By Katherine Hoyt

(Katherine Hoyt is a retired co-coordinator of the Nicaragua Network and the Alliance for Global Justice. She lived in Nicaragua from 1966 to 1984, mostly in Matagalpa. These are her memories along with information from the Nicaraguan Ministry of Education.)

Fifteen days after the triumph of the Revolution in July of 1979, the new Minister of Education, Carlos Tünnermann, appointed Fernando Cardenal S.J., as coordinator of a National Literacy Campaign. Even before the triumph, an FSLN working team had elaborated a preliminary literacy project that served as a starting point for the planning of the Campaign.

The first step was to study the literacy experiences of sister countries such as Cuba, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, etc. and to consult experts in the field, such as Professor Paulo Freire, and advisors from UNESCO and other organizations. The Campaign had several phases: the initial planning and selection of the teaching method, the development of training workshops together with field tests to perfect the selected methods. This went hand in hand with the search for financial support to acquire the necessary materials, the call for the formation of the People’s Literacy Army (EPA) and the different urban literacy groups.

In addition to government support and leadership, many private and religious institutions supported the Campaign in various ways and many citizens from other countries contributed their efforts to literacy. The Campaign’s methods were further enhanced by the experiences of the literacy educators themselves as the Campaign proceeded.

The basic theory behind the method used in Nicaragua was developed by the Brazilian Paulo Freire, who developed a system of literacy teaching based on encouraging adults to become “critically conscious” of their situations. In Freire’s method, those being taught to read are first urged to talk about their own immediate experiences. They use a vocabulary which has an immediate and strong meaning in their lives. In the Nicaraguan adaptation of Freire’s method, a national textbook titled “The Dawn of the People,” provided a standard set of words and exercises. The lessons were based on recent Nicaraguan history and the incidents of the Nicaraguan Revolution.

On March 23rd of 1980, the great Literacy Campaign began. The schools closed for five months and all those who could read and write, but especially teachers and young people over 12, were invited to join the adventure of teaching their illiterate brothers and sisters in urban and rural areas to read.

In the weeks before the start of the Campaign, the country was boiling over. The only conversation was about who was taking the fourth workshop (the one for the literacy teachers themselves) and who was not and which children and youth had gotten their parents’ permission to go with the Brigades into the rural areas to teach. In the end, one half of the eligible student population went and that was a lot of young people and a lot of mother’s tears, especially for those who were sending all of their children off alone for the first time. The participants were tremendously excited and although they would have a great deal of support it was still a big challenge.

Aunt Orbelina of San Dionisio sent off three boys. Alcides, because he was a university student, was sent far into the interior. The younger boys were closer. Juan de Dios and Irma, of the cousins from next door, went also. Irma (at age 12, among the youngest) was close by on a confiscated farm that had belonged to Somoza’s cousin. The ranch house had everything, including a bathroom and a refrigerator, and the nuns from their school were with the girls.

The grey cotton shirts that were the uniform of the young literacy workers were produced thanks to a contribution from the National Network in Solidarity with the People of Nicaragua (NNSPN) which was later to be called the Nicaragua Network. But, at that point I had not yet had contact with organized solidarity in the United States.

The Rearguard of the Literacy Campaign included activities such as sports and art classes for the children between the ages of 4 and 12 who would be staying at home. About 15 of the little ones at the AMNLAE-founded Frank Sevilla Child Development Center where I worked fell into that group. Our own children and their younger cousins attended “Rearguard” art classes at the newly established Popular Culture Center.

The Campaign ended on the 23 of August of 1980 and preparations were made to receive the young people who had been in the countryside with a great welcome in Matagalpa on the 18th and in Managua on the 23rd. They had done a fantastic job – lowering Nicaragua’s rate of illiteracy from 53% to approximately 12% in five months (according to the U.N.) at about one half the cost of the Cuban campaign twenty years earlier. In all, 95,582 students, teachers, health workers, pedagogical advisors, drivers, clerks and housewives participated, The Literacy Campaign in Spanish officially ended on August 23, 1980, but on September 30, 1980, the literacy campaign in English, Miskito and Sumo began, with the objective of teaching 16,500 Nicaraguans to read and write on the Caribbean Coast. Also, in September, UNESCO awarded the government and population of Nicaragua that year’s Nadezhda K. Krupskaya Prize for their successful literacy campaign.

