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April 30th, 2010
06:15 AM ET

CNN Heroes: Championing children

Magdalena, Colombia (CNN) - To the unaccustomed eye, a man toting 120 books while riding a stubborn donkey would seem nothing short of a circus spectacle. But for hundreds of children in the rural villages of Colombia, Luis Soriano is far from a clown. He is a man with a mission to save rural children from illiteracy.

"There was a time when many people thought that I was going crazy," said Soriano, a native of La Gloria, Colombia. "They'd yell, 'Carnival season is over.' ... Now I've overcome that."

Soriano, 38, is a primary school teacher who spends his free time operating a "biblioburro," a mobile library on donkeys that offers reading education for hundreds of children living in what he describes as "abandoned regions" in the Colombian state of Magdalena. FULL STORY

Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for 2010 CNN Heroes


Filed under: CNN Heroes
soundoff (2 Responses)
  1. Katia

    WHAT A WONDERFUL STORY. So little resources, such a great impact. This is my hero.

    April 30, 2010 at 1:11 pm |
  2. Michael Armstrong Sr.

    If this mans government was worth a dam he would not be toting books its people like this that should be in charge of things he is a special person .

    April 30, 2010 at 10:27 am |