Friday Business

As I was sitting in La Puerta Abierta last Friday watching groups of children flow in and out of our center, I remembered a conversation that I had three years ago with Mingo, a farmer, a father of ten, a respected member of the rural community of Tzanchaj and most importantly, a friend who wasn't afraid to tell me what he really thought of my projects.

I had dreamt of opening a library in Santiago for many years, recognizing that books were scarce, children had few opportunities to connect with literature, and safe spaces for children and teens were difficult to come by in town. Still, I wondered how the community would respond to a library which was more alternative than the municipal library where children went to find fast facts...the locations of countries, the definitions of words, the names of past presidents.

I envisioned so much more for La Puerta Abierta...a place where children could find a comfortable corner for exploring a good book , a center for a variety of creative activities, a base to bring reading and non-formal learning out into the rural communities.

In all fairness, Mingo liked my idea, but he asked with doubt, "Will the children come?"

"Children are busy. They work the fields, make tortillas, go to school, clean the house, buy in the market. They don't have time to read books," he shared with honesty.

After living in Santiago for three years and working in schools, I understood many of the hardships that Mayan children face. At a very young age, children often find themselves facing "adult" responsibilities such as caring for younger siblings, contributing to the family income, and participating in house-hold chores.

This said, I had also witnessed another part of life in rural Guatemala where days move on a slower clock, where children sit idly on street curbs simply to watch people pass by, where rainy afternoons are spent in-doors sharing stories with family members, where people often wait for ______________(fill in the blank with just about anything).

Surely children had the occasional free afternoon to stop by La Puerta Abierta.

On a weekly basis, La Puerta Abierta works with over 500 students. We have over 200 children who stop in for reading and home-work help, 40 students enrolled in our Early Stimulation Classes, 10 in our Preschool, 15 in our Friday Art Club, 15 in our Reading Club, 20 in our Saturday Morning Creativity Classes, not to mention the 200 children who receive story hour every week in our out-reach program, La Biblioteca Movil.

Now, I can confidently answer Mingo's question with a giant smile of satisfaction, "Yes, the children are coming!"