This Community Library is a hub for self-improvement, collaboration, and creative responses to dire economic and social challenges. Girls, women, and youth join local and international volunteers for remedial reading, computer training, English classes, homework assistance. This transformative meeting space has also fostered intergenerational empowerment through the establishment of the "Women's Circle," where local women advance in cooperative entrepreneurship while their children thrive .
While 73% of girls in canton Jama register in elementary school only 1% reach college and 15% are economically active. Teenage pregnancy is pervasive, leaving young women in dependent situations for the rest of their lives. Life in this pacific fishing village seems idyllic on the surface, nevertheless, there is an underlying pattern of abuse against girls and women, resulting in domestic violence and child abuse. 7 out of 10 young girls have been abused before reaching adulthood.
Our Community Library advances gender equality by paying specific attention to girls ages 10-12. Nourishing young girls' and women's self-esteem through reading, acting, dance, and sports enables them to develop a healthy sense of their bodies as a territory they command. At the same time, we are working with their young male peers in masculinity workshops and activities that will help them become respectful and equal partners for future strong women.
Educational assistance increases school graduation and trains girls for skilled labor and professions. Sports and arts programs open an array of healthy opportunities to mingle between genders. Our Library is an example other neighboring communities are replicating. With our Library Bus we reach over 1.300 women and girls in neighboring communities. All our educational programs promote gender equality, women's organization and leadership. As a result, we see several women's groups sprouting.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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