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SMALL WORLD BOOKS is a non-profit organization, founded
in 2003, dedicated to promoting literacy and enhancing educational
opportunities in Playa del Carmen, Mexico and the Riviera
Maya.
A GROWING NEED
Situated along the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan, just a
decade ago Playa del Carmen was a sleepy fishermen’s
village. Today, “Playa” with its rich culture and
pristine beaches has become one of the fastest growing cities
in Central America, and is among the top tourist destinations
in Mexico. Yet while tourists flock from around the world
to enjoy Playa’s beautiful beaches and shop on 5th Avenue,
the reality of Playa for most locals is starkly different.
In the past five years alone, Playa’s population has
exploded from less than 50,000 to over 150,000 inhabitants
due to the expanding tourism industry. Such a population influx
has strengthened the local economy and created many new jobs.
Limited education, however, has limited most locals to low
skilled low paying jobs, thus augmenting the already poor
distribution of wealth. Consequently, the population growth
has been accompanied by increasing drug addiction, prostitution,
alcoholism and crime. Education is one of the keys to combating
this social decline.
In a place where most families share one bedroom homes, many
with limited electricity and water, additional resources to
invest education are scarce. The lack of availability of textbooks
(some travel up to 4 hours on bus to buy books) in addition
to limited resources (the minimum wage at $3.20/day) has left
the grand majority of students without the necessary materials
or opportunities to pursue a quality education. Nearly half
of the youth between the ages of 16-18 stop studying, the
majority of whom do so for the lack of resources.
In March of 2004, “Libreria MUNDO” opened its doors,
making affordable reading and educational materials available
locally in Playa del Carmen. In efforts to support local education,
Libreria MUNDO teamed up with SMALL WORLD BOOKS to create
the program VISION 20/20. Through the donation and sales of
used books, VISION 20/20 generates funds to support local
students through scholarships and textbook subsidies.
Nationally, 25% of Mexican children do not complete middle
school. Less than one out of three high-school-to-collage-aged-youth
attend school, and of those that go to high school, only 52.4%
graduate (Almanaque Mexicano 2003). Estimates show that in
the state of Quintana Roo, 40% of all school age children
receive no more than a primary education. Through Vision 20/20,
Libreria Mundo and Small World Books hope to demonstrate a
strong commitment to education, providing opportunities for
many students of limited resources to receive a quality education.
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