Current Projects
Ummesalma School
Dominican Projects
Peru Project
Completed Projects
Bolivia Literacy Project
The Bolivian Literacy Project was started in 1996 by Janice Bellows Feaman and her colleague Maria Llobet Duff. As a librarian, reading consultant and mother, Janice realized the importance of reading skills for a child's future. Janice found that the reading program developed by The Renaissance Learning, Inc. was particularly effective with her students. She and her library assistant, Maria a native Bolivian, decided to bring the gift of reading to students in Bolivia. In May of 1996 they traveled to 5 cities assessing the feasibility of opening the first lending libraries in the country. With the 200 books and computer management reading program they brought with them, they were able to establish a school library at the "Alexander Von Humboldt" school for grades K - 12 in Sucre, Bolivia. They also cataloged and processed books for the Tanga Tanga Children's Museum for a read-on-site library in Sucre. The Tanga Tanga Children's museum still seeks books in English, Spanish and the native languages of Bolivia. In 1997 Ms Feaman's children held Spanish Book Drives at their elementary and high schools and were able to send 200 books to the Humboldt School Library. In 1998, Janice's children held another successful Book Drive and traveled to Bolivia with their mother and Maria to deliver hundreds of books as well as 13 cartons of clothing which they distributed to several children's hospitals, a hospice and a rural school in the Sucre area. During the summer of 2003 Janice, Maria and some of their families returned with hundreds of books as well as 11 cartons of clothing and medical supplies which were distributed to Sucre hospitals. Janice brought updates and software expansions for the reading program along with over 100 new titles to add to Humboldt's existing library. They donated 80 books to the Tanga Tanga Children's museum (which now has computers and is interested in acquiring the reading program) and several dozen books to a school teaching English. The Feaman's distribution of clothing and books was publicized on Bolivian national television in an effort by local citizens to emphasize the importance of community involvement to their own youth and to show that everyone can make a difference. We at Grace applaud Janice's efforts in taking a personal approach to charity work and involving her family and friends. Her children have learned about life outside of the United States and the gift of giving. Funds donated to this project will be used to expand the libraries as well as replace the extensively used books. Books are read until they literally fall apart and pages are too thin to turn.
WINGS
Palestinian Playground