Next came continuing adult education for those who had learned to read. The Education Ministry also started public kindergartens all over the country and special education for deaf and intellectually and physically disabled children. It was extremely ambitious given that the Ministry was already short 300 teachers just in the Matagalpa-Jinotega area.

The five months had been a unique experience for Nicaraguan families. It was said that young people who had not been radicalized during the insurrection, were radicalized during the Literacy Campaign by the rural poverty that they witnessed and lived with.  Urban and rural families became connected through the stay of these young people in peasant households and their participation in the lives of those households. Rural busses on weekends were full of urban parents traveling far out into the countryside to visit their children, and in the process learning about their country, its geography, and its people.

Of course, the implications for the newly literate were even greater. Humble people, both urban and rural, who had previously been embarrassed by having to put an X on documents or asking someone to sign for them, were now signing their own names. The man who sold potatoes to our child development center now insisted on our waiting while he painstakingly printed out his name (I think it was Tomás Rivas) on the receipt each week. The banks in Matagalpa were full of peasant farmers who not only were getting credit for the first time, but could sign for it. Some people said that the Sandinistas inflated the figures on the success of the Campaign. There may have been some of that, but Spanish is absolutely phonetic and therefore easier to read than many other languages. And, for many people, being able to write their name (which was the first writing lesson that everyone learned) was the greatest accomplishment of all and gave them the most pride.

One incident that conveyed to me the pride that poor Nicaraguans felt upon learning to read took place at a rally November 1980 in Matagalpa commemorating the fourth anniversary of the death of Carlos Fonseca. Comandante Henry Ruiz, the legendary “Modesto” who was Minister of Planning, gave a high-level policy speech. I hung on his every word but most of the people in the audience wandered around buying snow cones and otherwise amusing themselves. After Ruiz’ speech, the young man who had been the “baqueano” or guide for Carlos Fonseca in the mountains before his death gave a speech which he had written himself. He was dressed in a perfectly pressed uniform of the Sandinista Popular Army with a handsome black beret. He said that he had learned to read and write in the Literacy Campaign and began to carefully sound out every syllable of his speech. The crowd fell silent; the snow cone business came to an end as the humble people in that crowd gave their entire attention to the young speaker. Their identification with him was complete (as it had not been with the Minister of Planning) and their pride in his achievement was obvious.

Note: If you have memories of your involvement with Nicaragua from years ago, write them down and send them to us! Even better if you have photos! Many of us are getting old and some of us have died! Leave a legacy! Write katherinechoyt@gmail.com.

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Briefs
By Nan McCurdy

El Hato Solar Plant Starts Operations on March 24 in Ciudad Darío
Co-President Rosario Murillo announced that the Ministry of Energy and Mines will officially start the operation of the El Hato Solar Project in the municipality of Ciudad Darío, Department of Matagalpa, on March 24. She said that this mega-project has an investment of more than US$80 million and has a capacity to generate 67.3 megawatts of energy. She indicated that the project is developed in collaboration with the Chinese State Company CCCC and with financing from Chinese banks. Murillo said that the ceremony will be attended by the Chinese ambassador to Nicaragua, Chen Xi, as well as ministers and mayors of the region. (La Primerisima, 17 March 2025)

Nicaragua Consolidates Food Security 
The General Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Giovanni Álvarez, reported on the significant progress of the livestock sector, a key pillar for food security and national development. During an interview with Canal Parlamentario, he described how the policies of the Sandinista government have strengthened the production of beef, pork, poultry and dairy products, consolidating food sovereignty and generating a positive impact on the economy. “The livestock sector is synonymous with food and food security,” said Alvarez, underscoring its relevance in the daily diet of Nicaraguans. With 44% of the population living in rural areas, this sector contributes 30% of total exports and 23% of GDP, of which 6% comes specifically from livestock activity. In addition, it generates employment in thousands of production units, making the lives of rural families more dynamic. Since 2007, growth has been remarkable: 112.5% in the agricultural sector and 99% in the livestock sector.

