet another tool to help leave
poverty behind. Please keep this program
in your prayers.
