Classroom in Bolivian Amazon
One of our newest projects is called Cultura Sirionó. The Sirionó people are an indigenous people in the Bolivian Amazon.
Ian was there recently, to finalize the details of two projects we’re starting in the communities of Pata de Aguila and Ibiato.
Like all of our projects, they will have a lasting impact on the communities. But this time, the legacy is in the language…
Both Pata de Aguila and Ibiato belong to the Siriono people who have their own distinct language, culture, and concerns about their children’s education in relation to them.
Over several months and several visits to the community, we developed a project to help the Sirionó people assure that their children receive both a high quality education and that their culture not be left out of it. In order to do so, we adapted and expanded upon a project we had implemented throughout the region of Cusco back in 2011/2012: textbook production.
Primary school students in Ibiato and secondary school students in Pata de Aguila will gather information through interviews with their older relatives and community members (stories, legends, jokes, how-to guides) in the Sirionó language and write, edit, illustrate, and present it. The results will then be used to create textbooks for the communities’ schools to use into the future.
Therefore, we hope to not only provide the communities with relevant texts for use within the schools (a new Bolivian educational law, “Ley 070”, requires that local indigenous culture be taught within the regular curriculum), but that through the interview, writing, editing, and presentation processes of the project, the students will improve their reading comprehension and creative writing skills.
Parents, students, and teachers are all excited about the project. I look forward to seeing how it progresses!
Parents Assembly in Pata de Aguila