In the Mountains of Colombia -- A Passion for Reading

Dear Friends,

Last week, I had the great fortune of trekking through rural villages in the mountains of Colombia and seeing impoverished campesinos receive the gift they had been awaiting for a very long time - an education.

During the month of May, Developing Minds Foundation sponsored a literacy project for over 1,000 families (about 5000 people in total) in villages dotting the provinces of San Pedro de los Milagros, Cañasgordas and Uramita. It is always chilling to hear stories from campesinos - peasants - living with fear and panic at the hands of guerrilla and paramilitary groups roaming the mountains; yet it is heartening that, while incidents still occur here, there is a gradual lifting of that fear as improved security continues to spread even in this hidden corner of Colombia.

And it is deeply inspiring to see in the weathered faces of these isolated mountain people the curiosity, imagination and joy as they discover a new world captured in the fascinating books they have received.

During our literacy workshops, the initially cautious families grow animated as they are guided on a journey by Pioquinto, the colorful instructor from our local partner Secretos Para Contar. Pioquinto has the packed schoolhouse abuzz, asks them to crack open their new books, pick out fascinating facts about butterflies, learn about the snow leopard, understand why flowers grow toward the sun, read a fable, sing a song, recite a poem, discover secrets, tell jokes. Their minds wander from Cañasgordas to Bogota, and then Paris and Shanghai. You can see a spark in their eyes. A passion for reading has been ignited.

To see a few photos, click:

http://picasaweb.google.com/phoudard/2008CanasgordasColombia/photo#s5204794971350366194

Amazingly, for only $50 we can sponsor four entire families - about 20 people - to join the literacy project. The math works in our favor here. On our side, it's a quick click on the website and really not much to give up; but what a poor mountain family receives is profound and continues for a lifetime. Technically, a family receives a trilogy of beautiful books designed and written by a gifted group of Colombian writers and editors. But in human terms, the books sit at the center of the household and become the first true source of knowledge and inspiration for them. With few belongings in their simple mountain home, a family gravitates to the collection to read these captivating tales over and over again.

I would like to ask you to join us in this effort - now - by going to the Developing Minds website & making a contribution under donations at: www.developingmindsfoundation.org

Go ahead, take the three minutes of your time. It's the best $50 you'll spend for awhile. For any of us who feel a sense of shared humanity with people around the world, it is a great way to lift the human spirit. They need it, and we can give a little help.


Best,
Philippe Houdard
www.developingmindsfoundation.org