Biblioburro: The amazing donkey libraries of Colombia

 

Travelling with his two loyal donkeys, Alfa and Beto, Luis Soriano has been spreading the joy of reading to children in rural Colombian communities for over 20 years.

Luis Soriano was a Spanish teacher in rural La Gloria Colombia. Concerned that his students had no access to books at home, he decided to do something about it.

By adapting the packsaddles of his two donkeys, Alfa and Beto, from carrying water to carrying books, Luis created a makeshift mobile library and set off to take his books to children who otherwise wouldn’t have access to reading materials. With that the ‘Biblioburro’ was born.

“Kids wise up when they pick up a book. Their surprise and imagination meet together, you see them starting to laugh by themselves, just by seeing the book,” he says.

Watch the video above to find out more about the inspirational story of Luis, Alfa and Beto.

Interview by José Luis Peñarredonda. Filming and editing by Sergio Fabara.

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