IBBY-Yamada 2017: Peru

CEDILI IBBY PERU led a three-month project from April to June 2017 in a school outside of Lima in a community of farmers and workers with low financial means and no access to cultural activities. The project linked the creation of a garden with the idea of harvesting stories.

On garden days the children were outside preparing the soil, planting, watering and composting. On other days they were inside the classroom creating stories, sometimes with prompting lines, such as “Once upon a time there was a ladybug ...” or taking part in workshops on topics such as “How to write a story” and “Making a handcrafted book”. In a final workshop the children learnt and practiced a play, The Magic of Books.

The final day in the garden, ingredients harvested from the garden were used to prepare lunch for the students, teachers and parents. In August, books and bookshelves were delivered for the classroom libraries and the play was presented using masks and props made by the children and their parents.