Our History
During a visit to her native Venezuela, América
Soler-Everhart saw a critical need – poor rural families couldn’t afford
books for their children, and there were no public libraries, which
meant that whenever a child needed a book or wanted to study after
school, there was no place to go.
Driven to help, América set up a bookcase with donated
books in her mother’s home, and when neighborhood children came by to
read or study they would call the bookcase , “La Pequeña Biblioteca”
(The Little Library). La Pequeña Biblioteca was a success, but so many
children needed books that América decided to organize volunteers and in
2002 founded FUNDVEC, or Fundación Venezolana Educación y Cultura
(Venezuelan Foundation for Education & Culture).
Fundraising efforts got underway and in 2004 FUNDVEC
built a library, Biblioteca Pública El Páramo in the rural village of
Caserío El Páramo near Valle de La Pascua, Guárico State. The library
provides 11 rural caserios (villages) with books and publications,
computers, audio-visual learning media and workshops. Children from all
over the region came to the library, but teachers reported that many
were still reading below average. They knew that reading aloud to
children was crucial in developing basic pre-literacy skills, but few
rural parents read to their children. A major factor was the lack of
adequate books – poor families in remote areas had none and their
children’s classrooms never had enough.
To help isolated rural children become good readers,
FUNDVEC launched the Seeds of Knowledge Bookcase Libraries Project in
2007, which installs special bookcases filled with age-appropriate books
in rural preschools and classrooms and encourages parents and teachers
to read to children every day.
Today, Biblioteca Pública El Páramo is a vibrant oasis
of learning for 11 rural villages, and pre-school children are becoming
eager readers as they listen to wonderful stories from 19 Seeds of
Knowledge Bookcase Libraries (so far!) that have been built by generous
FUNDVEC supporters.
América Soler-Everhart, Founder: america@fundvec.org
General information: info@fundvec.org
Donation information: info@fundvec.org
Volunteer information: info@fundvec.org
Mailing Address:
FUNDVEC
5109 153rd PL SW #B
Edmonds, WA 98026-4451
Email: info@fundvec.org
Phone: 425.745.1949
Biblioteca Pública El Páramo (El Paramo Public Library)
Carretera Nacional
Calle Principal Caserío El Paramo
Valle de La Pascua, Edo. Guárico, Venezuela
Email: books@fundvec.org