Octavio assistant minister of education, Managua on 3 January.
THE literacy campaign is something our people greatly heed. We are going to organise some brigade members, but need more. We estimate that between 850,000 and 900,000 persons above the age of ten do not know how to read. We need on average one brigade member for every Tour huterates. In reality, however, there are rural areas that are very hard to reach, and we'll have to send many teachers to these areas.
and we are hoping for the help of companeros from around the world. Our problem that undergoing economic crisis.
We are a small country, with a debt approaching $1.8 billion. This is equivalent to the debt held by some countries four times population. That gives you an idea of the scope of the problem.
In addition, 40 percent of our industry lies in ruins, as well as 40 per our establishments. In agriculture, crop as important as cotton, only 30 per cent was planted last year, which means a loss of millions of dollars at the very least.
Finance In short, we don't have the means to finance those who come to help. Every day I receive letters from all over the from Europe Australia. We say the same thing in reply to all of them: 'Great. Come help. We'll greet you with open arms. But we can't provide you with a single cordoba while you're here.' The only possible solution is the one that has been worked out with the teacher companeros Their gesture human solidarity, Rivas, 170,000 literacy we actually amos le oracid are unprecedented our commercial In a Cuba. genuine has generales Age ne ra les Na La undertaken to pay them during their stay here. We have provided the only thingsiour country can offer - a roof over their heads, food, and our great That's all we can provide.
those who have the means to come EIF.S.L.N. condujo al pueblo a la liberación liberación li be ra ción lo lu le Lo Lu Le communities where they will work, We are very interested in having teaching companeros come from a number of countries. You are well aware that reactionaries around the DE le lo la lu l León - loma - Quilall-revolución- Yalagüina - -Lola Lelc Lea LUIC LUL LeC OIc Evo vi vu ya ve la lo li * Luvi lovo lava le h Viva velo vilo Luvi lava la vela world have violently criticised the This is a manoeuvre designed to sphere and to refuse us the aid that other countries could easily provide. We want to initiate a counter-attack, structurally don't hide this;
themselves changes themselves. Literacy democratic revolution, be really free.
On speak three La ola Lola lee will be Lula lía preserved.
isolate uS Crusade, the economic Socialist Challenge and are seeking teachers from all over This is the real spirit of our revolution, which is a broad and democratic revolution that is going to lead us towards a different society, a different society. we aren't trying to fool anyone. This is a revolution that is marching towards socialism.
But we also say and repeat over and over, that the Nicaraguan peopl are this revolution. Here reforms and changes introduced step by step, accordance with the degree to which the people attain the necessary level of consciousness to carry through these The literacy campaign that we are going to carry out in the first year of the revolution is a clear sign of the character of this for the weapon of knowledge is going to enable each individual to obtain an education, to the Atlantic coast, people languages Spanish English, and Misquito. So , there we carrying this literacy campaign in three languages. This is all part of our culture, and we are going to preserve and protect ever element of our culture. That means all the songs, dances, and fables - the entire oral culture — will be saved and In closing, I would like to appeal to the teachers' unions, to the trade unions in general, to ask that they donate an hour's pay in support of the literacy campaign. That would be a concrete way of assuring its success.
*Money for the literacy campaign can be sent to: Nicaraguan Literacy Cooperative Bank (Ealing branch), London W5 2XL. NEXT WEEK: Special eyewitness report on life in the new Nicaragus.
21 February 1980 Page 13
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CRUZADA NACIONAL
héroes y mártires por la liberación de Nicaragua Aling-nene-Nuna - Nino La Li Lu Le Lo