The year 2024 closed with positive figures. The beef sector reached 104% of the established goal. Milk production reached more than 380 million gallons, an increase of 1.6%, supplying both the local market and the cheese, curd and other by-product industries. In the swine sector, there was a 3.4% increase in pork production. The poultry sector recorded 10.1% more meat than in 2023, and three million boxes of eggs, guaranteeing self-sufficiency in this essential item. Álvarez highlighted the strategies that have driven these achievements: genetic improvement of livestock, traceability, technological innovation and sustainable production. “We maintain a healthy and balanced herd,” he said. He highlighted a census of 5.8 million head of cattle in 2024 and said that price stability and market supply were other benefits. “Monthly monitoring allows us to generate alerts and guarantee food security,” he explained, stressing that only pork presents a minor challenge, with imports decreasing thanks to the strengthening of local consumption. With a production that ensures meat, chicken, eggs and dairy products on the table of families, complemented by basic grains, Nicaragua is moving towards a solid food and nutritional security, he noted. (La Primerisima, 13 March 2025)

Visiting Solidarity Group Asks Why Nicaragua Is Under US Sanctions
On March 15, a delegation of solidarity activists visiting Nicaragua with the Casa Ben Linder and Jubilee House Community issued a press release questioning why Nicaragua is under sanctions by the US given the country’s advances in gender equity. The group noted that Nicaragua ranks highest in gender equity in the Americas and number six globally, according to the World Economic Forum. The press release stated that the U.S has continuously attempted to destroy the Sandinista revolution, from the contra wars, through active support for the 16 years of neo-liberal government, to the 2018 attempted coup, and the current punitive economic sanctions.

The solidarity activists came to Nicaragua on International Women’s Day to witness firsthand the progress made by women since the revolution. The group met with a wide range of individuals and institutions driving these advancements, including mayors, deputy mayors, hospital and clinic directors, governmental ministers, police captains, patients, health promoters, preschoolers, mothers, women members in the National Assembly, technical school trainees, social workers, nurses, and more. These meetings took place in Managua, Ciudad Sandino, Ciudad Darío, Estelí, San Juan de Limay, San Nicolas, and El Sauce.

In recent years, the press release noted, Nicaragua has enacted numerous laws and constitutional reforms to institutionalize gender equity and Indigenous and Afro-descendant people’s rights. At the heart of this effort is Nicaragua’s family-community model, which reflects the nation’s commitment to eradicating poverty and promoting social equity.

Delegation members highlighted that Nicaragua has implemented a groundbreaking 50/50 policy, ensuring equal gender representation in all levels of decision-making, from local councils to national government bodies. Women now hold 60% of the seats in the National Assembly and 75% of ministerial and vice-ministerial positions. Ministries, mayoral offices, the National Assembly, and nonprofits work in unison to prioritize prevention, education, and community well-being.  Specialized police units have been established to address gender-based violence, child abuse, and support women and children’s safety. Universal access to education and healthcare has been a cornerstone of Nicaragua’s efforts to empower women and reduce poverty. Indigenous and Afro-descendants have communal title to lands making up nearly one-third of Nicaragua’s national territory.

Nicaragua’s achievements are a testament to its commitment to building a socialist society centered on equity, justice, and the vibrant culture of community empowerment. The country’s progress stands in stark contrast to the negative narratives often propagated by Western media. The press release quoted an FSLN leader who told the group, “A country that does not educate itself does not move forward.” In that spirit the visitors said they encouraged readers not to take their word—or that of any Western media source—as the final say but rather “visit Nicaragua with an open mind, witness the advancements for yourself, and be inspired by a nation actively working to create a more just and equitable society.”  (Press Release, Managua, Nicaragua, 15 March, 2025)

More than 723,000 Nicaraguans Legalize Their Property
Attorney General Wendy Morales announced that, since 2007, the Sandinista Government, through the Attorney General’s Office, has legalized more than 723,000 property titles throughout the country. She indicated that the government plans for the delivery of 2,500 property titles weekly, and has a goal this year of approximately 35,000 documents. Morales explained that there are two types of documents: there is the urban titling of houses in urban centers and there is also the legalization in the rural area, which are small farms of 1.7, 8.6 and 17.2 acres. Both types are handled by the Attorney General’s Office. In the urban area, the person must be living on the property and have a receipt from the previous owner of the house; in the rural area the person must be working the property and must have lived there for a certain amount of time. She pointed out that the most important thing to legalize a property is that it is not being leased or rented and that there be no family conflicts over ownership. Once the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic receives a request for legalization and the issuing of a title, the property is inspected, the public registry of land ownership is reviewed and the next step is the issuance of the title deed, all at no cost to the home-owner. (La Primerisima, 17 March 2025)