by Cecilia Jacinta, Library Intern
(translated by Léa Valenti, Internat
ional Coordinator)
I started working in the Saber Sin Límites (Limitless Knowledge) Community Library in March. Thanks to this opportunity through Limitless Horizons Ixil, I have the chance to work with the children and learn from the librarians. My experience has been great so far! I have learned a lot especially with my communications skills in Spanish and how to work with children of all ages.
They also have access to a lot of educational materials and all the support they need for their homework–including from the two full-time librarians and the two library interns!
What I like the most about my internship at the library is that I have the opportunity to help children learn how to read and support them throughout their education. It is a great feeling to meet children who do not know how to read when they first come in the library, and then to support them and to see their reading skills progress thanks to our assistance.
If I had not had the opportunity to be a part of this Internship and Training Initiative, I would be at home all day long, just weaving and not earning an income or using the education I’ve gained. It’s been such a positive experience, because not only does it gives us interns the opportunity to have a first job, but it also gives me the opportunity to provide financial support to my family.
I hope Limitless Horizons Ixil will be able to have a lot of interns after me, to support the youth and the development of Chajul.
Cecilia Jacinta is 21 years old and works as one of the two interns at our Saber Sin Límites Community Library. Cecilia was a Limitless Horizons Ixil scholar as part of our Youth Development Program for the six years of her middle and high school career, and she studied Intercultural Bilingual Primary Education in high school.
Cecilia comes from a family with five children. Her older brother Gaspar is also a former Limitless Horizons Ixil scholar and high school graduate and is now employed full-time. She has three younger brothers, one of whom, Eliseo, is a current Youth Development Program scholar.
Limitless Horizons Ixil started the Internship and Training Initiative in March 2015 to support recent high school graduates of Chajul by giving them the opportunity to gain their first professional experience in a supportive environment that provides professional guidance and useful hands-on experience with transferable job skills. In this pilot year, we hired four interns who work part-time with our various programs.
Through her internship, Cecilia provides crucial support to the children and youth who rely on the library‘s services. We are so proud to see how far she has come since she first started with Limitless Horizons Ixil seven years ago, and to see how great a role model she is for the children and youth of Chajul!