Libraries Without Borders - USA

On August 28th, 2018, Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, devastating the island’s already fragile infrastructure, and disproportionately affecting those least equipped to cope with disaster, including the poor, the elderly, and ethnic and racial minorities. After their immediate needs of food, water, and shelter were met, residents confronted new challenges: cuts to public services, closures of nearly 300 schools, and major fiscal crises.

A series of earthquakes in January 2020 left nearly one million residents without power and water. Then, Covid-19 forced nearly 300,000 students on the island to begin the year remotely— even though many of these children lack access to the necessary electricity, computers, and internet connection.

Since 2018, LWB US has worked in the city of Loiza, a major center of Afro-Puerto Rican culture on the island. But the municipality faces many challenges, with a median household income of $17,000 annually and one of the highest violent crime rates on the island. It is geographically isolated, accessible only by low-lying bridges that easily flood. Loiza was devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2018 and many public services damaged by the storm have not reopened. Further, nearly 30% of residents don’t have any type of home internet connection.

• In 2019, LWB US hosted the design jam (“¡Empréndete Loíza!”), a series of workshops facilitated by experts from across the island focused on designing creative solutions for challenges facing the Loiza community. The winning team designed a project using photography to reduce violence in their community.
  
  
• We worked with El Ancón de Loíza to organize workshops on sustainable agriculture, health literacy, entrepreneurship, culture and dance, design thinking, and marketing. Community leaders in the Sector 23 y las Gardenias neighborhood organized two summer camps focused on sports, environmental stewardship, healthy eating, and entrepreneurship.
  
  
• We have also hosted health literacy workshops to train local leaders to teach about preventative health.
  
  
• In 2020, LWB US partnered with Link Puerto Rico (LinkPR) to install multiple T-Mobile hotspots with 14 gigabyte/month service in Sector La 23 y Las Gardenias in Loiza. During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, we also distributed dozens of ConnectED kits containing laptops, WiFi hotspots, and curated educational resources for young people.
  
  
• In October 2021, we transformed an abandoned public building into a vibrant community center with technology, culturally relevant books, and space for young people.