"Now We Can Read and Write"
The first classes began at La Escuela Caribe in October 2004. At that time, none of the five students pictured here, aged from 13 to 16, could read or write. A year later they are proud to present some short texts they wrote during a recent lesson.
Ingrid is very happy that after only three months at La Escuela Caribe, she is able to write and read her own short text. Below she writes that she enjoys playing with her sisters and friends or going to the beach and making trips to the market with her mother. She adds that the school's director, Florangel, is very good with the students.
When Franyer started at La Escuela Caribe in November 2004, all he could write was his name - nothing more. A year later, Franyer is able to write a simple text about himself. Here he is, reading his text in front of his classmates. He writes that he enjoys playing football with his friends and that he likes the meals served at the school.
Like many young people, Suleyvis dropped out of school at the age of eleven. In April 2005, at the age of fifteen, she started at La Escuela Caribe, where she not only learned to read and write but also made good friends. In her text, she says that she likes the school and her teachers and that she loves music.
Paola knew only the five vowels on her first day at La Escuela Caribe in November 2004. In the text below, written in October 2005, she says she likes fish, chicken and meat but not vegetables. And she likes her school.
Like all the students at La Escuela Caribe, Mariangela could neither read nor write when she started in November 2004. After one year, she took her first steps on the road to literacy. She writes that she enjoys going to the beach with her friends and family and that with her teacher she practises dictations and does sums.
In fact, during our visit to the school in 2005, almost every student wrote their own short text and later read it aloud in front of all the teachers and students.
Karelis gets the giggles while reading her text. Below she writes that she likes music and wants to become a teacher.
Fourteen year-old José Jesús gets encouragement from his teacher María Magdalena as he reads his text.
Students on parade!
Escuela Caribe students march with hundreds of Río Caribe school students to raise awareness of the consequences of teenage pregnancy - a major problem in this community.
The participation of our students is important for a further reason - to demonstrate to the community and to the students themselves that La Escuela Caribe is recognised as a real school, enjoying equal status with other schools and entitled to support from the Ministry of Education and other government bodies when it comes to matters like health care, support from educational psychologists and access to sports facilities.