Today John and I headed to the Riecken offices near Antigua, Guatemala, inside La Azotea Cultural Center. Romeo Rodriguez (above on the left, with John) and Luis Quic were incredibly gracious in their welcome and sharing information. We were soon joined by Paul Guggenheim, Country Director for Guatemala.
Romeo and Paul spent the next couple of hours sharing information, answering our questions, and helping us finalize our travels plans for the library visits. As described by Romeo, four primary goals of the Riecken Foundation include Capacity and Leadership Building; Strengthening of Civil Society; Providing Access to Information and Technology; and Fostering the Spirit of Discovery Through Literacy. A fantastic source of information is a recently produced video describing new initiatives at selected Riecken libraries.
After our meeting, Paul gave us a quick tour of the coffee farm that provides the space for the Riecken office. A beautiful setting outside the colonial city of Antigua. Riecken Guatemala actually sells the coffee to raise funds for libraries. An extra bonus for John and I who came to learn about libraries and picked up some knowledge about coffe (my favorite beverage) as well. Pictured at right are Paul and John standing near coffee beans spread out to dry in the sun. A big thanks to Paul, Romeo, and other Guatemala Riecken staff for all their help and advice!
Riecken Foundation, Guatemala Office. (from left) Paul Guggenheim, John and Beth, Romeo Rodriguez, Ilse Zamora, Luis Quino, and Isreal Quic.
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