2024–2025 Special Project

Mini Libraries For Talita Cumi Girls Clubs — Goal: $15,000

COVID had a devastating impact on the literacy rates of children in Latin America. When schools shut down children received little to no education. Mentors of the Talita Cumi Girls Club realized that many girls had fallen one or two grade levels behind, while other girls couldn't read at all. Why create mini libraries? In many places, the majority of schools and families do not have the resources or training to help the girls improve their literacy rates.

The need is urgent as there are a number of clubs whose girls are already halfway through the two-year program, and more clubs began in the summer of 2023. We believe that with some literacy training, the provision of specific education materials, and the creation of mini libraries, the girls' literacy rates will improve, which increases their chances of leading a fruitful life. Long-term, these mini libraries will be used for years to come as the TCGC expands and new girls join the clubs.

This project will provide 3,800 Spanish books of various reading levels at 50 Talita Cumi Girls Clubs in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico and Nicaragua. The goal of this project is to create 50 mini libraries in Latin America that will improve the literacy skills of girls in the Talita Cumi Girls Clubs and the chance for a better future. This project seeks to raise $6,452 annually in order to create mini libraries with 3,800 Spanish books of various reading levels.