Ephrata Rotarian discusses literacy with U.N. panel

by Brad W. Gary<br>Herald Staff Writer
| November 18, 2005 8:00 PM

Rotary project helps Guatemalan students

EPHRATA — Every six months, Glenn Chamberlain helps give the gift of learning to students in Guatemala.

The Ephrata resident and Rotarian is part of a program to encourage literacy and bring schoolbooks to the students of the Central American nation. The program is one of the few that sets up a sustainable textbook system for schools in third world countries, and has recently gotten the attention of some of those countries' leaders. Chamberlain spent last weekend in New York City, part of a panel discussion on literacy at the United Nations Headquarters.

The program is one Chamberlain has been involved with for the last several years, first hearing of the project himself from Moses Lake Rotarian Paul Hirai in 1999. He has since been to the country nine times, accompanied often by other Rotarians from throughout the Columbia Basin.

"They're way behind the rest of the western hemisphere in terms of education," Chamberlain said, "Half of the rural residents cannot read or write. Ninety percent of Guatemalan schools do not have access to textbooks."

Without the program, Chamberlain has been told by many Guatemalan students that they would have dropped out of school. Students pay their way through school in Guatemala, where almost 70 percent of the adult population is illiterate.

Since its inception, the project has tried to buck that trend. Chamberlain said the literacy project has brought 125,000 textbooks to 24,000 children in 124 schools in Guatemala. The funds for those books have been raised by Rotary clubs throughout the U.S. and Canada.

"I was struck that it seemed to be a solution to a real serious problem in Guatemala," Chamberlain said.

Chamberlain's involvement in the program as co-national coordinator led to his invitation to the United Nations last weekend, for a panel discussion on literacy. Panels were also conducted on other issues impacting the third world for issues like clean water and hunger. Chamberlain's presentation was unique, however, because he highlighted a working model benefiting students in Guatemala.

"It's a working model that can work in any third world country," he said.

Rotary groups find and work with certain schools in the country and tell them about the program, and return with books after receiving support from those schools.

"We want to put in a program that's sustainable and will go on forever in that school," he said.

The initial books are free with funds generated by Rotary clubs, and the students then rent those books from schools to help pay for new ones after the completion of a five-year period. The literacy project has been expanded as well, bringing computer labs to the people of the country.

Chamberlain is heading back to Guatemala in the next few months, and will add books to 18 schools, also installing computer labs to seven schools. The books are printed in Guatemala, for a cost considerably lower than they would be in the United States. For $5.85 American, the books are printed for what would cost the equivalent of $60 in the U.S.

When the books are incorporated into the education system, Chamberlain said it not only improves students' understanding of the subjects, but improves their reading as well. Math, science, language and social studies books have been introduced. The project is one Chamberlain said he can actually see making a difference with his own eyes, and has opened up opportunities for many Guatemalan students.

"These people in these third world countries are not asking for welfare," Chamberlain said. "They're asking for a helping hand."

The literacy project discussion received interest from other ambassadors and U.N. staff from other countries, and he spoke about the possibility of a similar program in Madagascar with that country's ambassador to the U.N. Since speaking, Chamberlain has received a number of e-mails from others interesting in replicating the program in other countries around the world.

"It's really stimulated a lot of interest, and it's been kind of an eye-opener," he said.