Peru is in South America, just south of the equator. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and Chile.

More than one half of Peru's land area is in the Amazon Basin, the world's largest river system.

Iquitos is on the banks of the Amazon River and is the world's largest city that cannot be reached by automobile.

From the air you can see that any road or bridge would not stand up to the ever changing course of the river.

The rivers are the only highways in the Amazon. Boats of all shapes and sizes (even ocean-going vessels) make their way up and down the vast river system.

And everybody paddles... even the kids.

A local man almost finishes crafting a canoe from a log the Amazon had deposited near his village.

To raise them above flood level.

Are on the raised platforms and utilize wood fires for all their cooking needs.

Provides most of the basic health needs in the villages.

Is a major priority

Are common problems in tropical jungle rainforests.

Attempt to hold on to some of their old traditions, like using blowguns to hunt and drums.

 

The Centro de Conocimiento Compartido (CCC) is a library project dedicated to serving schools and communities along the Amazon River in Peru. Working with children and adults on a regular basis, the library promotes literacy and provides skills and resources to access and utilize information. It is situated six and one half hours away from Iquitos City by local boat and the next nearest library. The CCC library is centrally located among 25 primary and secondary schools.

 

 

In this region where the school year may be foreshortened nearly 2 months by annual floods, teacher strikes, and yearly contract negotiations, and where financial constraints prevent most families from purchasing basic school supplies or books, the CCC provides valuable educational resources promoting curricular and extra curricular reading and discovery.

The CCC offers remedial reading instruction, continuing education workshops, interscholastic academic programs and competitions, field trips and cultural events.

 

 

The Centro de Conocimiento Compartido is  registered with the United States government and recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation (EIN 41 1935346). Contributions to CCC are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

To donate on-line click the button "Donar".

 

Click here to download a Sponsor a Child to Read Donation Form

 

Dr. Nancy Dunn, Founder and Director of the Amazon Library Project, Centro de Conocimiento Compartido (Center for Sharing Knowledge).

 

See a video about the Centro de Conocimiento Compartido Library Project included in the documentary Distant Libraries of the World Paul Francescutti, producer. Canadian Televisión CTV

 

 

Dr. Nancy Dunn, Founder, President and Director of the CCC, Iquitos, Perú.

Mr. Alex Thomas, Chairman of the Foreign Language Dept., Potomac School, McLean, VA, USA

Mrs. Pat Dunn Walker, Secretary of the CCC, Rochester, MN, USA

Cathy Tanner, Bothell, Washington, USA

Fernando Saavedra, Administrator and Director of CCC Branch Libraries, Iquitos, Peru

Linda Lownds, North American Representative and Treasurer, Ontario, Canada

 

 

See the web sites of friend institutions:

Explorama Lodges: www.explorama.com Clínica Yanamono:www.amazonmedical.org Amazon CARES: www.amazoncares.org

 

 

I

To promote reading.

II

To facilitate access to information.

III

To Respect cultural differences and promote local culture.

IV

Preservation of natural environment and sustainable development.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Credits

Dorothy & David Bonnett, Denis Larsen, Paula Mrozicki.

 

The Centro de Conocimiento Compartido Library´s main building

Teenagers have a “Readers Circle” within “The Reading Club” to read and comment on longer books

The Guitar Workshop is one of the most popular

The Library often organizes other educational activities

Rivaldo likes to paint

Book donations are welcomed

Israel, whose family lives near the library, often attends

Kids and teenagers come every afternoon to read

Amelia and her dog “Blanca” attend a workshop on Pet Care at the library with free veterinarian attention and medicines

Almendra and her friends wait on the doorstep until opening time

Volunteers like Paula, from Maine, USA are appreciated by the children

Children’s parents are often volunteers in the library