“It is part of the remediation plan we have in Coronel. As a product of the resettlement, the families should have had access to cultural goods, today we are reestablishing these gaps that were diagnosed following the performance standards of the IFC”
A three wheel electric cart was refurbished, it was conditioned inside, being transformed into a library containing a large range of books as well as e-books. The travelling vehicle has its façade painted with various illustrations and motifs associated with reading promotion, which make this mobile library a space unique in its class and very colorful in order to attract the youngest ones to the magic of reading.
The first presentation took place with the leaders of three sectors of families resettled from Coronel. At this meeting, the electric carts were presented (also for community use during the summer) and the travelling library, a forum was held to define the routes and names were sought for the library.
The value of access to culture
Eugenio Villablanca, president of the Family Gardens Neighbors Council, states this is a great initiative. “Sometimes it is hard to get ahold of the books that they need for studying, which is why what they are doing seems very good to me and we hope the cart has most of the books that they will need”, he comments.
For many of the parents, to have access to the books means going to downtown Coronel, which many times is difficult.
“I was delighted by the idea, because it brings culture closer to our children. The library is very far from Lagunillas, which is why I think it is great that they go through the sectors”
According to Jessica Pérez, president of the El Esfuerzo Neighborhood Council and the mother of two school age children, believes there should be books rescuing the Coronel culture. “There are books on its history which it should be good for them to have. Also, we will be able to carry out other activities, such as plays or puppets, where children and their parents may participate”, she says.
The cart will start touring the different neighborhoods of the families represented – including also Caleta Lo Rojas and Cerrito Obligado – during the second semester of 2019, in a work designed jointly by PRAS (Coronel Environmental and Social Recovery Program) and Enel.
