环球英语 — 786：The Book-Donkey of Colombia

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Voice 1

Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Robin Basselin.

Voice 2

And I'm Ryan Geertsma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

Voice 1

Have you ever seen a man riding a donkey? For some people, this sight would seem strange. However, in the country of Colombia, it is not strange at all. In Spanish, donkeys are called "burros". And travelling on burros is common. However, what is uncommon is the way Luis Soriano travels with his donkeys. Luis uses his donkeys as "biblioburros," or book-donkeys. Today's Spotlight is on Luis Soriano and his biblioburro idea.

Voice 2

Luis is a school teacher in La Gloria, a small town in Colombia. In the beginning of his teaching career, he noticed a problem. Many of his students had difficulty reading or doing their school work at home. Many of the students' parents could not read or write, so they could not help their children with their studies. Luis also noticed that there were very few books in the homes and small villages where his students lived. So Luis decided to help his students and their parents. He would visit their villages.

Voice 1

In Colombia, people who do not own cars or trucks often use donkeys for transportation. A donkey costs much less than a car. It can also travel on dirt paths or narrow roads that cars cannot travel. Many people in Colombia, like Luis' students, live in villages far away from the cities. Often the only way to travel in these country areas is by walking or using a donkey.

Voice 2

So, Luis began to travel to these country areas with his donkeys. On his donkeys, Luis put books. And these donkeys carried the books to children who live in the villages. The donkeys served as a travelling library. People who live in cities can go to a library any time. They can visit this public building filled with books. And they can freely borrow the books to read and learn. However, until Luis started his biblioburro, children and adults in country areas had little chance to read.

Voice 1

Luis travels to the country areas on days when there is no school. His donkeys' names are Alfa and Beto. Luis rides or leads them to the country villages. Each donkey can carry over one hundred books. On every trip, Luis and his donkeys visit 15 villages. Often, Luis travels as far as nine kilometres. And this trip takes Luis and his donkeys four hours.

Voice 2

At a village, Luis sets up a small table and a large ground cover for children to sit on. He puts the books out for the children to look at. The children can borrow the books for free. They can take them home and read them. When they are finished, they return the books to Luis next time he visits.

Voice 1

Luis also helps some young children learn how to read. For his students, he gives them help with their school work.

The children love to hear Luis read stories about other places and people. Parents and other adults often take part in the classes too, and some of them have learned to read through Luis's teaching. Adults can also borrow books from Luis. Many of the adults enjoy reading the books as much as the children do.

Voice 2

Not long ago, a film maker from the United States came to La Gloria to learn more about Luis and his donkeys. She followed Luis to one of the villages to watch him give out books. She talked to some of the children and adults. One child said,

Voice 3

"I am happy that the teacher brings in these books and makes us read."

Voice 1

Another said,

Voice 4

"Learning is important. Because when your parents ask you to read them a letter they do not understand, you can read it to them."

Voice 2

An adult from one of the villages told a CNN reporter,

Voice 5

"You can see that the children are excited when they see the biblioburro coming this way. It makes them happy that he continues to come. His program aids what the children learn in school. The books they do not have here, they can get from the biblioburro."

Voice 1

When people from larger cities and from other countries learned about Luis' biblioburro, they wanted to help. Many of these people have sent Luis books. At first Luis stored the books in his house, but soon there were too many. Luis and his wife Diana had very little room left in their house. They had over five thousand books!

Voice 2

Other people sent Luis money. Luis used this money to build a library building. Luis and Diana built the library using only their own labor. It took five years. They also built a restaurant. Here people can buy a meal. They can also read. Luis provides a lot of reading material, mostly newspapers and magazines. Using these resources, people can read and discuss what they are reading while they eat.

Voice 1

Luis Soriano is very devoted to his library and his biblioburro. This is because books were very important in his own life. When he was a boy, his home was in La Gloria. At that time, the area was full of violence. Many violent criminals caused trouble for the villages. Luis and his family moved hours away to be safe in a large city.

Voice 2

In the city, Luis was lonely. He was away from his home, but he found a peaceful place - the city's library. At the library, Luis began to love reading. He imagined many things -- a whole new world that literature offered to him. Luis became friends with one of his teachers. This teacher let him borrow many books. And when Luis had enough money, he bought his own books.

Voice 1

Luis has always remembered how important reading was to him. This is what made Luis begin his biblioburro travels. He has now brought books to villages for over ten years.

Voice 2

Luis told the CNN reporter,

Voice 6

"For us teachers, it is an educational victory. And for the parents it is a proud time when a child learns how to read. That is how a community changes. That is how the child becomes a good citizen and a useful person. Literature is how we connect them with the world."

Voice 1

When the U.S. film maker asked why his project was so important, Luis answered,

Voice 6

"With the biblioburro we are fighting what we call 'the farmer's ignorance'- or lack of education. In a book we can find cities, cultures, rights, duties. A child that we teach today is a child who learns his rights and duties. And a child who knows these things is a child informed to say 'no' to war. We are building Colombians of the future, citizens who will think."