Readers of the Amazon420,000children affected by the great Amazon drought
Readers of the Amazon: Empowering riverside communities to protect their children’s education
* All donations made on GlobalGiving are tax deductible for US taxpayers
Lower river levels mean higher barriers to education
For the riverside communities in the Brazilian Amazon, rivers serve as transportation routes for kids to reach school. When water levels reached record lows in 2024, over 1,700 schools were forced to close, leaving thousands of children in total isolation. According to UNICEF, nearly half a million children across the region have seen their right to learn disappear along with the waterline.
their right to learn disappear along with the waterline
From California to the rainforest
We are three Brazilian-American students from Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, CA, who believe in the power of education for positive change.
After learning about the severity of the drought and its effects on education, we sought ways to support the affected communities. This initiative became Readers of the Amazon. Our mission is to restore access to books for children and teenagers in remote areas of the Amazon rainforest by supporting local community libraries. While we recognize that a library cannot address every educational challenge, it can inspire a lifelong interest in reading, foster community engagement, and expand opportunities.
A proven partnership
Building a library in a drought-stricken rainforest involves significant logistical challenges. That is why we have partnered with Vaga Lume, a renowned Brazilian non-profit and three-time winner of the “Best Education NGO” award. With 24 years of experience and recognition from the United Nations, Vaga Lume ensures that our donations reach those most in need by providing curated books, furniture, and training local “read-aloud mediators”.
Readers of the Amazon has donated an entire collection of 300 books to the newly established community library in Uarini, Amazonas. Uarini is a riverbank community known for its cassava flour production, and its name derives from a narrow, shallow river that crosses the region. Reaching Uarini involves a flight from Manaus to Tefé, followed by a three-hour boat trip. The book collection includes titles that represent both local and global perspectives, integrating traditional Amazonian narratives with stories from other regions of Brazil and the world.
ManausTeféUarini
A movement without borders
What started in Manhattan Beach has inspired a broader movement. We are proud to be joined by eight dedicated Ambassadors, seven in the US and one in Brazil, each leading their own efforts to support this cause.
João Pedral PimentelRio de Janeiro, Brazil
Nicholas O’GradyIllinois, USA
Tiago EstevesFlorida, USA
Lara KatzCalifornia, USA
Miguel PeixotoCalifornia, USA
Catherine HillCalifornia, USA
Mariana MoralesCalifornia, USA
Isabel HillCalifornia, USA
We believe in the power of working together and helping each other grow along the way. If you would like to join our group and become an ambassador, DM us on Instagram.
@readers.of.the.amazonThe Art of Access
Readers of the Amazon aims to educate the public about the impact of climate change on the riverside communities in the Amazon and raise awareness of their educational needs.
We invited Brazilian artists to paint small wooden library boxes inspired by the architecture of the community libraries. The boxes were displayed at the Consulate General of Brazil in Los Angeles in May and June 2026, in an exhibition called The Art of Access.
Each box is modeled on a real community library in the Amazon, and each one was handed to an artist as a canvas. The results are not decoration. They carry what the libraries themselves carry: local stories, local color, and the argument that a building this small can hold a whole reading life.
Empowering riverside communities to protect their children’s education
Donate now* All donations made on GlobalGiving are tax deductible for US taxpayers
ROTA 92 is our design store. Its profits go to the same libraries.