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Gap Year Volunteer Kendall shares his experience working with the Library and exploring Nicaragua |
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Wiston, Kendall, and Deni on the Mobile Project |
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Three weeks ago, I boarded a one way flight to Nicaragua. Since then, I have had the unique privilege of volunteering at the Biblioteca Publica y Móvil. The countless experiences I have had over this short time have filled my heart with gratitude, and the unconditional warmth of Nicaragua has touched my spirit. I hope the experiences and lessons I share with you remind you of the profound work our organization does in this community.
When I traveled to Masaya – a small, culturally-rich city, nestled between Granada and Managua – I was able to not only witness its majestic namesake volcano, but also explore its many local markets. Though I was enraptured by the rich tapestry of art and craftsmanship before me, it became evident that while these cultural treasures are abundant, access to education and books was startlingly scarce. This observation reaffirms the significance of the library’s mission.
In the United States, we are guaranteed access to books and quality education, whether it be through schooling or our immense public library system. This provides many of us with the unique privilege of virtually unlimited access to books and educational material. In Nicaragua, the situation is very different. Traveling to rural schools on the Mobile Library, our foundation serves as one the few lines of direct access to additional books. Seeing the kids, clamoring towards our truck with their library cards in hand, I can tell how appreciated our service is. From school supplies for teachers, to books for the students, our library fills a grievously neglected void in Central American education.
Another highlight of my trip has been going deep sea fishing. With our library being located in San Juan Del Sur, originally a port fishing town, I was able to see the breathtaking beauty of the pacific coast. More importantly, I gained a greater understanding of the tenacity required by those who make their living from it. It struck me that this trip, though an exhilarating adventure for me, was an everyday job for those in the surrounding community. This experience indirectly brought up another unique aspect of the library. Our foundation functions via community-led reform. Aside from myself, the entire staff of the library are Nicaraguans. Former fisherman, hospitality workers, and others that now make it their job to directly improve their community. Though supported by members outside of Nicaragua, the Library’s success is not the result of outside intervention but instead the dedication and hard work of local community members. Community members that understand their own needs and are best equipped to effectuate meaningful change.
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Kendall and his fish. |
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As I approach the end of my time here, I struggle to decide what I should do next. Though I had the intention of joining a different program, a part of me understands that the gem of a foundation I have found here in Nicaragua is rare and special. Regardless of my future plans, if we want to keep making ripple effects within our community we will need your support. The support of our cherished donors and sponsors is the lifeblood of our mission and enables us to foster a brighter future for the people of Nicaragua.
In three short weeks, my outlook on life and understanding of the world has been profoundly impacted. This library is a beacon of hope advocating for the transformative power of education, and I am happy I have been able to be a part of it. Let us unite in our commitment to ensure the prosperity of this foundation so we can further empower this community and ensure the accessibility of knowledge within this region.
Kendall J. Ford and the Morehead-Cain Scholarship |
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HJH Executive Board August Trip
Patricia Herron, Lily Griner, Will Hudgins, Jane Mirandette, and Rosemary Green traveled to Managua, Granada, and San Juan del Sur in August with several purposes in mind. We brought in a new 3D printer and multiple suitcases packed filled with children’s books. We started our stay with an Executive Board retreat, which was the first opportunity in a very long time for us to be together in person. We stayed together at the Villa Isabella Hotel, just a short walk from the SJDS Biblioteca, making daily visits to the library very easy. Our stories and pictures below will give you a taste of our eventful, rewarding visit.
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HJH Executive Board Update
Executive Board members Patricia Herron, Lily Griner, Will Hudgins, Jane Mirandette, Rosemary Green, and Jill Gramling (by Zoom) – met for a day and a half in Granada to discuss the past, present – and most important! – the future of our Foundation. We reviewed current projects that have taken hold and are progressing in the SJDS community – the 3D printing center and instruction program, and the installation of the RACHEL digital library in the SJDS library and local school Escuela Adelante. We reflected on our current financial posture and agreed that, while we are a strong organization with a wealth of expertise, talent, and energy, we would be wise to expand our fundraising efforts and identify ways of enhancing our financial sustainability.
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Update: RACHEL (Remote Area Community Hotspot for Education and Learning)
We installed the RACHEL system at Escuela Adelante in August 2022, and this visit was our one-year follow-up to hear how RACHEL materials are being used and to observe classroom applications. One afternoon, Rosemary, Patricia, and Will met with school administrators to answer questions, offer technical support, and learn more about their plans as their school grows rapidly. Patricia and Rosemary also demonstrated RACHEL materials that support their curriculum to the teachers. The following week, Patricia and Rosemary observed two classes – a 5th and 6th grade combined class, and a 4th grade class – during which the teachers used RACHEL materials for geometry and mathematics instruction. We came away convinced that Escuela Adelante has fully adopted and incorporated the RACHEL system of digital educational materials. |
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Escuela Adelante teachers enjoy a RACHEL game while Isa, Marilya, and Rosemary look on. |
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The RACHEL system is also available in the SJDS biblioteca, where it has great promise for daily English language and Spanish language tutoring sessions offered by local teachers. Rosemary met with 4 tutors while in the library, and they were eager to use RACHEL materials with their students.
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Georgia Crowell (nee Wurzelbacher) 1933—July 30, 2023
We are deeply saddened by the passing of our extraordinary friend and benefactor. |
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Georgia Crowell was an independent, unconventional, highly intelligent woman, graduating as an architect in 1957. She was a world traveler. Over the years, she owned several businesses but most dedicatedly had owned and run Aims Foreign language bookstore for forty years in Cincinnati Ohio providing materials in 37 languages. As her health failed, she sought not to sell the business and the books but to donate them, especially the Spanish collection that filled half the bookstore and most of the warehouse. When Georgia heard about the HJH Libraries for All Foundation through a family friend and met with Jane in Cincinnati, she insisted on providing as many books as we could choose, pack, and ship.
Over the last few years, Jane and several volunteers have rehomed thousands of books donated by Georgia. We were able to completely refresh the collection of books we bring out on the mobile project, provide sets of books to other lending libraries who use our library in a box system, and connect books to projects in El Salvador, Peru, Nicaragua and the US Borders.
Her gift will continue to be used by young students in Nicaragua and throughout Central America for many years to come. Georgia’s legacy will be remembered gratefully and we miss our friend dearly.
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A gift that will serve generations to come |
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A workshop hosted by HJH at Hotel Con Corazon in Granada, Nicaragua in November of 2022 where substantial packets of books from Georgia Crowell’s Aims Foreign Language book store were provided to teachers, librarians, and library projects from all over Nicaragua.
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A Note From Jane
The article above is dedicated to my friend Georgia Crowell. Her passion for providing opportunities and education for the world’s children was clear to me from our first meeting. Her idea to provide the HJH Foundation with the ability to share the wealth and her embrace of the solutions and ideas the Foundation and I could come up with has made a majorly significant difference in my life, vision and mission as well as that of the HJH Foundation and many others. Her memory will live on in the continued work of literacy programs as far reaching as El Salvador, Peru, and the US Border projects of REFORMA. I am deeply grateful for her wisdom and generosity.
Please join me in honoring the memory of this amazing woman of vision and in supporting the continued work of providing for the children.
Yours Gratefully, Jane
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We are registered as Hester J. Hodgdon Libraries for All. Please donate today with the PayPal or JustGiving buttons above OR by check made payable to:
HJH Programs
1716 Del Norte Ave.
Loveland, CO 80538 |
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