"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
13 Jun 2017
The sight of a book in garbage irked Jose Alberto Gutierrez of Bogota of Columbia who started salvaging them. He worked as a garbage collector in rich neighbourhoods and often found discarded books in the trash. Soon he had saved over 20,000 books and he decided to open a free library in his neighbourhood
Jose found a copy of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina in with the rubbish around 20 years ago. When he rescued the book from the trash, a feeling within him inspired him to continue saving discarded literature.
Gutierrez now has a collection of over 20,000 books in his library which he has aptly named - ' Strength of Words'. Every weekend, he opens the doors of his house to community children who are allowed into his rooms that are overflowing with literature. They do not have to pay for the books.
Gutierrez hails from South Bogota which is a poorer area and finding books that are freely available is very rare. Thanks to his efforts, children from his neighbourhood have access to free books that will enhance their reading skills and knowledge. Gutierrez also ships books to other regions that experience a lack of literature.
