My Nonprofit Reviews

My partner and I, along with our three kids (aged 8, 10, & 12 at the time) lived for six weeks in San Juan del Sur and volunteered with HJH Libraries for All. It was a delightfully intense experience – and one which had profound impact on each of us. In addition to parenting while living in a new culture, speaking in a new language, experiencing new foods, we spent our volunteer hours making craft kits, visiting schools and other libraries, and reading and interacting with kids in various parts of the country. We loved connecting with the library family and genuinely felt a part of the team. Visiting schools was both heart-warming – seeing children delight in exchanging books, having a story read to them, making a craft (many children experienced this for the first time with us) and heart-breaking - seeing the lack of resources, run down infrastructure, serious poverty, and lack of investment and opportunity. As challenging as the experience was, it was so impactful on our children. Now, years later, they yearn to return and volunteer again. We believe HJH Libraries for all is deeply impactful in this small corner of the world and a model for other libraries all over the world. It is helping to build community and empower individuals. – Arthur J & Brandy H
**Each of our kids wrote their own testimonial, below:

Two years ago, my family and I spent 6 weeks in Nicaragua volunteering with the HJH library. We traveled to schools around the country, shared stories, and made crafts that corresponded with a book. The library visits each school once per month and each kid gets to choose a book from a variety of books in Spanish to take home and cherish for the month. Our trip was a life changing and educational experience. I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to deliver books and joy to kids who don’t have the same access to books as I do. The library has such a wonderful impact on San Juan del Sur as well as other communities in Nicaragua and I hope that it can continue to grow.
- Soleil H, 14

Jane invited our family to volunteer at the HJH Library in San Juan del Sur. We went to schools and read “Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon” in Spanish and English and then made paper dragon puppets. I remember playing with some of the boys – “shooting” at each other with our dragon’s flames and playing soccer and tag. My Spanish wasn’t very good, but doing the projects and playing with the kids helped me learn more. There were times it was really hard being there, and sometimes I was not excited to make one more dragon, but I pulled through and am glad I did. Spending six weeks in Nicaragua made me realize that some people don’t have the same living conditions and educational opportunities as us. They deserve it as least as much as we do. It would be really cool if the livrary could get more money for the crafts and the books they bring to kids in the truck. These kids only get 1-2 books each month. In my own house we have as many books as the entire mobile library. I miss the people I met at the library and I hope I get to go back and visit and volunteer again someday. I’ll never forget this experience.
Sincerely, Jasper H., age 10

The HJH library in San Juan del Sur is a wonderful program. It helps kids find books and learn how to read. The kids we visited in Nicaragua don’t have much access to books and the HJH library helps kids have access to these books and learn responsibility for them. Each month they bring their book back and they can borrow a new book. It is really important to support the mobile library because it is a unique “Library on Wheels” and gives kids in remote areas a chance to get new books. When I traveled to Nicaragua with my family, in the winter of 2022, I was shocked when I saw the library because it was so small compared to the libraries we have in Colorado. It made me realize how lucky I was to have access to so many books. It was hard to get used to, but once I started volunteering I had a difficult time stopping. The kids were so grateful to do crafts and hear a story in both English and Spanish. I would get a bit impatient at times and upset that I had to keep explaining how to glue on something (a simple task for me) but then I would remember that they didn’t have access to the same craft materials that I had used since pre-school. The kids were so kind and excited and wanted to connect with us. Volunteering with the HJH library was really important. It helped me become more aware and it helped the staff because they didn’t need to cut and assemble the crafts we were teaching. I am really grateful that I had the opportunity to live and serve in Nicaragua.
-River H, age 12