Adriana Jovel shares her experience at a Street Library in Guatemala.

My experience at the Street Library in La Línea neighborhood of Villa Nueva began in February 2024. At first, it was a small group of children, but later, more joined. Some children come to the Street Library after their Saturday football matches, others just come occasionally. Sometimes they stop participating and later return. What the children enjoy most are racing games, music, and singing.

It is not just the children who participate in the Street Library. I think it is essential that those accompanying them are also involved. For instance, Doña Lidia, a neighborhood resident, helps facilitate the Street Library. There are also grandmothers who stay throughout the activities and mothers who come to see what we are doing.

I have felt a strong sense of solidarity and community involvement. Don Sóstenes sometimes brings us strawberries and cookies, and on ArborDay, he gave a presentation about plants. This is just one of the ways the community has supported and contributed to the Street Library. Doña Elba, another community member, has also been eager to contribute. One day in March, she brought out a swimming pool and, instead of keeping it for her own children, she took the initiative to invite the Street Library participants.

The group has also become more integrated. There are a few children who only come for the craft activities, but there is a lot of solidarity among them. They support each other and show empathy, with one child stepping in to help whenever another is struggling.

Sometimes I come to the Street Library feeling low on energy, but the children bring me to life. It is impossible to feel discouraged when you’re with the children. They give me a more positive outlook and help me stay fully present. When I am at the Street Library, I am with them, living in the moment, and really enjoying it. I take off my watch so I do not constantly check the time. I remind myself that this is a time to be there with them. It has become a space where I also receive: giving me their encouragement and affection.

During the second library I took part in, a child ran up to hug me. I thought to myself, “We’ve only just met a few weeks ago,” yet here he was, running to embrace me. The children make you feel like they are giving you their trust, which creates an openness in me towards them. I also connect with the more reserved children; I feel there is mutual trust between us.

Children set their boundaries in these sorts of encounters. So, I ask myself: “How attentive have I been?” To look beyond the moment, I ask myself: “How well am I getting to know them?” I want to move beyond isolated moments and create a meaningful experience for the children, ensuring they feel supported and cared for.

It’s a learning process for me and others in the mission — spending time with the team, observing the other facilitators’ approaches, and incorporating their feedback has helped me support the children better. For example, Magda, who came from a local organization showed incredible gentleness while cleaning a child’s face, inspiring me to consider being more attentive. It was an experience that helped me step outside of myself and become more open.

Personally, the Street Library has been a deeply connecting experience. Learning to be with the children, listening to them, and sharing carefree, peaceful moments full of trust. Harnessing children’s creativity, guiding them through crafts, games, and reading, while offering my kindness. Allowing myself to be touched by their warm affection, and at the same time giving them my own.

This is my experience of the Street Library.

More about our work in Guatemala